There is something both exciting and humbling about talking about the future. Every generation has wondered what the world might look like in twenty years’ time, and every generation has discovered that reality has a way of surprising us. If there is one thing we can say with confidence today, it is that change is no longer the exception—it has become our constant companion. Technology is advancing at an extraordinary pace, artificial intelligence is becoming woven into everyday life, careers are evolving, and the ways we communicate, learn and connect with one another continue to shift. We cannot predict every challenge today’s children will face as adults, but we can begin to ask a different question: What kind of person will be best equipped to navigate an uncertain world?

Throughout the SPIRIT project, this question has guided many of our conversations. As our handbook (which will soon be made available) explores, the future is likely to bring not only technological change but also social and economic transformations that will require people to adapt, continue learning and work alongside both other people and increasingly intelligent technologies. Yet the more I read about future scenarios, the more I find myself returning to a simple thought: perhaps the most important preparation we can offer children is not to teach them how to predict the future, but how to meet it with confidence. Skills such as critical thinking, adaptability, creativity, collaboration, resilience and emotional awareness are becoming increasingly valuable not because they belong to a particular profession, but because they help us remain grounded when the world around us changes. International frameworks, from UNESCO to the European Union, continue to emphasise these transversal skills because they support lifelong learning, personal well-being and active participation in society.

For me, that is what the SPIRIT project is ultimately about. It is not an attempt to guess the future or to prepare children for a single career path. It is about nurturing qualities that will remain valuable no matter how the world changes. Knowledge will always matter, but perhaps one of education’s greatest responsibilities is helping children become curious enough to keep learning, resilient enough to face uncertainty and confident enough to remain deeply human in a rapidly changing world.