- 9 young adults out of 10 feel their generation has a responsibility to better 
the world; yet, they don't feel prepared enough for it

On the occasion of the International Day of Education, WISE, an initiative of 
Qatar Foundation, has released an extensive study on the views of young people. 
Conducted by Ipsos the barometer aims to understand how the youth perceive 
their education and how prepared and confident they are in their future. The 
survey was carried out in 20 countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the 
Americas and Europe among 9,509 young people aged 16 to 25 years old.

The survey found that 87% of young people believe their generation has a 
responsibility to better the planet, but only half of those surveyed stating 
that they feel ready to understand big societal issues and take action in 
finding solutions to these issues (43%). The WISE survey reveals that youth are 
primarily worried about "poverty and social inequality" (17%), followed by 
"climate change and the environment" (19%) and "access to employment" (20%).

The survey revealed that the three main reasons for attending school, according 
to young people, are to expand their knowledge (89%), be ready for the future 
(87%), and be able to find a job (87%). 

Indeed, young people really value their education with nearly 90% agreeing that 
education is more than learning for a career and is valuable in and of itself. 

While 80% of young people claim to be satisfied with their education, there 
remain two major areas in which they want to see improvement in their 
education. First, a more individualized approach, with over 60% of youth saying 
they would like their teachers to give them more personal advice on their 
career orientation. Second, more space for 21st century skills, with less than 
half of young people claiming that their schooling gives too little space for 
new technologies and soft skills. 

For young people to be ready to face their future and the global challenges 
ahead, it is clear that wide-scale improvements to education systems across the 
board are needed and the WISE survey gives us some indications as to what young 
people think has to change.

To download the executive summary: 
https://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-global-education-barometer-2020 

To learn more about WISE: www.wise-qatar.org

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/969958/Wise_Logo.jpg

Media contact: 
Lina Lahlou 
media@wise.org.qa 

Source: WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education)