QF Leads Global Dialogue on the Future of Progressive Schools at WISE 12

Doha, Qatar: WISE, a global education initiative of Qatar Foundation, held the latest edition of its biennial summit – WISE 12 – under the theme ‘Humanity First: Embedding Human Values at the Heart of Education Systems’, which featured a session titled ‘Innovating Schooling: Towards a Progressive Schools Movement’, bringing together leading global educators, school founders, and education policymakers.

The session explored the current landscape of progressive schools and highlighted innovative school models centered on purpose, empowerment, and learner well-being, reflecting the rapid transformations shaping education worldwide and the growing need for learning environments that foster creativity, independence, and social responsibility.

Participants also discussed how to balance experiential and innovation-driven learning with cultural identity and educational traditions, ensuring the development of more flexible and inclusive education systems.

Elizabeth Kennedy, Director of Academyati, one of QF’s Pre-University Education schools, presented the progressive school’s model and said: “Progressive education is not a passing trend, but a response to an increasing need we are seeing in schools around the world: the need to slow the pace, provide genuine space for learners, and build learning rooted in meaning and purpose.”

“A progressive approach begins with a shared mindset based on a clear mission, vision, and institutional values committed to renewing educational practices and moving beyond traditional methods. It is not merely a conventional curriculum delivered in a new form, but a deliberate educational choice that reduces content in favor of deeper learning grounded in values, meaning, and purpose.”

Kennedy explained that this approach is reflected at Academyati through personalized learning pathways using specialized plans, schedules designed for focus and autonomy, and planning centered on students’ passions, culture, and growth, alongside a daily environment that fosters curiosity and creativity.

“We often speak about learner voice, ideas, and choice, and about levels of engagement, yet we rarely pause to ask the essential question: how do we spark the motivation that drives learning?” she said. “This is the core of progressive education – it seeks to awaken the learner’s intrinsic passion rather than simply involve them on the surface.”

Kennedy emphasized that Academyati’s philosophy is built on recognizing that students’ lives do not begin and end within the school day, but extend beyond it and must be acknowledged and respected. She noted that developing an integrated ecosystem ensures that learning is guided by passion and purpose rather than daily classroom routines alone, stressing the need to enable children to experience meaningful learning that provides energy and authentic motivation.

“At Academyati, we continuously reinforce this approach by creating pathways that ignite excitement and give students a genuine drive to explore their potential,” she said. “Progressive education invites us to reimagine school as a space where learners feel empowered, curious, connected, and ready to make an impact on the world around them.”

The session aligned with QF’s strategic vision of building a progressive education movement rooted in Education City as a hub for educational innovation. It also highlighted the role of QF’s programs, including the Progressive Schools Advancement Summit in developing new school models that respond to learners’ needs.