What future for the family?

by Barrie StevensHead, International Futures ProgrammeThe family landscape in OECD countries has changed enormously over the last few decades. The extended family has all but disappeared in many places, and the traditional family – the married couple with children – is much less widespread than it used to be.  Of course, this has a lot to do with other things that have been happening in society – divorce rates have been rising, as has the number...

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Helping immigrant students to succeed

by Marilyn AchironEditor, Indicators and Analysis Division, Directorate for EducationWhether in flight from conflict, with the hope of building a better life, or to seize a social or economic opportunity, people have been crossing borders for as long as there have been borders to cross. Modern means of transportation and communication, the globalisation of the labour market, and the ageing of populations in OECD countries will drive migration well...

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Education does not equal skills

by Julie HarrisConsultant, OECD Department of EducationMapping skills at the European Youth ForumI went back 25 years in time yesterday, as I sat with participants at the European Youth Forum, all young, vibrant, educated and driven. I felt as if I were at university with my daughter and 100 of her friends. We discussed the future, skills, and in particular, the skills mismatch, described by Andreas Schleicher as “a lot of unemployed graduates plus...

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Transforming education the no-choice way in Japan

by Deborah RoseveareHead of the Education and Training Policy Division, OECD Directorate for EducationMost of the time, transforming education involves a strategy that is proposed, debated, planned and rolled out. For pieces of hope in a land of despairOn a road near Kamaishi Higashi Junior High, we bumped into a group of students.  They say they're on their way to see their school.  "We're going in to find what was ours" they...

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‘An obligation to systematise success’

Randi Weingarten, attorney, educator and president of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers spoke with Marilyn Achiron during an afternoon at OECD headquarters. This is a continuation of the conversation that was posted on 30 November 2011.Marilyn Achiron:  How would you define effective education?Randi Weingarten: Most of our educational systems have been created to an industrial model. They were built to ensure that kids could...

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When the school inspectors call less often, will Flemish schools take up the self-evaluation challenge?

by Claire Shewbridge, Policy Analyst, OECD Directorate for EducationAs in many European systems, Flemish schools are very used to school inspectors knocking on their doors. Schools have to let them in, as such external evaluation is a requirement. The inspectors make a “recommendation” to the Flemish authorities on whether or not the school should continue to be able to award official certificates and to benefit from public funding.This led to another...

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All immigration is local: How Regional Factors Shape Global Migration

by Monica BrezziHead of Regional Statistics Unit, OECD Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial DevelopmentDebates over international migration tend to be driven by national politics and often incomplete information. But to better understand both the real drivers and effects of migration, it is critical to analyse them by region.  The total number of migrants – as well as the profiles of the foreign-born population – differs widely...

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