Ana Vovk and Tina Ritlop

School of the Future: From Knowledge Transfer to Shaping a Sustainable Way of Life

The world is entering a period of rapid and interconnected change that is fundamentally transforming the way people live, work, learn, and relate to one another. Digitalization, the development of artificial intelligence, automation, climate change, demographic shifts, global interconnectedness, the ever-increasing volume of information, and growing mental health challenges all require a different perspective on the role of education and upbringing (OECD, 2020; UNESCO, 2020). As a result, schools are becoming environments that go beyond the systematic transmission of knowledge, serving instead as places where individuals develop the capacities needed for responsible and meaningful living in a complex society.

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The development of digital technologies has significantly increased access to information, while simultaneously presenting individuals with new challenges. The critical evaluation of information, responsible use of digital technologies, understanding of artificial intelligence, and the ability to make thoughtful decisions are becoming essential competencies of the modern age (OECD, 2020). At the same time, research indicates that digital connectivity alone does not strengthen social connectedness; it may also contribute to increased loneliness, reduced quality of interpersonal relationships, and poorer mental health among children and adolescents (UNESCO, 2024).

In addition to technological change, contemporary society is characterized by climate change, biodiversity loss, increasing consumption of natural resources, social inequalities, demographic changes, and evolving lifestyles. These challenges are not merely environmental or economic issues; they have significant impacts on human health, quality of life, food security, social cohesion, and the long-term resilience of communities. There is growing recognition that environmental, social, and health systems are closely interconnected, and therefore contemporary challenges cannot be addressed in isolation but must be approached holistically (Whitmee et al., 2015; UNESCO, 2020; Plut, 2008). The concepts of One Health and Planetary Health emphasize that long-term human well-being is inseparably linked to the preservation of healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and the responsible management of natural resources (Whitmee et al., 2015). Consequently, an increasing number of international organizations stress the need to develop competencies that enable individuals to understand the complexity of the modern world, think systemically, make responsible decisions, and actively participate in shaping a sustainable society (UNESCO, 2020; Bianchi et al., 2022; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011).

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At the same time, the understanding of school effectiveness is also changing. Whereas the traditional measure of quality was primarily the amount of knowledge acquired, contemporary approaches increasingly emphasize the holistic development of the individual. Alongside academic achievement, the development of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, empathy, resilience, ethical decision-making, responsibility, and lifelong learning skills has become essential (Biesta, 2022; Fullan, 2020; Marentič Požarnik, 2000). The OECD Learning Compass 2030 highlights that schools must enable students to develop transformative competencies that allow them to create new value, reconcile competing interests, and take responsibility for their decisions and their long-term consequences (OECD, 2020). Similarly, GreenComp emphasizes that the success of modern education depends not only on the amount of knowledge acquired but, above all, on an individual’s ability to connect knowledge with values, collaboration, and responsible action for the common good (Bianchi et al., 2022). Vovk (2025) likewise argues that sustainability can only be developed through linking knowledge with everyday life experiences, responsible behaviour, and the active engagement of individuals within their communities.

Such an understanding represents a significant shift from (merely) teaching content to shaping ways of living. The school of the future is not merely a place where students acquire knowledge; it is increasingly becoming a community in which values and life habits are formed through everyday relationships, collaboration, responsibility, experience, and role modelling. Learning becomes a process of shaping individuals who can connect knowledge with responsible action and contribute to the common good (Fullan, 2020; Dumont, Istance, & Benavides, 2013).

Within this framework, sustainability is emerging as one of the fundamental life competencies of contemporary individuals. It extends beyond the content of individual subjects or projects and becomes a way of thinking, deciding, and acting that permeates the daily lives of individuals and the entire school community. Understanding sustainability as a life paradigm therefore raises the question of how schools can create environments in which students do not merely learn about sustainability but actually live it. In this context, the school principal plays a particularly important role as a leader who fosters collaboration in shaping the school’s vision, culture, and development directions, which constitutes the central focus of the discussion that follows.

 

 

 

References

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