Education shapes lives in lasting ways. It influences opportunities, stability, and the ability to imagine a future beyond immediate circumstances. Yet for millions of young people around the world, access to quality education remains uncertain or out of reach.
The United Nations established January 24 as International Day of Education to recognize education’s role in peace and sustainable development. For 2026, UNESCO’s focus is especially timely: young people as partners in shaping modern, inclusive education systems.
Young people make up more than half of the global population. They are also the group most directly affected by how education works—or fails. Persistent barriers, from poverty and inequality to displacement and limited access to schooling, continue to shape what learning looks like and who benefits from it.
On International Day of Education, the challenge is not simply to value education, but to reconsider how it is designed and who gets a voice in that process.
That’s where the following TED Talks come in. Over the years, speakers have examined what supports learning, what undermines it and what might help education systems respond more effectively to a changing world.
The secret to motivating students — Eliseo Fernández Barrionuevo (TEDxBrewster Park ED)
Motivation is often framed as something students either possess or lack. Eliseo Fernández Barrionuevo suggests a different way of looking at it.
Drawing on research and experience across classrooms and countries, he explains how motivation can transfer from one context to another. Interests that students already care deeply about — sports, games, creative pursuits — can become entry points for learning when educators take the time to connect them to the curriculum.
Rather than asking why students seem disengaged, his work invites educators to notice where energy already exists. When learning feels relevant, motivation follows.
Every kid needs a champion — Rita Pierson (TED)
Rita Pierson’s talk centers on a truth that is easy to overlook in policy discussions: students learn best when they feel seen.
After decades in education, she argues that no amount of reform can replace the impact of human connection. One line captures her message plainly: kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.
Pierson speaks about teaching as relational work—apologizing when mistakes are made, recognizing progress even when it’s small, and refusing to write off the students who struggle most.
Her point isn’t about being nice for the sake of it. It’s about what works. Students are more willing to try, to listen and to stay when they feel a genuine connection to the adult in the room.
How AI could save (not destroy) education — Sal Khan (TED)
It’s hard to talk about education in 2026 without talking about artificial intelligence.
Sal Khan addresses common fears about AI in the classroom, then reframes the conversation. Used thoughtfully, he argues, AI could help address one of education’s long-standing challenges: providing personalized support at scale.
By acting as a tutor for students and an assistant for teachers, AI has the potential to expand access to feedback, guidance and practice — without replacing human educators. Khan emphasizes that design choices matter. The goal is not automation for its own sake, but tools that support learning rather than shortcut it.
The takeaway
International Day of Education is a moment to pause and reflect.
Education is a human right, but it is also a system shaped by decisions—around leadership, technology and whose perspectives are valued.
There isn’t one fix here. But there is a common thread: attention to how students experience learning, and who gets included when decisions are made.
