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Going beyond 2030 and reimagining the Future of Education in South-East Europe
The digital age has revolutionised the way we communicate, share information and express opinions. While the internet offers tremendous opportunities for global connectivity, it has also become a breeding ground for hate speech, intolerance, and dis-, mal-, and misinformation. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic approach, and education plays a crucial role in it. Beyond the traditional confines of classrooms, education is key to cultivating responsible and well-informed digital citizens who navigate the virtual realm with a heightened sense of awareness and discernment.
To address the critical issues of opportunities and challenges of digital age, UNESCO, through the Antenna in Sarajevo of its Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe, organised the Regional Educators’ Symposium on 20 April 2024. Titled “Re-imagining Education 2030: Teachers and Librarians Shaping the Future”, the symposium conveyed educators, school librarians, university professors and experts from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, to brainstorm ways to create a more constructive teaching environment in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Organised within the regional UN initiative “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust,” this dynamic event delved into the multifaceted landscape of education in the digital era, under the overarching theme of "Opportunities and Challenges." The symposium focused on the critical intersection of education and media and information literacy, providing a platform to address the pressing issues facing educators today.
In particular, discussions centred on collaborative strategies to cultivate constructive learning environments, with an emphasis on the Western Balkans perspective. The gathering of teachers from the region represented the peak of activities in the project, as pointed out by Ana Milojevic, from the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade, one of the implementing partners.
We have gathered to discuss our common problems in education and to find solutions to some of these problems, to continue working on improving education with a special emphasis on enhancing media and information literacy.
Opportunities and Challenges
Education is the pillar on which society is built, as a result, having a good education would secure a good society. This is the belief of Lamija Silajdžić, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo, who saw the event as a crucial opportunity for teachers and librarians to identify the key challenges currently hindering education from being high-quality, democratic, inclusive, and beneficial for everyone. “They sent clear messages to decision makers to act in the interest of quality education, quality knowledge, and a quality society,” Silajdžić underlined.
The digital age poses threats to the quality of education, as younger generations are often deceived by harmful content. By integrating media and information literacy into education, they can, instead, become responsible digital citizens who actively contribute to a positive (online) environment, through critical thinking, empathy, and inclusivity.
This issue was addressed during the symposium. Participants explored methods to instil digital responsibility into students, empowering them to navigate the global information ecosystem with discernment and integrity. The meeting served as a forum for educational professionals to exchange insights, share best practices, practical solutions, and recommendations on this topic.
Central to the discussions of the symposium were methods to enhance media and information literacy within educational systems, with an emphasis on nurturing critical thinking skills, familiarising with hateful discourses and related manipulation techniques. All as necessary grounds to identify and combat hate speech.
Preceding the symposium was a series of comprehensive workshops with teachers and school librarians across the 3 countries involved, conducted in collaboration with experts in the field of media and information literacy from the Universities of Sarajevo and Belgrade, as well as the Quality Assurance Agency for Pre-university Education (ASCAP) and the Albanian Media Institute (AMI). The pivotal role of education in combating hate narratives and harmful content was addressed, particularly focusing on the challenges faced by youth in the digital landscape.
Engaging discussions delved into topics such as the impact of social media on youth, the prevalence of cyberbullying, the imperative of nurturing critical thinking skills, and safeguarding personal data. An implementing partner Astrid Dautaj, ASCAP, remarks, “It is part of teaching and learning for competence, so teachers and students regard this project as their best ally in improving quality education and learning process”.
Building collective efforts in Education
The symposium paved the way towards fostering a more resilient and enlightened generation of learners, equipped to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. Spotlighted was the concerted effort needed, particularly to equip educators with the tools and knowledge necessary to guide the next generation.
A proactive approach to media and information literacy was fostered among participants. The objective set was to empower students as discerning and responsible contributors to the digital world, not just consumers of information. Teacher Ludmilla Stefani, ASCAP, highlights the importance of the event in reimagining of how education would be in the future – the education of 2030. “We are here to work together, to come with ideas and to help our students,” she underscored.
The symposium yielded several key recommendations, including the call for better teaching environments and continuous professional development in media and information literacy. Participants stressed the importance of integrating these skills into curricula, fostering critical thinking, and enhancing regional collaboration among educators. The event highlighted the shared challenges and the commitment to innovative educational practices, emphasising the crucial role of educators in preparing students to navigate the digital age responsibly.
The symposium was pivotal for all the actors involved, as it was the perfect opportunity to collaborate towards a more constructive teaching environment and a more inclusive educational context, going beyond national frontiers. Snežana Balazevski, a teacher from Belgrade, voices that all participants, despite their nationality and individual experiences, actually shared the same problems, being part of the same system, which is the global educational system. “What we are doing today is a small step, but I hope it will be a big step for education globally, not just in our region, and that with our ideas, we will contribute to leaving a better world for the children who will come after us,” she stated.
The activity was organised within the regional UN initiative “Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust”, financed by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund and implemented by UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women. It aims to support young men and women to promote constructive and fact-based narratives, and contribute to building trust, intercultural dialogue, cultural diversity, gender equality and social cohesion in the region.
We will empower ourselves enough through this exchange of experiences to create an education system that will truly mean a lot to both the students and us. The conclusion is also that none of us know everything, but together we know a lot and can contribute to a better education.
