Our programmes
Our Topical Talk programmes help students listen with an open-mind, think critically and speak with confidence about the issues that shape their world.
Why teach Topical TalkWhat we do
We enable schools to offer impactful, exciting opportunities to students, have deeply rewarding teaching experiences and invest in the development of transformative educators.
Free weekly lessons on a topic in the news.
Global news festival that connects classrooms around the world.
Annual competition to explore global challenges and create real-world solutions.
Bespoke training and implementation support for groups of schools.
“Children are being exposed to these big and scary topics and we can’t shelter them from it in the modern world. So providing a space to talk safely about it is important.”
TEACHER, UNITED KINGDOM
Our approach
Our lessons combine rich knowledge-building with structured discussion to help students understand complex issues and develop key skills. Each activity is designed to encourage critical thinking, knowledge sharing and reflection on diverse perspectives.
We use the Skills Builder Framework to guide this development and, in collaboration with teachers, track students’ progress over time.
Content you can trust
Every resource is created by experienced teachers with support from journalists and fact-checkers at The Economist. Lessons are accurate, expert-led and non-partisan.
