Technological advancements, shifting labour markets and complex social and environmental issues are forcing learners to acquire a broader set of skills. In this evolving landscape, cognitive, but also social and emotional skills—such as empathy, creativity, persistence, and emotional regulation—are essential for addressing personal and collective challenges and uncertainties.
These competencies are fundamental to creating vibrant, innovative economies where people can work together effectively, adapt to new challenges, and lead with empathy and integrity. The benefits of educational attainment and cognitive skills have been studied extensively, but, with new data, also the benefits of social and emotional skills are increasingly understood: In the workplace, social and emotional skills foster effective collaboration, enable creative approaches, and drive innovation—qualities that are indispensable in today’s rapidly changing economic landscape. On a societal level, social and emotional skills are the foundation that holds communities together and empower citizens to contribute to the greater good. They enable constructive dialogue, conflict resolution, and cooperation in solving shared problems. Without these skills, societies risk fragmentation, division, and an inability to tackle the collective challenges of the future.
Social and emotional learning not only benefits individual learners but also helps create learning environments where collaboration, communication, and empathy are central to the educational experience. These skills—enabling students to understand and regulate their emotions, interact effectively with others, and persist through challenges—are vital for both short-term academic success and long-term personal development. Social and emotional learning enables students to engage more deeply with their studies and approach learning with greater curiosity and creativity.
Social emotional learning does not only emerge as a byproduct of interacting with others. While social experiences can foster these skills, social and emotional learning requires intentional effort, planning, and practice. Just as academic subjects are systematically taught, social and emotional learning must be actively cultivated through structured activities, explicit teaching, and guided reflection. Social and emotional learning does not stop when the school day ends. It continues beyond the classroom and should be encouraged at home, as well as in the various activities students engage in outside of school.
Understanding how to improve social and emotional skills of future generations requires insights into where systems are succeeding and where more attention is needed. The OECD’s report, Nurturing Social and Emotional Skills Across the Globe: Findings from the OECD's Survey on Social and Emotional Skills 2023, offer insights into key differences, both within and between education systems in how these critical skills are fostered in schools, homes and society.
The report focuses on data from students aged 10 and 15, examining their learning environments and the ways social and emotional skills are promoted across schools, homes, and broader society. The report provides key recommendations for enhancing the promotion of social and emotional skills through improving school policies and practices (e.g. teachers’ feedback, training, preparedness and attitudes; teaching of these skills across subjects offline, digitally and remotely; and extra-curricular activities), improving school climates (e.g. student belonging; relationships; and handling of bullying and stress), and advancing gender equality (e.g. challenging stereotypes; and ensuring equitable access to careers and parental support for skill development).
The report uses data from 16 countries and subnational entities that participated in 2023, from Bulgaria to Ukraine, while drawing on data from 23 education systems that participated in both 2019 and 2023 where available. Two cities, Bogotá (Colombia) and Helsinki (Finland), participated in subsequent rounds of the survey, both before and after the COVID pandemic, offering a unique opportunity to explore how education systems have adapted to support students' social and emotional development to recover from the pandemic.
The responsibility falls on all of us—policymakers, educators, communities, and parents—to close gaps and take proactive actions to improve social and emotional learning. We must make social and emotional education a priority, knowing that we are working towards a world that values achievement, connection, open-mindedness, collaboration, and compassion. The future may be uncertain, but by equipping the next generation with these essential skills, one thing is certain: they will be ready to meet it.
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills
Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General