The framework offers a broad vision of what students will need to thrive in 2030 and beyond, e.g. student agency, student well-being, and the types of competencies (knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values). It is globally informed, to be locally contextualized.

The metaphor of a learning compass was adopted to emphasizes the need for students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts, and find their direction in a meaningful and responsible way, instead of simply receiving fixed instructions or directions from their teachers.