Education World Forum Conversations

Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Mercedes Miguel, Minister of Education of Buenos Aires and former National Secretary for Innovation and Educational Quality, Mercedes reflects on the "Secondary Learns" reform for Buenos Aires, and its mission to improve literacy, numeracy, and student well-being, with a view to transitioning students from passive participants to active learners through reorganized teacher roles and classroom cell phone bans. Mercedes reflects on the critical challenges of transforming an obsolete system, the value of global cooperation, the implications of AI, and the necessity of prioritizing social-emotional skills to foster a lifelong love for learning.

Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor Education and Skills, World Bank

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Luis Benveniste, Senior Advisor and Acting Global Director of Education at the World Bank. Benveniste reflects on the global learning crisis and the necessity of prioritizing foundational literacy and numeracy to bridge the skills gap currently hindering youth employment and economic growth. He addresses the critical challenge of tight fiscal environments, advocating for innovative results-based financing and the protection of education budgets. He highlights the value of EWF for sharing evidence-based solutions and the opportunities presented by digital technologies like AI. Benveniste concludes by advocating for making foundational learning by grade three a non-negotiable national target to ensure education translates into productive careers and life-long fulfilment

Laura Frigenti, CEO, Global Partnership for Education

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Laura Frigenti, CEO of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the largest fund exclusively dedicated to financing the education sector. Laura provides an overview of GPE and how it operates, and reflects on the double challenge facing low income countries of addressing niversal enrollment and foundational skills while simultaneously adapting to a labor market changing at an unprecedented speed. She also reflects on the current international financial landscape highlighting the potential of innovative financing approaches. She concludes by advocating for a lifelong learning model that facilitates a smoother transition from school to jobs.
 

Charles Clarke, former UK Secretary of State for Education and Skills

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò talks to Charles Clarke, former UK Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the ideator of the Education World Forum. Clarke reflects on the original vision of EWF as a platform for ministers to collectively address the challenges of transforming education and its evolution into a significant global gathering. He highlights the critical importance of high-quality early childhood education to build foundational confidence and the necessity for continuous teacher professional development. He further discusses the need for proactive engagement with artificial intelligence to equip children for a tech-dominated world, and the political complexities of education reform. Clarke concludes by emphasizing the value of international dialogue and integrated tertiary education in enabling students to contribute meaningfully to the wider society and economy.

Nick Gibb, Former Minister for Schools, United Kingdom

In this episode of EWF Conversations, EWF Programme Director Fabrizio Trifirò speaks with Nick Gibb, former UK Minister of State for Schools. Nick reflects on his decade in office and the drive to shift the national education system toward an evidence-informed, knowledge-rich curriculum, underscoring the impact of direct instruction. He discusses the challenge of confronting entrenched ideologies that favour student-centred and competency-based models of teaching and learning, and highlights the success of pairing greater school autonomy with strong accountability frameworks. Nick also considers the value of EWF as a distinctive platform for fostering ministerial relationships and advancing policy dialogue, and concludes by calling for a renewed global commitment to foundational literacy, arguing that ensuring every child can read by age ten is both an urgent and achievable priority for the international community.