Why it matters if you can't read this

by Tanja BastianicStatistician, Directorate for Education and Skills Adults who lack basic skills – literacy and numeracy – are penalised both in professional and private life. They are more likely to be unemployed or in precarious jobs, earn lower wages, have more health issues, trust others less, and engage less often in community life and democratic processes.Basic skills are not complicated....

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Education reform in Wales: A national mission

by Kirsty Williams AMCabinet Secretary for Education, Welsh GovernmentIt’s an exciting time for education in Wales.This was noted by the OECD earlier this year, when it recognised that government and sector are working closely together with a commitment to improvements that are “visible at all levels of the education system”.This week, as Wales’s Education Secretary, I published our new action plan...

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Advocating for equality among schools? Resources matter

by Rose BologniniCommunications and Publications Co-ordinator, Directorate for Education and SkillsDisadvantaged students don’t have as many resources at home as their advantaged peers so ideally schools would need to compensate by providing more support. However, often schools reinforce social disparities rather than moderate them. The latest PISA in Focus brief  reveals that students in socio-economically...

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Schools at the crossroads of innovation

by Dirk Van DammeHead of the Innovation and Measuring Progress Division, Directorate for Education and SkillsIn a not so distant past, it was seen as one of the defining features of schools that they isolated learners – and the learning process itself – from the surrounding environment. As so brilliantly described by the French philosopher Michel Foucault in his account of the modern machinery of...

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Entering the “black box”: Teachers’ and students’ views on classroom practices

by Pablo Fraser Analyst, Directorate for Education and SkillsNoémie Le DonnéAnalyst, Directorate for Education and Skills“What happened in school today?” is a question that many parents across the world ask their children when they get home. Many parents also attend school meetings in order to understand how their child’s learning is developing. They talk with both children and teachers...

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Which careers do students go for?

by Marie-Helene DoumetSenior Analyst, Directorate for Education and SkillsCareer decisions are wrought in complexities. Many students start by looking at their interests, selecting a career in line with their personal affinities or aspirations. They will consider their own self-beliefs in their capacity to perform and succeed in a given career, and then factor in labour market prospects, employment,...

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Building trust in exams

by Andreas SchleicherDirector, Directorate for Education and SkillsQuality high-stakes exams have always been one of the most reliable predictors of the performance of an education system. They signal what matters for educational success and they ensure fairness and transparency in the gateways to the next stage of education or to the workforce. But getting the design of exams wrong can hold education...

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Back to school time: “Think beyond grades – to life”

Facebook Live session with Andreas Schleicher, head of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skillsby Marilyn Achiron, Editor, Directorate for Education and SkillsThis back-to-school moment is a great time to grab a few minutes with Andreas Schleicher, head of the Directorate for Education and Skills, to get his thoughts about preparing for – and succeeding in – the school year ahead.In our Facebook LIVE interview yesterday, he said that “there’s always something interesting happening...

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Awarding – and imagining – teaching excellence

by Andreas SchleicherDirector, Directorate for Education and SkillsTonight, the winners of the Higher Education Academy’s newly launched Global Teaching Excellence Award will be announced. The award is a milestone in advancing the higher education agenda. It’s time for teaching excellence to attain the same status and recognition as academic research, which still seems the dominant metric for valuing...

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