The youth edition of the 2023 GEM Report on technology in education, unveiled last week during Digital Learning Week in Paris, urges governments to prioritize learners’ best interests when making decisions about educational technology.
The event brought together young representatives from Canada, Denmark, France, South Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe to explore what technology “on their terms” should look like. Moderated by Restless Development and featuring a keynote by Rémy Buisine from Brut., a French digital news platform aimed at young audiences, the gathering concluded with a call to action from the Executive Director of the Global Student Forum, inviting youth to support the campaign. The 2024 Youth Report stems from extensive consultations with over 1,500 youth and students across eight regions, in collaboration with Restless Development. These discussions examined the key challenges and opportunities of technology in education, aligned with the global report’s recommendations.
Although information and communication technology (ICT) has been part of education for a century, the rise of digital technology and advancements in AI have sparked fresh debates on its transformative potential in education. Youth worldwide urged governments to see technology not as a cure-all, but as a tool to help overcome barriers to access, quality, and efficiency in education. They called for more involvement in the design, implementation, and assessment of educational technology, stressing that their insights into how technology is used in practice are crucial for making well-informed decisions.
Young people framed their demands for technology “on their terms” with a clear call to action, emphasizing two key areas:
1. Make it equitable!
While the use of technology in education is growing rapidly—220 million students enrolled in massive open online courses in 2021, and Wikipedia receiving 244 million daily page views—digital divides remain. Though global internet use among young people reaches 75%, this varies from 39% in low-income countries to 99% in high-income ones. Youth called for technology to be affordable and for governments to collaborate with them to develop personalized learning systems. They also emphasized the need to reduce barriers to girls’ access to technology.
2. Make it appropriate!
Nearly 90% of open educational resources (OER) in higher education repositories come from Europe and Northern America, and 92% of the content is in English. Youth demanded technology be localized, with educational content that suits local contexts and languages. They also called for youth and teachers to be trained in its use, and for young people to be actively involved in decision-making about the design and implementation of educational technology. With only 16% of countries having legislation to address cyberbullying in educational contexts, youth also urged governments to monitor technology’s impact on well-being, privacy, and safety online.
The youth’s involvement in consultations and decision-making is essential for ensuring their interests are at the forefront of educational technology policies. By partnering with young people in the production of this report, their voices are elevated to be heard by policymakers. Their rallying cry, “Nothing about us, without us!” resonates throughout this publication, embodying their call for meaningful inclusion.
Anna Mariam Antony
