What Students Want From Their Education Today – Jennifer Oaten
One of the privileges of working in a school is having the opportunity to listen to students. Student voice can be incredibly powerful when we ask the right questions and genuinely pay attention to the answers.
Recently, I spent time with our student leaders across the year groups discussing their experiences of school, what they value most, and what they believe will matter when they leave us. Their responses were thoughtful, honest, and perhaps not what some adults might expect.
When I asked what makes Santa Maria a good school, the answers were remarkably consistent. Students spoke first about people. They described a strong sense of community, relationships built on care and respect, and feeling connected to those around them. They valued teachers who go above and beyond, who provide support when it is needed, and who genuinely know them and want them to succeed. They appreciated the opportunities available through sport, music, service, and other co-curricular activities, often noting that these experiences help them find others who share their interests and passions. They also recognised the importance of our grounds and facilities, describing the College as a place where they felt a sense of belonging.
Perhaps even more interesting was their response to the question: What skills should students have developed by the time they leave school? The answers were not primarily academic. They spoke about social skills and the ability to build meaningful relationships; they saw this as crucial. They highlighted problem-solving, creativity, confidence, public speaking, collaboration, and the ability to manage money and make sound financial decisions.
In many ways, our students have a clearer understanding of the future than we sometimes give them credit for.
When asked what would improve their learning experience, they spoke about wanting clarity. They value clear learning goals, resources that are clearly structured, opportunities to track their progress, and time to consolidate their understanding. They acknowledged that different students learn in different ways and appreciated teachers who vary their approaches. Interestingly, many suggested they would like less reliance on technology and more opportunities for active engagement, discussion, and reflection. Several commented that some of their most effective lessons include dedicated time to review learning, ask questions, and ensure understanding before moving on. Surprisingly, most wanted seating plans.
What struck me most was that their responses were not centred on achieving higher marks. They were focused on connection, confidence, growth, and learning how to navigate the world.
And that raises an important question.
What Should Education Be Preparing Students For?
The world our students will graduate into is changing faster than at any other point in modern history. Artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces. Industries are evolving. New technologies emerge almost daily. Many of the jobs today’s students will hold do not yet exist, while some current roles will look very different within a decade.
For schools, this creates a significant challenge. How do we prepare students for a future we cannot fully predict?
Education systems are, by necessity, deliberate in their approach to change. Curriculum is developed carefully, reviewed over the years, and implemented thoughtfully. There are good reasons for this. Rigour matters. Evidence matters. Not every new development requires a complete rethink of what students should learn.
Yet schools cannot ignore the realities of the world beyond our gates. The challenge is not to constantly chase the latest trend. It is to identify the capabilities that will remain valuable regardless of how the world changes. Literacy and numeracy remain fundamental. Deep knowledge still matters. Students need a strong understanding of concepts and content. But knowledge alone is no longer enough. Rather than viewing curriculum as a fixed body of knowledge, schools should increasingly see it as a platform for developing capabilities.
Increasingly, schools are being challenged to answer a different question.
What can our graduates do, not just what do they know?
- Can they think critically?
- Can they solve unfamiliar problems?
- Can they communicate effectively?
- Can they work with others?
- Can they adapt when circumstances change?
- Can they exercise good judgment when information is abundant but certainty is scarce?
These questions are becoming central to the purpose of education and what students should learn when information in all forms is so readily available.Â
One of the biggest questions is how we will help students use AI well, not if they will use it. Students need to learn how to work effectively with AI tools, evaluate the quality of AI-generated information, understand ethical considerations, protect their privacy, and think critically about the answers they receive.
Teaching students to evaluate evidence carefully, think originally, wrestle with complex problems, communicate persuasively, and make sound judgments becomes even more important as technology becomes more capable.
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 predicts that analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience, adaptability, and lifelong learning will become increasingly valuable over the coming decade. Jobs and Skills Australia reached a similar conclusion in its 2025 report, finding that AI is lifting demand for both digital literacy and what it calls ‘human’ skills simultaneously. Interestingly, these are many of the same qualities our students identified as important when discussing their future.
What Are We Doing at Santa Maria?
One of the encouraging aspects of this conversation is that it is not entirely new for us.
In 2019, Santa Maria developed our Connecting Learning to Life framework. Its purpose was to ensure we were intentional about developing the attributes that sit alongside academic achievement: resilience, emotional intelligence, adaptability, critical thinking, collaboration, initiative, and self-awareness.
Artificial intelligence was not driving educational conversations at that time. Yet looking back now, those capabilities appear more relevant than ever.
A young person who can think critically about information, persist through challenges, collaborate effectively with others, and take initiative when faced with uncertainty is not made less valuable by technology. If anything, those qualities become more important.
The framework was not designed to predict the future. It was built around a simple belief: education should develop the whole person. That belief remains as important today as it was then.
Our emPOWER projects support this approach. They teach the skills and then provide opportunities to practice these skills.
From Years 5 to 10, students engage in authentic, real-world challenges that require them to apply knowledge, investigate complex issues, consult experts, collaborate with others, and present solutions to genuine audiences. Students must weigh evidence, consider different perspectives, challenge assumptions, revise their thinking, and communicate their ideas effectively and, in some cases, take action.
Year 5 students explore environmental sustainability. Year 7 investigates water use. Year 9 examines ways to support marginalised communities. Year 10 focuses on financial literacy and ethical decision-making.
These projects are not simply about finding answers. They are about developing the capacity to think. These are skills that do not become obsolete when technology changes.
Still Working It Out
I want to be honest. We do not have all the answers. No school does. The future is moving too quickly for any school to claim certainty about what lies ahead. What I am confident about is the direction.
The schools that will thrive in the coming decade will not be those that constantly chase every new trend. They will be the schools that remain focused on developing capable, adaptable young people who know how to think, learn, and contribute.
When I reflect on the conversations with our students, I am struck by how closely their priorities align with this vision.
They spoke about relationships, confidence, collaboration and problem-solving. In many ways, they have already identified the qualities that will matter most.
My hope is that every Santa Maria graduate leaves us with strong knowledge, but also with something deeper. The character to act with integrity, the courage to embrace uncertainty, and the curiosity to keep learning.
- critical thinking in schools, education and AI, emPOWER projects, Featured, Future-ready learning, Girls' Education Perth, preparing students for the future, Santa Maria College, Student Voice, Student wellbeing and learning, whole child education
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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