Education Revolution: Stephen Harris Of Learnlife On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming Education
An interview with Eden Gold
Just do it.
I shouldn’t have waited until my 50s to visit Rwanda — becoming a regular visitor and volunteer has clarified what matters in life.
Find your tribe; collaborate, co-create and lead the change!
Some people will always be suspicious, cautious and oppositional. It’s easy just ignore them.
I was always a leader; my schools just never suggested it.
The landscape of education is undergoing a profound transformation, propelled by technological advancements, pedagogical innovations, and a deepened understanding of learning diversities. Traditional classrooms are evolving, and new modes of teaching and learning are emerging to better prepare students for the complexities of the modern world. This series will take a look at the groundbreaking work being done across the globe to redefine education. As a part of this interview series, we had the pleasure to interview Dr Stephen Harris.
Dr Stephen Harris is Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer at Learnlife Barcelona, pioneering purpose-driven, personal learning. Former Sydney principal (1999–2017), he led globally lauded learning-space redesigns and founded the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning. With 40+ years and a PhD on vision-led change, he’s an award-winning educator (NSW Principal of the Year 2011; John Laing 2017) championing collaborative, inclusive, tech-enabled learning.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share the “backstory” behind what brought you to this particular career path?
I was educated in three countries and five schools, and I came from a family with a long history in education. The reality is that I finished up not enjoying school. However, for whatever reason, I could complete exams easily with minimal effort. At university, teaching courses were free, so I signed up. When undertaking the teaching component of that degree, I discovered it was a very natural fit for me, and that my personal views meant I questioned anything and everything that could lead to disengaged learning and kids not enjoying school. So that became my subliminal goal: to demonstrate that the only reason why kids might drop out of school, or simply not enjoy it, is because the adults who control the context refuse to adapt and change. So I started a lifelong journey in which the question has always been, “What do we need to change in order for students not only to enjoy learning, but to be fully engaged?”
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Possibly the most interesting narrative thread in my career is connected to the development of the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning (SCIL). That research and innovation unit sat within the school where I was Principal and operated in tandem with the school’s programs during my tenure. It was founded on the desire to build on the excellent work of the teaching staff, drawing from their strengths as the basis for driving school transformation. Most schools have strategic plans, yet rarely are they strategic pedagogical plans. By co-creating such a plan, we were very successful in developing new ways of experiencing learning. I learned that our best innovators are within our midst; we just need to identify and empower them. They are the natural change agents. As a result of this journey, and the mission developed by the school Board, the school grew from 250 to 1,400 students, which required the design and construction of many new buildings. This allowed us to closely align space design with pedagogical design — a perfect blend.
Can you briefly share with our readers why you are an authority in the education field?
I know that our experience with SCIL, and the joint, highly practical focus on pedagogy and space, meant that I was very well received by the wider education community. While that did lead to some specific recognitions, more importantly it opened up many opportunities to share ideas at conferences, workshops and school visits across the world. This placed our work on the global map and made us the focus of many visitors. At the same time, having undertaken almost every level of formal study possible, I pursued a PhD exploring the role of clear vision as a critical component of long-term school transformation. This allowed me to draw from my experiences and build further credibility through the doctorate.
Can you identify some areas of the US education system that are going really great?
Although not from the US, I know that the greatest strength in any education system lies with the dedication and commitment of innovative teachers whose optimism in new generations is the driving force in any community.
Can you identify the key areas of the US education system that should be prioritized for improvement? Can you explain why those are so critical?
There is a global imperative to break the nexus between learning and existing systems of examinations and assessments. As long as these systems dominate, they force teaching to focus on ‘teaching to the test,’ undermining the creation of learning experiences that empower students to be truly life-ready. This remains the single greatest barrier to the transformation of learning. Why is this so important? Because schooling must be relevant, authentic and designed to foster lifelong learning capability. The longer we delay the challenging of examinations and traditional graded assessments, the wider the gap grows between schooling and reality.
Please tell us all about the innovative educational approaches that you are using. What is the specific problem that you aim to solve, and how have you addressed it?
Now I am a co-founder of Learnlife Barcelona and Learnlife Rwanda. Learnlife was created as a collaborative project that brings education and entrepreneurship together to create the ‘new mainstream’. The Hubs in Barcelona are lighthouses where learners experience what every student should — a rewriting of how a learning community can work. Its foundation rests on the power of functional, supportive relationships. From there, learning is energised by an immersive, positive culture — a community that sparks deep curiosity, fuels passion-based impact and cultivates a growing (and evolving) sense of purpose. This requires the script of schooling to be rewritten. Learners curate their own artefacts to demonstrate conceptual mastery across domains and co-create a Learning Vitae, a living document that offers a dashboard of their learning and is adaptable to any purpose.
In what ways do you think your approach might shape the future of education? What evidence supports this?
Learnlife challenges the core assumptions of traditional schooling. We have deliberately stepped into the hard work of discontinuing high-stakes examinations, graded routines and their mandated curricula. In their place, learners embark on a journey toward fully autonomous, self-directed and self-determined learning.
Rather than living behind the all-dominant exam timetable, we demand mastery before progression and value depth, impact and critical thinking over formulaic essays. Progress is earned through demonstrated competence, not by moving up a grade simply because of age.
Visitors and parents gain a window into a different future: learners demonstrating readiness for university, entrepreneurship or employment. With their Learning Vitae and visible passion for learning, they show that rigour can be deeper, more demanding and more impactful than any exam. What more evidence could you need?
How do you measure the impact of your innovative educational practices on students’ learning and well-being?
The measurement of learning must be iterative, transparent, and collaborative. At Learnlife, learners progressively track their growth across more than 500 competencies and multiple domains. Learning is experienced in a world of transdisciplinary questions and challenges. Learners self-assess against clear criteria, most often via rubrics, and every self-assessment is validated by their assigned mentor once credible evidence of mastery is presented. That evidence can take many forms: a capstone project, a research-informed report, a finished artwork, a robotics build, a musical performance — the possibilities are open and limitless.
This process creates a visible pathway to learner independence, nurtures deeply rooted purpose and sustains a learning culture shared by the whole community. Wellbeing sits at the core: because the foundation is the joy of learning within positive, functional relationships, and wellbeing becomes the outcome, not merely the hope.
What challenges have you faced in implementing your educational innovations, and how have you overcome them?
Operating at the edge of change always brings challenges, but they become steps forward. Once fear of failure is set aside and setbacks are treated as the best lessons, momentum becomes not just possible but inevitable.
Success rests on a few critical understandings. Learning Guides (teachers) must be genuinely collaborative, not merely cooperative. Trust is the operating currency and everyone must protect and grow it. Universities and colleges still rarely cultivate deep emotional intelligence, yet it is now essential in any learning community; to build positive, authentic relationships, teachers need high levels of emotional intelligence and developing this remains an ongoing challenge.
Many believe they are ready for a different approach to learning, yet habits from the traditional system run deep and can prevent real change. We have addressed this by reinventing talent acquisition and development — but that’s another story.
Keeping in mind the “Law of Unintended Consequences” can you see any potential drawbacks of this innovation that people should think more deeply about?
Perhaps the most powerful knock-on effect, distinct from any unintended consequence, is that you may simply regain a love of learning. We see it time and again: once you move past the fear of letting go — embracing, as Alvin Toffler put it, the capacity to unlearn. A new world of engaged, passionate, purposeful and productive learning opens up for adults as much as for young people. The real risk is that anxiety about changing ingrained habits becomes the very barrier to change; so I would challenge you to dwell on “why not?” rather than “what if?”.
What are your “5 Things I Wish I Knew When I First Started”?
- Just do it.
- I shouldn’t have waited until my 50s to visit Rwanda — becoming a regular visitor and volunteer has clarified what matters in life.
- Find your tribe; collaborate, co-create and lead the change!
- Some people will always be suspicious, cautious and oppositional. It’s easy just ignore them.
- I was always a leader; my schools just never suggested it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When visiting schools in Iceland, I came across the motto of their Ministry of Education, written in Icelandic, unpronounceable to me, but translated as: “Do, then think.” This simple reversal on common approaches has been a liberating mantra, shaping my path for decades.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I’ve long admired Pete Buttigieg and more recently Gavin Newsom as well, both say it as it is. I’d be very happy to chat with them. Globally, Tony Blair put it best when he said this “Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education, and education.”
How can our readers further follow your work online?
www.stephenharris.me, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harris-stephen/ and anything connected to Learnlife Rwanda www.learnliferwanda.com
Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!
Education Revolution: Stephen Harris Of Learnlife On Innovative Approaches That Are Transforming… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.