This manifesto emphasises the need to move beyond traditional, siloed approaches to education and embrace transdisciplinarity, particularly in the context of the rapidly changing modern world. Transdisciplinary is about collaborating across the sciences and arts, and including the diverse voices beyond the academic, including those of children and families. The manifesto argues that this can help us move beyond simply preparing for a predicted future and instead enable us to actively shape it together. It explores the concept of transdisciplinary creativities, arguing that knowledge and understanding are not limited to language and traditional academic disciplines and that embodied experiences and engaging multiple senses are crucial for effective learning. This approach challenges the separation between humans and the natural world, recognising the interconnectedness of all things, and proposes that education becomes a process of ‘making-with’, where humans and non-humans engage in collaborative knowledge production.

The response describes initiatives at the University of Cambridge Primary School (UCPS) and Laborschule Bielefeld in Germany that promote democracy education and provide children with the tools and opportunities to engage meaningfully in democratic processes. At UCPS, a Children’s Congress allows students to participate in school decision-making processes, a collaboration with academic researchers sought to understand how children think and feel about their disenfranchisement and a democracy curriculum teaches children key concepts and empowers them to form their own opinions and articulate them effectively. Laborschule Bielefeld focuses on peaceful conflict resolution as a foundation for democratic education. It uses the concept of ‘nonviolent communication’ to teach children how to express their feelings and needs constructively.

This manifesto advocates for granting voting rights to children, emphasising that voting is a right of citizenship, not a privilege of competence, and should be extended to all, regardless of age. It asserts that excluding children from the democratic process is unjust and impractical. It challenges common arguments against child enfranchisement, arguing that concerns about children’s competence, potential policy chaos and the sequencing of rights are flawed. It underscores the principle of political equality, highlighting that children, like adults, possess inherent moral value and unique perspectives deserving of respect and representation. Furthermore, it contends that enfranchising children would offer them much-needed political protection, ensuring their needs and concerns are considered in policy decisions.

This response details how curricula can be developed that position sustainability as central to children’s learning, illustrated through three diverse case studies. The University of Cambridge Primary School designed a curriculum around transdisciplinary knowledge categories, incorporating experiential learning and local issues. The “Pani Pahar” curriculum uses experiential learning to teach Indian children about water resources and the effects of climate change, encouraging student reflection and activism. Lastly, the Harmony Project incorporates the seven principles of nature’s harmony into its curriculum to promote a holistic understanding of sustainability and the interconnectedness of the natural world.

This response provides a practical guide to incorporating philosophical discourse in classrooms to help children grapple with life’s big questions. It outlines three approaches to integrating philosophy into curricula: firstly, launching units of learning on any subject with philosophical discussions based on overarching themes such as power, freedom or eternity; secondly, designating a half term as a period for focusing on philosophy and ethics, using an overarching question to guide exploration; and thirdly, a project whereby each week a member of the school community poses a big question for discussion. Implementation of these approaches can improve students’ oracy skills, self-esteem and overall well-being.

This manifesto argues that by combining student voice, agency and practical wisdom, or phronēsis, a more equitable and just educational system can be created that supports students’ empowerment as leaders of transformative change who can make well-informed, values-based judgements. Practical wisdom is the ability to make well-informed decisions based on knowledge, experience and ethical values. The manifesto recommends specific actions in support of this, such as reevaluating curriculum goals; availing students of different types of knowledge, capacities and reasoning; and establishing environments that promote collaboration and reflection. It aims to inspire educators to nurture children to be better decision makers and collaborative problem solvers. It concludes that despite the challenges facing the world today, the voices of children and young people offer hope, and that we must listen to them.

This manifesto argues for a global exchange of wisdom such that, on one hand, those worst affected by climate change have a good understanding of its causes and consequences, and, on the other hand, their knowledge and experiences are fully incorporated into the international understanding of this global challenge. Taking the example of Uganda, it highlights that although many young people are experiencing the effects of climate change first hand through flooding, landslides or the impacts on agriculture and the wider economy, there is a widespread lack of understanding of the drivers, with local deforestation viewed as the main cause. This leaves young people only partially prepared for the future of worsening climate disruption. Climate change education, with indigenous examples to help pupils apply a broader lesson to a local context, can inform young people and empower them to respond. Sharing insights internationally and incorporating them into global educational offerings can support climate justice.

The response provides examples of children’s voices have been promoted in classrooms. The first example from the University of Cambridge Primary School is a Class Congress that is designed to be inclusive and involves weekly discussion sessions between all children and the senior leadership team. It builds on the well-established Oracy and Dialogue curriculum at the school and helps to develop the children’s sense of agency. The second example is Project Dhun, an initiative from the Dhun School for Now in India. The school is built on three pillars: Self, Community and Planet. These pillars encourage students to connect with their individual skills, collaborate with their community and engage with the natural world. The school emphasises experimental, project-based learning. It features unique spaces, such as a nature lab, in which the role of the teacher is evolved to be a facilitator.

This manifesto argues that education should incorporate philosophical exploration to help young people address existential questions and find meaning and purpose in their lives. The manifesto suggests that to understand the meaning of one’s life, one must consider personal existence and consciousness and the reality beyond the here and now. It proposes that education should provide a neutral forum for discussing these big questions, without bias towards any particular belief system, and incorporating both scientific and spiritual perspectives. By engaging in such philosophical discourse, young people can develop a clearer sense of self and purpose, fostering resilience, mental well-being and a commitment to values and moral behaviour. This can support them to survive and thrive through the opportunities and challenges of the future.

This collection of manifestos and practitioner responses presents a compelling and multifaceted vision for the future of education. We hope that readers will engage critically with the ideas contained in them, adopting or adapting them to create their own visions for education, or rejecting them to clear new space for dialogue.

Our aim has been to present chapters that grapple with complex and interconnected issues, highlighting the need for a fundamental shift in how we educate children and young people in a world struggling with unprecedented social, political, environmental and technological change. What would it look like if you were to accept and explore the complexity of interconnected fields of learning? How might you exploit these interconnections to better prepare children for their future lives – both their challenges and their opportunities? We encourage educators to stop and reconsider what they do, and how and why they’re doing it.

The response describes how transdisciplinary approaches can be adopted in the classroom to support skills such as creativity, innovation, adaptability and problem solving and to foster a more holistic and engaging learning experience. The first case study, ‘Constellations’ at the University of Cambridge Primary School, explores the night sky, the solar system and stars through scientific, historical, creative and literary lenses by combining real-world experiences with classroom activities. The second case study, ‘The Selburose’, connects computational thinking, programming, mathematics and arts and crafts by having students design and create a traditional Norwegian knitting pattern using Scratch programming and various craft materials.

This manifesto explores the biological effects of toxic stress, triggered by strong, frequent or prolonged adversity, on childhood development and long-term health. It highlights how emotion coaching, a form of responsive relationship, can mitigate those effects, support the healthy development of children and improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Emotion coaching involves being present, validating the child’s feelings and helping them understand and manage their emotions. The manifesto advocates for integrating the science of stress and the practice of emotion coaching into educational systems and communities, including strengthening skills and capabilities in the core life skills of adult caregivers. In this way, educators and communities can help children thrive.

This manifesto argues that education is crucial to equipping people with the knowledge and skills, confidence and optimism to navigate the challenges of the twenty-first century. Human-induced environmental change - including climate breakdown; species extinction; pollution of the air, soil, freshwater and oceans; and resource depletion - is destroying the very systems that humans need for life. When these effects are coupled with a set of global economic constraints that prioritise unsustainable consumption, and interact with underlying social inequalities, the challenges we face are severe. The manifesto stresses the importance of fostering values-based education that promotes active citizenship, creativity, resilience, knowledge, compassion, systems thinking and local action with global impact.