Emerging Education Policy Issues in OECD Countries - Meeting of OECD Education Chief Executives

OECD Education Chief Executives met in Copenhagen 22-23 September 2005 to identify the education policy issues with which they expect to be dealing in the next 3-5 years.

The three broad topics for discussion were:

• Quality, equity and efficiency
• Lifelong learning and the employment challenge
• The challenges of globalisation

Quality, equity and efficiency

Achieving both higher quality education and equity of outcomes has been one of the major objectives of countries in recent years. The policy issues identified by countries show that a lot remains to be done notably in the following areas:

• Quality: evaluation culture; role of international benchmarks; individualised teaching and learning; individualisation of support for learning and motivation.
• Equity: drop-out rate; school failure; inclusion of migrants and minorities; specific materials/content/assessment/pedagogy for vulnerable populations.

Furthermore, countries’ responses show that the efficiency of education systems (lowering the cost without damage for both quality and equity) is an objective of growing concern in several countries, notably in view of the public finance situation. Efficiency issues relate to the performance of both institutions and teachers.

• Institutions: autonomy; decentralisation; leadership; monitoring and accountability; governance; information system on institution performance; innovation capacity of institutions; knowledge management; partnerships among stakeholders; preparing for declining numbers of children due to demographic shifts.
• Teachers: recruitment and career development; teacher education and training; evaluation of competences and performance; mobility in and out of the profession; use of information and communication technology (ICT); implementing best practices; raising teacher status.

Lifelong learning and the employment challenge

The issues raised by countries during the first chief executive meeting in 2003 were about early childhood education and care, national qualifications systems, career guidance policy, financing lifelong learning and formal, non-formal and informal settings for adult learning.  From the issues presently identified, it seems that the priority is employment (raising the participation rate, lowering unemployment, increasing productivity) and notably how the education agenda can best be advanced as regards vocational education and training and adult learning.  

• Vocational education and training: quantity, quality and financing issues; improvement of information and guidance systems; permeability among different education paths; co-operation among all stakeholders at both the national and regional levels; linking the world of learning and the world of work.
• Adult learning: adaptation of the labour force to the needs of the knowledge economy and to demographic situation (e.g. ageing population); financing and incentives issues; national qualifications system; co-operation between stakeholders; use of ICT; connectedness with other socio-economic policies; international assessment of adult competencies.

The challenges of globalisation

Globalisation was tackled last time through the challenges it posed to tertiary education.  While the reform of this sector is still an issue identified by countries, some others are raised which relate to the globalisation process.

• Higher education in a globalising world: qualifications framework; the Bologna Process; extending the traditional role of higher education higher education; governance reforms; quality evaluation and assurance; financing; research capacity and funding; higher education competitiveness;  quality of faculty; demand for new competencies; attractiveness of scientific careers; innovation and intellectual capital; co-operation with private sector and higher education institutions.
• Migration: education policy in line with immigration policy; brain drain/gain/circulation.
• Educational needs of a multicultural knowledge society.

For each of the three broad topics on which the discussions will focus, two main questions were addressed:

• What are the policy dilemmas faced?
• What are the consequences for future OECD work on education?

OECD  Education Chief Executives also reviewed what OECD has done and what has been learnt since the first Education Chief Executive Meeting  (February 2003)

Consultations were held with the Social Partners BIAC  (The Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD) and TUAC  (Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD) to get their input into the meeting.

The meeting was opened by Mr. Bertel Haarder, Minister of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Denmark and chaired by Mr. Niels Preisler, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Denmark.

The meeting was kindly hosted by Mr. Haarder.