The Education World Forum (EWF) is off to a cracking start.

Charles Clarke, former UK Secretary of State for Education and founder of the EWF, brought his huge experience of and commitment to turning political vision in to practical action, challenging the delegates to create the conditions that can transform education systems -forging consensus, building leadership, driving change. Education leaders everywhere have a huge responsibility for ensuring that they build opportunities for all, not just a few. Because that is both right and necessary to compete in the modern world.

Bob Geldof, the inspiration behind LiveAid, brought a different kind of challenge -he passionately believes that our world is in the cusp of fundamental change, driven by massive forces, including technological innovation. It is a time when Governments working in traditional ways cannot deal with the issues confronting the world. Only education can equip our future generations with the values and attitudes that will be needed to underpin the world society of the future. Davos and other world gathering meetings are irrelevant if there are not education leaders and systems working together to ensure meet the challenge of the world of the future. Only the educated can be truly free.