Why do we bother with qualifications?

by Simon FieldSenior Analyst, OECD Directorate for Education and SkillsAfter all, they are just pieces of paper with fancy script and impressive-looking designs, and employers are surely interested in what people can actually do – their skills – rather than pieces of paper? A new OECD study, entitled Building Skills for All, A Review of England casts a spotlight on this question.Qualifications...

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Joining the battle against extremism

by Andreas SchleicherDirector, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills Whoever has a hammer sees every problem as a nail. Those in the security business tend to see the answer to radicalism and terrorism in military might, and those in the financial business in cutting flows of money. So it is only natural for educators to view the struggle against radicalism and terrorism as a battle for hearts...

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21st Century Children

by Tracey BurnsOECD Directorate for Education and Skills Manuela FitzpatrickMA in International Relations at Science Po, Paris."My son was accepted into film-making camp, and he's only seven years old! I'm so proud. The only problem is that I'm not sure how I will get him there since the twins have their dance class and then empathy workshop on the same afternoon".On the phone with my friend, I make...

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Can students be overconnected?

By Francesco AvvisatiAnalyst, OECD Directorate for Education and SkillsIn the pursuit of happiness, Aristotle famously wrote “Meson te kai ariston”: moderation, staying away from both excess and deficiency, is best. The past weeks of holiday celebrations reminded many of us how there could be too much of even the good things in life, e.g. too much eating and too much drinking.Similar advice may apply...

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Is the gender gap in higher education widening?

by Dirk Van DammeHead of the Innovation and Measuring Division, Directorate for Education and SkillsShare of female bachelor’s graduates by field of study (2013)One of the most remarkable consequences of the expansion of education in OECD countries over the past decades is the reversal of the gender gap in education. From outright exclusion and discrimination in educational institutions less...

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The trends shaping the future of education

by Tracey Burns and Rebecca LavinsonDirectorate for Education and SkillsDid you ever wonder if education has a role to play in stemming the advance of diseases such as diabetes and dementia? Or what the impact of changing family structures might be on our children, schools, and communities? Or whether new technologies are fundamentally changing the way students think and learn?The OECD's work on Trends...

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