Students floored after Barack Obama strolls into classroom in surprise visit

Former US President Barack Obama has shocked students after unexpectedly strolling into a class room at a high school in Washington, DC late last week.

Mr Obama’s surprise visit saw him taking part in a discussion with the students from McKinley Tech High School about their life goals, pursuing higher education, and giving back to their communities, Reuters reports.

He told them he believed most of the world's problems in the future would be solved by today's young people.

"One of the things I did throughout my presidency was I'd meet with groups of young people everywhere I went, whether it was here in the United States or when I was traveling overseas, just to kind of hear from them,” he told the students.

"I do believe that most of the problems we have are going to be solved by you."

Video of the meeting shows students reacting in astonishment to Mr Obama’s appearance and crowds of students cheering outside the school.

Mr Obama has made several public appearances at schools and universities since leaving office, speaking openly about the importance of political engagement among young people.