Welcome to Topical Talk

Free teaching resources for students aged 10 to 16 that enable weekly classroom discussions about the news. These are designed by our team of experienced teachers working with journalists and fact-checkers at The Economist.

Choose between weekly lessons that unpick a story in the headlines, or longer-form curriculums that explore issues in greater depth.

Topical Talk Festivals are annual, seven-week global discussions between schools and leading topic experts on the top news stories and issues of our time. Each Festival is packed with inspiring activities, online events and awards for thoughtful conversations and ideas.

Topical Talk Prizes are collections of resources that culminate in competitions. These give children the chance to have their opinions heard on the topics that matter most to them. Students can submit work to win feedback from Economist journalists as well as prizes for themselves and their school.

All lessons develop speaking, listening, problem-solving and communication skills. These form part of the Skills Builder Universal Framework. Topical Talk has a proven impact on students' skill development.

Our resources are produced by trained, experienced teachers, with guidance and support from Economist journalists. You can trust our content to be accurate, expert-led and objective.

Our resources feature leading experts who share their insight on the world's biggest challenges. Students hear from them in the lesson materials, online during Topical Talk Festival and directly in live lessons.

The Economist Educational Foundation (that's us!) is an independent charity that was set up from inside The Economist newspaper. We combine over 180 years of journalistic expertise with deep educational know-how and a decade of experience fostering high-quality topical discussions in schools.