Online Conference
20th November 2026
Over the past couple of years, a growing disconnect between students and the way they learn in schools has been observed. The results of the survey conducted by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education on students’ views of their education echo one shared message: children and young people feel unheard by their schools and broader education systems.
Held on the International Day of Children’s Rights, QUEST’s international conference 2026, themed “Reimagining Education Through Children’s Rights” will explores how children’s rights frameworks can reshape educational cultures, enable the meaningful participation of students as co-creators of their education, and challenge the assumptions, structures, and power relations that have historically defined schooling.
Held on the International Day of Children’s Rights, QUEST’s conference 2026, themed “Reimagining Education Through Children’s Rights” will explores how children’s rights frameworks can reshape educational cultures, enable the meaningful participation of students as co-creators of their education, and challenge the assumptions, structures, and power relations that have historically defined schooling.
Education professionals, policy experts, academics, and decision-makers will share perspectives on how children’s rights frameworks can transform education, becoming environments where student’s self determination is at the center of the learning process.
From practice based presentations and policy analysis, this conference aims to move from reflection to real action. The practice lab “ From Students Voice to School Change” is bringing together schools across Europe, which are part of QUEST network, to share their experience on adopting student participation practices in their educational settings, inspiring other schools across Europe and beyond to embark on their own journey towards rights-based education.
The conference is organised around two complementary parts:
The Academic Panel will bring together researchers, policymakers, educators, and practitioners to examine how students’ participatory rights can transform education and schools into rights-respecting environments, while also exploring the systemic and policy-level barriers that continue to hinder this shift.
The Practice Lab: From Students Voice to School Change aims to move from reflection to action. In this session, QUEST member schools will share their experiences of adopting student participation practices in their educational settings, inspiring other schools across Europe and beyond to embark on their own journey towards rights-based education.
By bringing together teachers, school leaders, students, academics, policymakers, and educational organizations, the conference will create a space for dialogue to explore new research avenues and practices on how schools and education systems can be truly rooted in students’ rights.
At this stage, we are preparing the conference agenda and inviting researchers, educators, teachers, students, practitioners, and educational organizations to submit abstracts for our Academic Panel.
We are looking for contributions exploring :
If you would like to feature your work in any of these two sessions, and be part of our conference, you are welcomed to submit your abstract here by the 20th of September.
At this stage, we are looking for inspiring schools that have adopted rights based approaches in their day to day operations.
If you would like to feature your work and be part of our conference, you are welcomed to express your interest by the 20th of September
Get to know more about the Practice Lab here