The world is shifting beneath our feet. Ecological collapse, social fragmentation, and political dysfunction are no longer distant threats; they are our daily reality. In this time between worlds, education stands at a crossroads, underscoring the importance of these beliefs for transforming education. It can either cling to outdated paradigms that are contributing to our collective challenges or become a catalyst for transformation.

In moments of chaos and complexity, it becomes imperative that we clearly articulate what we believe. Beliefs anchor us—they clarify our values, direct our actions, and signal our commitments. The following seven belief statements comprise my personal manifesto for education to confront its complicity and to embrace a role in co-creating a more just and sustainable future.

Belief #1: A Cultural Shift Is Urgent

We are living in a time between worlds. Driven to the brink by an unsustainable narrative of “progress,” traditional institutions and ways of living on the planet are collapsing; their replacements are emergent, and this belief for transforming education reflects that.

Our current systems, built on the premise of endless growth and human dominance, are unraveling. Education must recognize this liminal space—not as a temporary disruption but as a profound shift. By acknowledging the collapse of old narratives, schools can become spaces that nurture the emergence of new ways of being and relating.

Belief #2: Reconnection and Relationality Is Key

Challenges like climate collapse, mis- and disinformation, state conflicts, political dysfunction, increasing inequity, and others are not “problems to be solved” by politics, technology, or even education; they are symptoms of much larger relational disconnects with one another and with all living things in nature. (The “metacrisis,” or the set of root problems behind all our major crises.)

These interconnected crises stem from a fundamental disconnection—from each other, from nature, and from a sense of shared purpose. Education must move beyond technical solutions and address these relational fractures. By shifting focus to fostering deep connections and a sense of interdependence, schools can help heal the root causes of our global challenges.

Read the full article about transforming education by Will Richardson at Getting Smart.