education

October 17, 2025

What the Taliban is teaching boys, and why it matters

Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021, the education system in Afghanistan has undergone a complete overhaul. The ban on secondary and higher education for girls and women has made headlines around the world, but boys’ education has undergone a significant transformation too. But what are the changes and why are they taking place?

16-year-old Aqlima from the Afghanistan Newsroom explains the damaging changes to boys’ education

October 03, 2025

Why sex education is essential, especially in the Philippines

Much of what teenagers learn about sex comes from the internet, which is often riddled with inaccurate information and myths. Those without proper sex education are especially susceptible to harmful misconceptions.

16-year-old Samantha highlights the importance of comprehensive sexuality education amid an emerging HIV epidemic

September 26, 2025

Why the world must stop looking away from Afghan women

Since the Taliban returned to power, I’ve watched my dreams shrink. As a teenage Afghan girl, I’ve felt the silence grow louder every day – in classrooms that are now closed to many of my friends, in the fear of speaking up, and in the disappearing support from the world. It’s not just about hashtags anymore; it’s about our lives. And I wonder: will anyone truly stand with us when it matters most?

17-year-old Hadiya from the Afghanistan Newsroom demands real action from the West, not just hashtags and headlines

September 22, 2025

‘Future is scary, but still beautiful,” says education activist Emmanuel Lanko Soro

“Pain, struggle and challenges can transform an individual. If we don’t do anything, we are creating monsters for the future,” says the founder of Children's Smiles foundation.

16-year-old Klara Hammudeh inquires about the role of education in restoring peace

September 05, 2025

Lessons in the dark: Herat’s secret night schools

In a small, dim basement somewhere in Herat a dozen teenage girls sit huddled around a flickering kerosene lamp. Their notebooks are open, their eyes quietly determined. Hidden behind a thin curtain, this is one of many secret classrooms across the city – spaces where education still breathes under a regime that seeks to suffocate it.

18-year-old Asal from the Afghanistan Newsroom explains how teenage girls are getting an education despite the Taliban ban

August 25, 2025

“Japan changed how I see the world”: Henry Baker’s journey from history to data science

As a teenager applying to college, he wrote his Oxford personal statement on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, particularly fascinated by the concept of “psychohistory” – a fictional discipline combining statistics and sociology to predict the future. Years later, he realised that psychohistory foreshadowed the core aims of modern data science: modeling the world through agent-based simulations.

17-year-old Katie Chen interviewed a historian-turned-data scientist about his unusual career path

August 22, 2025

An introduction to the world of work, Aussie-style

For many high-school students, imagining a future career can feel abstract – until they step into a real-world workplace. This is why many students in Australia try short-term placements in industries or businesses that interest them, to discover what the world of work is really like and whether it’s the right fit for them.

15-year-old Anastasia Kulikova interviews Year 10 students on their experience of work placements

July 17, 2025

Why the Secondary Education Examination in Nepal is so important

The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) is one of the most important examinations in the academic life of students in Nepal. SEE is taken by grade 10 students (ages 15–18) and is usually conducted in the last month of the year according to the Nepali calendar (usually February or March in the English calendar).

16-year-old Kriti Tamang from the Nepali Newsroom explains why the results of the SEE exam are crucial for students

July 11, 2025

Violence in schools on the rise in France, government worried

On Tuesday 10 June, a female teaching assistant died after being stabbed by a 14-year-old student during bag checks outside a school in Nogent, north-east France. The male suspect was arrested. French president Emmanuel Macron condemned this “senseless wave of violence”, saying: “The nation is in mourning and the government is mobilised to reduce crime.”

16-year-old Camille Hasbani reports on a recent spate of violence in French schools

July 04, 2025

Is English silencing Kiswahili in the Tanzanian education system?

I grew up speaking Kiswahili (also known as Swahili) in Tanzania, where it is the national language and a powerful symbol of unity. I spoke it at home, school, everywhere. To me, it is more than a language, it is a part of who I am.

16-year-old Lidya Gasper says the government must do more to promote Tanzania’s national language, Kiswahili

July 04, 2025

Your guide to getting into university in Spain

Picking a university degree is no walk in the park; it’s something that will influence your whole life. “Remember, mistakes happen all the time. Feel free to drop what you are studying and start over with something new,” they say. But, frankly? Starting over is incredibly frustrating and makes you feel like you’ve lost a significant part of your time and effort – scratch that, a significant part of your life.

16-year-old Sofia Vorobei explains the decisions she has to make on her journey to studying journalism

June 27, 2025

Reading develops our brains. But prioritising page count over quality is a poor strategy

The recent electoral campaign in Poland deepened the shift from traditional media to social media. Far-right candidates, in particular, have successfully utilised TikTok and Instagram to communicate directly with voters, essentially circumventing established media channels. This prompted questions about citizens’ ability to filter out disinformation in a country where readership levels are low.

Harbingers’ reporters from the 2 SLO report from the Literacy for Democracy conference in Warsaw, Poland

June 20, 2025

How a music project is inspiring disadvantaged children in Tanzania

Music has always echoed in the Usambara mountains of Tanzania – from the rhythm of footsteps on hiking trails, to village songs passed from generation to generation. Now, that tradition is taking on a new form. In the remote villages of Mambo and Mtae, school children are using their holiday breaks not just for rest, but for rhythm and self expression.

16-year-old Lidya Gasper reports on the village children singing, dancing and making music videos with the Uvi Foundation

June 13, 2025

What I learned while teaching teenage refugees, and why it matters

I didn’t expect to become a teacher at the age of 15. Yet, there I was, standing in front of a group of Ukrainian refugee students, afraid and stressed – what if I wasn’t good enough? What if they didn’t take me seriously? After all, I was just a teenager myself.

16-year-old Kexin Shi shares her experience of teaching English to Ukrainian teenagers in Poland

June 06, 2025

Why pulling all-nighters to study isn’t the flex you think it is

I used to think staying up all night to study was just part of being a good student. The pressure to do well, the endless pages of notes, the fear of not knowing everything – it all felt like a good enough excuse to sacrifice sleep. But after experiencing the consequences first-hand, I’ve realised that pulling all-nighters is one of the worst decisions you can make when it comes to studying.

16-year-old Kexin Shi argues that teens should prioritise sleep over studying

May 30, 2025

Letter to a fellow soul-sucked-by-exams student

No matter how much you have prepared, I believe most students would agree that it never feels like enough. With exams, finals and grades to worry about, it’s no wonder we feel like swans; trying to stay cool on the surface while desperately working to stay afloat. Unfortunately, not even ChatGPT knows how to deal with this predicament, so perhaps I can offer some relief in solidarity to all my fellow burnt-out teens

17-year-old Reva Sobti knows the struggle to pass AP exams is real but acknowledges that thankfully their end is near

May 30, 2025

Afghanistan’s digital revolution is transforming education

The rise of online education in Afghanistan has become a crucial lifeline for students, especially as access to traditional schools has become restricted. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, girls are banned from secondary school and university, making Afghanistan the only country with such a policy – affecting over 1.4 million girls so far

21-year-old Ghutai from the Afghanistan Newsroom explains how online learning is a lifeline for young Afghans

May 23, 2025

Who voted for who? Electoral preferences in the Polish presidential election

To better understand why Poles voted the way they did, and to better predict how they might vote in the future, it is crucial to understand current electoral preferences. How do people’s ages or jobs or where they live impact how they vote? Below we analyse how key factors have played out in past elections in Poland, as well as in the current election

Pola Gudowicz, 16, Maja Dobrosielska, 16, and Tomek Morek, 16, report on how age, sex and location are key factors in voting

April 25, 2025

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at universities: everything you need to know

In January, US president Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders including two that specifically targeted diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in federal government. One specifically targeted actions by former president Joe Biden while the other basically ended DEI programmes within federal government

16-year-old Charlotte Wejchert explains how Trump is cancelling DEI initiatives at US universities

April 25, 2025

When school becomes a dream: The impact of banning education for Afghan girls

Afghanistan’s education system for girls remains in limbo, with an uncertain future hanging over young women’s access to schooling. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have imposed a ban on secondary and university education for girls

16-year-old Aqlima from the Afghanistan Newsroom explains the consequences of outlawing female education, four years on

April 18, 2025

Why teaching philosophy can help children in all areas of life

Many of the four million young people currently being educated in Australian schools feel that the system neglects them. The Grattan Institute, an independent think tank, summarises the state of the nation when it identifies one in four students as “compliant but quietly disengaged”

17-year-old Olivia Campbell argues for making philosophy integral to Australian education

April 18, 2025

‘I’m with my students till the end’: A Ukrainian teacher’s fight to survive a school bombing

During my visit to Ukraine in the summer of 2024, I met one of the most courageous people I know: Lyudmila Sakovich, the vice principal of Lyceum Oriana in Lviv. Lucy, as she likes to be called, has worked in education for 14 years – eight of them at this school – teaching Ukrainian, Polish and literature

17-year-old Klaudia Bacza visits a bombed school in Lviv and interviews the vice principal

March 28, 2025

A guide to the ‘eight-thousanders’ in Nepal

Nepal is famous throughout the world as a mountainous country. It has hundreds and thousands of big and small mountains, including the tallest mountain of them all, Mount Everest – known as Sagarmatha (‘goddess of the sky’) in Nepali – at 8,848 metres

The Nepali Newsroom gives facts and figures about the eight mountains in Nepal that top 8,000 metres

March 13, 2025

Education is vital for Afghanistan’s youth, especially in rural areas

In Afghanistan’s rural areas, education is a rare treasure often out of reach due to isolation, poverty and cultural barriers. A UNESCO report from 2024 reveals that 1.4 million Afghan girls have been denied schooling, with 1.1 million fewer children attending school compared to 2020, before the Taliban took over

19-year-old Nabila explains how youngsters in poor rural areas struggle to get an education

February 14, 2025

Danish youth dismayed by the government’s proposed education reforms

The Danish government announced changes last November to the country’s education system, which include creating a new type of high school for vocational courses, abolishing the optional extra year between middle school and high school, and stricter entry requirements for regular high school

17-year-old Varvara Tkachenko interviews Danish students about the new high school system

February 07, 2025

Why Nepal needs to have a modern, up-to-date education system

In Nepal, the education system is structured into primary, secondary and higher education. In this age of new technologies, it still follows traditional methods of teaching and learning. Technology and skills are extremely critical for this generation, alongside education

14-year-old Samuna asks students and a teacher for their thoughts on Nepal’s education system

January 24, 2025

Trump 2.0: Could Trump actually ban the Department of Education?

Trump’s remarks are deeply rooted in the Republican belief that the government has used the DOE as a tool for indoctrinating classrooms with “liberal ideologies”. Since winning the presidency in November, he’s promised to “cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children”

17-year-old Reva Sobti looks at what might happen to the US education system under Trump

December 19, 2024

Best of 2024: Five must-read articles from the Society section

2024 has been a pretty chaotic year for us here on Earth. In each corner of our own little societies, whether you’re reading from Asia, the Americas, Europe and beyond, we’ve each had a lot on our plate (on top of your no doubt already busy lives, of course). We’ve seen multiple contentious elections, some excellent movies, the MET Gala, the many different perspectives of Gen Z and everything in between

18-year-old Christian Yeung shines a spotlight on his favourite Society articles from the past year

December 12, 2024

‘I have an obligation, to speak for them’: My conversation with a Holocaust survivor

Growing up in the US as the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, it was hard to reconcile my Jewish identity with the lack of emphasis I felt was placed on the Holocaust. I didn’t see any remnants of the Holocaust, nor did I learn the history as thoroughly as countries that experienced the atrocities first-hand. As a kid, I didn’t really recognise the presence of antisemitism in my day-to-day life either

17-year-old Alia Saphier interviews a Holocaust survivor about her past, and antisemitism today

November 29, 2024

Help me keep the voices of young Nepali journalists heard

For the past two years, I’ve coordinated Harbingers' Nepali Newsroom, working with 10 students from the Mountain Children’s Home in Dandagaun, Kathmandu. Aged between 11 and 18, these students gather twice weekly to learn journalism, alongside lessons in English, dancing and singing. Now, they need our support to keep their voices heard

17-year-old Jefferson He has set up a fundraiser to secure the future of Harbingers’ Nepali Newsroom

November 29, 2024

Why we should lose the stigma around gap years

The first time I heard about gap years, I was around six years old. My dad often shared stories of his adventures travelling the world, meeting new people and gaining experiences during his gap year

17-year-old Anna Wilkin argues that gap years bring personal growth and academic success

November 14, 2024

Teaching English to fellow Tanzanians has given me fulfilment

It was not until I started English classes in 2021 that I began to develop in confidence and speak more fluently

15 year-old Lidya Gasper shares her experience teaching and the importance of passing on knowledge

October 24, 2024

Phone ban will not solve Hungary’s school problems

With Hungary’s new legislation implementing a complete ban on phones, students can no longer bring them onto campus. At the beginning of the day, we have to put them into individual lockers with the key held by the school administration. The only exemption are diabetes sufferers who need apps to moderate their blood sugar levels

15 year-old Lola Kadas critiques Hungary’s phone ban in schools and suggests alternative solutions

October 10, 2024

How to stay sane during the college application process

The process of applying to university has been an incredibly stressful time for me. I have questioned my decisions and abilities, and struggled with time management. Thousands of people go through this process every year

17 year-old Maria Mitko shares her experience and gives advice on applying to college

August 29, 2024

Why corporal punishment is still common in Sri Lankan schools

Corporal punishment of children as a means of discipline has been prohibited in Sri Lanka, but is still regularly used in schools, with the excuse that it is part of the country’s culture

15 year-old Hesandi explores the status of corporal punishment in Sri Lankan schools

August 22, 2024

The highs and lows of attending an international school in Tanzania

Attending an international school in Tanzania has opened up a world of opportunities that has changed my life for the better. But this journey has also been challenging

15 year-old Lidya Gasper shares her experience of attending a private international school in Tanzania

August 08, 2024

How can America learn from Netflix’s Sex Education?

The show's success and relevance is not just due to its own quality, it's also because American sex education is not as effective as it should be. A lack of comprehensive sex education doesn’t mean a more or less conservative new generation — it means a less educated one

16 year-old Sanjana Senthil explores the problems with sex education programs in the US

August 06, 2024

How five overlooked female inventors changed our lives for the better

Women have made a significant impact on the world for hundreds of years. Their inventions may be widely known or used, from navigating us across the globe to saving time and lives. But do we know the faces of those behind them?

17-year-old Maria Mitko shares the stories of the women behind some of our world’s inventions that have helped change our lives for the better

August 04, 2024

Schools should not start earlier than 9: Here is why

The idea of starting before 9 am might be justified from a traffic and energy savings perspective, but the benefits for the health and development of students far outweigh any potential disadvantages

15 year-old Olivier Stachowiak explains the correlation between early school start times and students’ well-being

August 03, 2024

Does academic pressure prevent athletic passion?

Academics has long been deemed the most important factor in our development and future. We cannot let academic pressures prevent athletic passion for any longer. How was it possible that we students who played on the sport teams were faced with great pressure to excel academically before anything else

17 year-old Elias dives into how academic pressure affects young athletic dreams

August 01, 2024

Forgotten herstory: five female scientists who changed the world

When I’m looking through my textbooks, I often see prominent male scientists described as ‘the father of.’ The same doesn’t go for women involved in discoveries, who are often hidden behind their male counterparts

17 year-old Ananya Prasanna shines a light on women in maths, palaeontology, chemistry and biology

August 01, 2024

Against all odds: Afghan girls want to learn

The message is simple. Education for children is a fundamental right, and our gender should make no difference. Afghan girls are the strongest girls. Just let them improve and study. Allow them back into school

17 year-old Zohra shares the unwavering determination of Afghan girls to pursue their education

July 31, 2024

Oxford University’s new quantum hub will connect ‘brilliant ideas and practical solutions’

QCI3 will be one of the five hubs that the UK Government has launched to develop quantum technologies and “transform sectors like healthcare and security.” The market for quantum computing is a rapidly growing area in the UK, and it’s estimated to be worth $1.3tn by 2035

18 year-old Kasiet Dzholdoshbekova on the launch of quantum hubs in the UK enhancing students’ learning experience

July 11, 2024

Are Americans normalising school shootings?

A voice comes over the speakers. Everyone knows where to go. It’s either a small closet, under the desks, or a boiler room, usually. We’re not supposed to talk, but people do, thinking this could never happen to us.

17 year-old Alia Saphier looks at possible solutions to the epidemic of gun violence in US schools

June 27, 2024

Academic achievements do not define people

It is important to remember that arts-oriented subjects also require discipline and hard work. Simply because they require a different skill set to that of STEM subjects does not mean they should be overlooked

16 year-old Anna Wilkin explains why good grades aren’t the only way to measure success

June 06, 2024

Attending a Catholic school opens a new perspective inside you

I’m an atheist who has spent four years studying at a Catholic school in the UK. That may sound like a nightmare, but believe me it has been a valuable experience

17 year-old Jefferson He reflects on his experience as an atheist in a Catholic school

May 30, 2024

Can Gen Z use social media to learn?

While such platforms are often thought of as simply a waste of time and energy, I believe they can be used for much more than mindless scrolling through feeds – like learning

17 year-old Maria Mitko unlocks the potential of social media as an educational tool

May 23, 2024

To be or not to be… an international student

Being an international student, attending different schools, seeing other countries and experiencing new environments gives you a lot of opportunities. You are able to find what you like and what you are good at, improve yourself and be prepared for the future

14 year-old Anastasia Kulikova explains the advantages of studying abroad

May 16, 2024

Educational inequality in Australia: Is there a solution?

Australia’s selective school system was originally designed to provide free, high-quality education to gifted kids who couldn’t afford private schooling, but now it’s fuelling the education divide it sought to remedy

17 year-old Tanya Chi discusses the problems with selective schooling in New South Wales

April 25, 2024

We are bored: Gifted students need challenge to thrive

Gifted and Talented programs have helped students worldwide to enrich their learning. MACC, the Vancouver school program which accelerated the pace of the standard curriculum, has now been redesigned to shorten the support provided to students

18 year-old Erin Walshaw talks about her experience as a gifted student in Vancouver – and the problems she faces

February 16, 2024

Students and teachers fight back against the ‘library selection rubric’ in a Texas public school

Teachers and students in the school district have spoken out against the school board’s decision to filter the literature kept in classroom libraries after complaints from parents

16 year-old Sanjana Senthil explores book banning in the United States

January 26, 2024

How higher education consulting agencies have a stronghold on college admissions

Getting into a top university is getting astronomically more competitive. With more students turning to college admission consultants for an increased chance of being admitted, the playing field is far from even

18 year-old Chenxi Zhang on the US university admissions system

December 22, 2023

Helping hands - How Afghan girls are instrumental in providing education

Organisations such as LEARN have been helping girls get an underground education by providing online classes such as science and web design lessons. Through their help and kindness, the power to offer opportunities to others is then passed on into our hands

17 year-old Zohra on the inspiring goal of helping young people follow their dreams

December 08, 2023

Don't just diversify the curriculum, decolonise it

The diversified curriculum does not challenge societal power structures which narrow the dominant perspective through which we view the world. It is imperative that we do not stop here

Sanaa Pasha on the diluted version of colonial history in education

November 17, 2023

Afghan teenager opens kindergarten to help children “fly off into the horizons of tomorrow”

Shanhaza, at the age of 15, opened her own kindergarten ‘Fly’ to provide free care for infants to equip younger generations with education and opportunity.

17 year-old Shanhaza on her dreams and goals in providing education

October 27, 2023

Market economy and school choice improve academic outcomes, so why don’t we learn from science?

Academic variation driven by wealth and access inequalities shapes the present of today’s students. The income gap between lower and upper-class families is one of the greatest predictors of academic outcomes

17 year-old Grace Minakowski was the runner-up for the Harbinger Prize in Economics

August 12, 2023

Universal higher education should be free. Here’s why

Education should not be privileged and only available to those that can afford it but to everyone. Access to higher education is a necessity not only for people but also for our economy to continue developing

17 year-old Jakub Hejka evaluates the wealth divide in higher education

August 11, 2023

This year’s A-Level students are experiencing their greatest fear

I believe that teachers play a major role in a students education. With teachers in the UK going on a series of strikes, it impacts both their GCSE and A-Level results

16 year-old Jefferson He on the unfair change in grade boundaries

June 09, 2023

Should English Literature be replaced by Global Literature in schools?

In our increasingly diverse and globalized society, the Western canon seems not only restrictive but also exclusionary, calling into question whether the subject of English Literature should be replaced by Global Literature to best reflect the status quo at hand

Megan Lee considers the value behind teaching literature

March 03, 2023

‘Girls go missing, schools are closed down, teachers persecuted’. Fight for education in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

Pashtana Dorani is the founder of an organisation running 'illegal' underground schools for girls in Afghanistan. She knows first-hand the struggles girls and those teaching them face since the US and their allies withdrew and the Taliban regained control of the country

16 year-old Sofiya Suleimenova interviews Afghan human rights activist

June 23, 2022

Invest in good mathematicians. Weapons of Math Destruction review

Ill-conceived algorithms are strengthening injustice, inequality and prejudice across law enforcement, education, labour, banking and housing.

Natasha Banga reviews Cathy O’Neil’s book

October 21, 2021

At Ritsona Camp it has been three years since child refugee Leila was last inside a classroom

There is no reason for the refugee children in Europe to be denied an effective and equal education.

Polina Aksenenko and Parwana Amiri about the consequences of spending on walls instead of buses at Ritsona Camp in Greece.

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