Spend a few minutes talking with parents or teachers, and you’ll quickly discover that most of us hope for the same things. We want children to grow into kind people. Curious people. People who can think for themselves, adapt when life doesn’t go according to plan, work well with others and find the confidence to keep learning throughout their lives. Interestingly, very few of us would begin that conversation by talking about mathematics, grammar or science—important as they all are. We tend to speak first about the qualities that shape a person’s character and the way they move through the world. In education, these qualities are often referred to as transversal skills: the abilities that children carry with them wherever life takes them. They include skills such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, adaptability and learning to learn—competencies that remain relevant regardless of the subject being taught or the career a child may one day choose.

One of the ideas I appreciate most about transversal skills is that they don’t compete with academic learning—they enrich it. A science lesson becomes an opportunity to practise problem-solving. A group activity becomes a lesson in communication and empathy. Even moments of frustration can become opportunities to develop perseverance and emotional regulation. Research consistently shows that introducing these skills early supports not only children’s academic development, but also their social relationships, emotional well-being and ability to navigate an increasingly complex world. Within the SPIRIT project, we have chosen to focus on transversal skills because they bring together many of the qualities we have explored throughout this journey so far: curiosity, resilience, creativity, collaboration and a love of learning. These are not simply skills for school, nor are they only skills for future employment. They are, perhaps more importantly, skills for life. And if education can help children carry these with them long after they leave the classroom, then we have given them something of lasting value.