WORLD - Only one in three countries has formal mechanisms for youth participation in education policymaking, while many young people say their input is rarely reflected in final decisions, according to UNESCO’s 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report.
Formal Participation Is Limited
Three in four countries that responded to a UNESCO survey said they had consulted young people or students while developing an education law or policy during the previous three years. However, only one in three reported having a formal mechanism requiring youth or student participation in education decision-making.
The findings come from the 2026 Global Education Monitoring Report: Youth Report – Lead with Youth, produced by UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report team in collaboration with the United Nations Youth Office.
The report draws on responses from 93 governments and 101 youth and student organizations. The government survey covered whether countries had formal requirements for youth engagement, the types of consultations conducted and whether young people’s contributions were incorporated into policy decisions.
Among the 93 governments surveyed, 53% reported holding public consultation meetings with youth, while 44% received written submissions and 37% received input online. Direct consultations with youth or student groups were reported by 52% of countries, while 42% said these consultations took place through a formal body.
Consultation Does Not Guarantee Influence
The report found a significant gap between being consulted and having an impact on policy.
Among the youth and student organizations surveyed, 57% said they had submitted comments during education policy consultations. But only about 33% of all organizations said their feedback had been taken into account in the design of a law or policy.
Even fewer received information about how their contributions were used. Only 28% of organizations said they had received responses explaining how their feedback had been considered.
Youth organizations were also rarely given responsibility beyond providing input. Only one in five had been asked to lead consultations, while only one in six had been involved in monitoring the implementation of an education policy.
Overall, only 20% of surveyed youth and student organizations felt they were genuinely collaborating with governments or that their contributions were valued. More than 40% reported dissatisfaction with engagement through formal government bodies.
Formal Mechanisms Are More Common in Wealthier Countries
The report found that formal youth participation mechanisms are more prevalent in high-income countries, countries with older populations and those with higher levels of liberal democracy.
By contrast, many countries rely on less formal consultation processes or have no established mechanisms for involving youth in education policymaking.
The report also found that youth participation remains concentrated at the institutional level, such as school and university governance, rather than at the national level where major education policies are developed. Young people are consequently more often treated as beneficiaries of education systems than as partners in shaping them.
Young People Are Already Shaping Education
Despite limited formal representation, the report documents numerous ways young people influence education.
Students participate through school councils, university unions, civil society organizations, political movements and digital campaigns. Globally, 57% of countries mandate student representation on school boards or councils.
In some cases, youth participation has contributed directly to policy changes. In Armenia, for example, student councils reviewed draft legislation affecting higher education, with the government reporting that their recommendations were incorporated into the final draft.
In Canada, youth consultations have influenced policies on inclusive education, school nutrition, equity and student mental health. In Eswatini, youth input contributed to changes allowing pregnant girls to remain in education, while in Uruguay, consultations with young people contributed to a national mental health strategy.
UNESCO Calls for a Shift to Partnership
The report argues that meaningful youth participation requires more than creating consultation forums. Young people need opportunities to participate throughout the policy cycle, including design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
It also identifies political freedoms, the right to organize, media freedom, institutional support and adequate resources as important conditions for meaningful participation.
UNESCO recommends that governments establish formal mechanisms for youth and student engagement, provide sufficient resources and time for participation, strengthen the capacity of youth organizations and ensure that young people receive feedback on how their contributions affect policy.
As countries approach the final years of the 2030 Agenda, the report argues that future education policies should be shaped not simply for young people, but with them.
