Learning to Be Human: Forming and Implementing National Blends of Transformative and Holistic Education to Address 21st Century Challenges and Complement AI

The paper introduces ‘transformative’ curriculum initiatives such as education for sustainable development (ESD) and global citizenship education (GCED), which address ‘macro’ challenges such as climate change, together with ‘holistic’ approaches to student learning such as ‘social and emotional learning’ (SEL) and education for ‘life skills’, ‘21st century skills’, ‘transversal competencies’, AI-related ethics, and ‘health and well-being.’ These are reflected in Section 6 of the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development. It is suggested that such broad goals put forward at global policy level may serve as inspiration for national context-specific programming, while also needing better integration of national insights and cultural differences into global discourse. The paper aims to provide insights to education policy-makers responsible for national curriculum, textbooks and other learning resources, teacher training and examination processes, helping them to promote the human values, integrity and sense of agency needed by students in a time of multiple global and personal challenges. This requires an innovative approach to curricula for established school subjects and can be included in curricula being developed for AI literacy and related ethics. Research into the integration of transformative and holistic dimensions into curricula, materials, teacher preparation, and assessment is needed, as well as ongoing monitoring and feedback. AI-supported networking and resource sharing at local, national and international level can support implementation of transformative and holistic learning, to maintain and strengthen the human dimensions of learning.