research forum oecd’s role in educational research: international & australian activities...
TRANSCRIPT
Research Forum
OECD’s Role in Educational Research: International & Australian Activities
Monday, 3 April 2006
The OECD’s work in education and training: an overview
William Thorn
Counsellor (Education, Science and Training)
Australian Delegation to the OECD
Outline of presentation
• Organisation• The work program • Other issues
- quality
- involvement in OECD work
- access to information • Contacts and addresses
The OECD: a bit of history
• Established in 1961• Australia joined in 1971• Currently 30 member countries plus European
Commission• Current debate about the future of the
organisation, particularly ‘enlargement’
Mission of the OECD
• To achieve highest level of sustainable growth and employment and rising living standards
• To contribute to sound economic expansion in member and non-member countries
• To contribute to expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis
Organisation
• Work managed through a series of committees serviced by OECD secretariat
• Some 25 committees covering most areas of economic and social policy
• Work guided by principle of peer review
Australian Delegation to the OECD
Delegation led by an ambassador. Several agencies represented:
• Treasury• Employment• Education, Science and Training• Agriculture• Industry
Education Directorate
• Education and Training Policy• CERI• INES• PISA• IMHE• PEB• NME
The Work Program (1)
Statistics and indicators
• Education at a Glance
Surveys
• PISA• Adult skills• Teachers
The Work Program (2)
Policy Reviews
• Teacher Policy• Tertiary Education• School Leadership• Recognition of informal and non-formal learning
The Work Program (3)
Innovation and ‘futures’
• Schooling for tomorrow• Higher education futures• Brain research
The Work Program (4)
Guidelines
• Quality Provision in Cross Border Higher Education
• Earthquake safety in schools
Other work
Seminar on indigenous education
Ministerial Meeting (Athens, June)
Committee on Science and Technology Policy
• Human resources in science• Young people’s interest in science
An OECD line? (1)
• Human capital contributes to economic growth• Concerns about employment of low skilled
workers and the low skilled • Recommendations regarding enhancing
pathways for young people and strengthening vocational education and training system
An OECD line? (2)
• Policy based on research/analysis• Role of private finance• Devolution of decision making• Focus on equity
Quality and Impact of Work
‘Le bilan est globalement positif’
- Georges Marchais, 1979
Can Education Authorities get involved?
• No problem• Several examples - ‘Schooling for tomorrow’,
formative assessment, recognition of informal and non-formal learning
Useful addresses
OECD
www.oecd.org
Education Directorate Home Page
www.oecd.org/edu
Brain research
www.oecd.org/edu/brain
Qld Department of Education and the Arts
DEA’s research website:
www.education.qld.gov.au/corporate/research
Provides links to:
• DEA’s Research Strategy and Priorities
• Papers related to today’s research forum