Towards better tools to measure social and emotional skills

by Anna ChoiAnalyst, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECDKoji MiyamotoAnalyst, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECDCommon sense and hard evidence point to the significant impact of socio-emotional skills such as perseverance and responsibility on children's lifetime success. Empowered children are much more likely to finish college, maintain healthy lifestyles and be happy. Both parental...

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How can the Netherlands move its school system “from good to great”?

by Montserrat GomendioDeputy Director, Directorate for Education and SkillsActivities undertaken by lower secondary teachers at least once per month,OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2013A new OECD review of the Netherlands education system offers a roadmap towards excellence. Netherlands 2016: Foundations for the Future, based on data from both PISA and the Survey of Adult Skills,...

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No gain without (some) pain

by Bonaventura Francesco PacileoStatistician, Directorate for Education and SkillsWhen Tim Duncan, captain of the the US National Basketball Association’s San Antonio Spurs, was spotted wearing a T-shirt saying “4 out of 3 people struggle with math”, everyone realised that he was counting himself among those who have a hard time with fractions, making the joke even funnier. What is less funny, though,...

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Going beyond education policies – how can PISA help turn policy into practice?

by Andreas SchleicherDirector, Directorate for Education and SkillsHow Do We Stack Up? Using OECD'S PISA to Drive Progress in U.S. Education from EdPolicy Leaders Online.How are policy makers in the United States using data to help districts maximise their impact? And, what tools do districts need to work together in order to build stronger communities?  The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in the United States has transferred a great deal of autonomy to states and districts. These...

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Time, working and learning

by Viktoria KisAnalyst, Directorate for Education and SkillsSeven years is the right length for apprenticeships – thought Queen Elizabeth I of England as she lifted her feather to sign the Statute of Apprentices in 1563. Seven years would ensure that everyone benefits: apprentices would receive good training and masters would gain from their apprentices’ labour – although it must be admitted that...

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Latvia is determined to build on its progress in education

by Andreas SchleicherDirector, Directorate for Education and SkillsIn the 2012 PISA test, urban students in Latvia outperformed rural students by the equivalent of more than a year of schooling – half a year more than the average performance difference between these two groups of students across OECD countries. According to a new OECD report, Education in Latvia, giving equal access to a quality education,...

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Career education that works

by Anthony MannDirector of Policy and Research, Education and Employers TaskforceThe benefits of employers engaging with education has long been reported and promoted within policy circles. The UK’s Department for Education, for example, has recently produced guidance for schools stating the need for student learning from the world of work within careers provision. Internationally, the Organisation...

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Who pays for universities: taxpayers or students?

by Dirk Van DammeHead of the Innovation and Measuring Division, Directorate for Education and SkillsThere are few issues in education that raise as much political and ideological controversy as tuition fees for higher education. Across many countries a broad consensus has developed that public education in the age of compulsory schooling should be free of charge. Even Adam Smith considered free public...

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