In a world shaped by complex global challenges and rapid technological advancements, we are facing the demand to rethink the concept of learning, to redesign our approaches to teaching and hence, to reimagine what it truly means to be an educator. We would like to invite you to join the ISTP 2026 as an open ideation, to share and to generate creative solutions to some of the key questions related to much needed transformations in education. We invite you to work together to find some common responses to How might we …?

How might we embrace and further nudge the evolving teaching profession? How can we guarantee that we are preparing our teachers to be agile professionals who embrace the unknown, and empower their students to do the same? How can we strengthen meaningful relationships and collaboration between teachers and learners in an evolving educational landscape?  Even more, just as the teaching and learning process is evolving, so too must our understanding of the pathways of becoming a teacher, of diverse career perspectives of educators. Becoming a teacher by completing respective studies is no longer the first choice of career for many and we must find new ways to support career decisions in favour of becoming an educator lifelong and life wide. This is as much a matter of educational policy as it is one of purpose and strategic foresight.

Questions:

1.     How can we ensure flexible and inclusive pathways into the teaching profession, and provide meaningful support for novice educators – from career changers to those still on the path to full qualification – in ways that honour professional standards and societal expectations?

2.     What school culture best supports teaching and learning and how can we, as policymakers, trade unions and other key actors, help schools in creating and sustaining such a culture?

3.     How must teacher education evolve to equip educators with the competencies required for a contemporary, inclusive, and future-oriented education system? What lessons can be drawn from your country’s experience in preparing future-ready teachers?

But autonomy is not a stand-alone value; it rests on trust and is meaningful only in a collaborative culture. Trust in school leaders to guide change with vision and care. Trust in teachers to lead their practice and curriculum implementation with accountability, integrity and competence. And trust in learners to take ownership of their educational journey. This interplay between autonomy and trust invites us to reflect more deeply on the foundations of resilient and future-ready education systems, at the heart of which is the teacher with their understanding of their own teaching practices, coupled with a strong sense of responsibility and accountability. It also raises an essential policy challenge: how can policymakers and trade unions, also in cooperation with other social partners, work together to build and sustain education systems grounded in trust and meaningful professional autonomy?

Questions:

1.     In light of diverse governance traditions across high-performing education systems, how can we meaningfully develop the professional autonomy of educators in ways that build trust, strengthen professional responsibility, and lead to improved learning outcomes?

2.     How does professional autonomy contribute to the development of collective wisdom and to the cultivation of collaborative practices in learning communities?

3.     What promising strategies are already being implemented in your contexts, and how might we scale or adapt them across different national contexts and internationally?

AI is no longer a question of the future in education; it is already a catalyst in today’s learning environments. The critical question is: how can we make the most of AI as a tool in our hands to take a sustainable and evidence-based leap into the future now? What is the potential of AI to address some of the most crucial challenges we face in education today – from access to good quality education despite the socio-economic disparities, to more personalised approaches to make sure that our learners are able to catch up and stay motivated for learning?

Questions:

1.     In the context of AI, what changes are we already witnessing in teaching and learning practices, and what might future cognitive and socio-emotional development in learning look like? What does it mean for teaching?

2.     How can teachers be supported in unlocking learners’ potential and shaping learning pathways through technology, particularly AI solutions?

3.     What shifts are needed in teacher education and continuous professional development to ensure that AI serves as an empowering tool for both educators and learners?

4.     In what ways can different actors – policymakers, social partners, edtech developers, and school leaders – collaborate to ensure the systemic, purposeful, and equitable integration of AI in education? What inspiring examples from your practices could be shared and scaled to support this integration?