2: Leading Education Change Internationally: Towards a New Approach

Why education change? We are living in moments of unprecedented change in all areas of our lives. The context that surrounds us is rapidly evolving: economic changes, migration, health, technology, the environment, etc. This is requiring that education systems not only adapt but are actually ahead of the game and are able to prepare their students for a fast and unclear future. The recognition of the value of education is clear: enrolment and graduation rates from upper secondary education have increased across OECD countries, and many more cohorts continue on to vocational, university or other tertiary studies than before (2020). Many education systems are revising or updating their curricula to include new objectives for learning such as Estonia, Finland, Japan, Norway or Scotland and Wales (UK). Many are updating teaching and learning approaches in primary and secondary education and many are investing in the teaching profession. At the core are education systems efforts to provide a good quality education that prepares all youth for the twenty-first century early on. Governments try to shape education policies as they take office with these objectives in mind, and many people are involved in the policymaking process at the regional or local level, with schools at the heart of the proposed changes. But are they ready to lead in this new era of change?