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1. Brain
and Learning
The project on “Learning Sciences and Brain Research”
was launched in 1999 by CERI. The objective is to formulate
a sounder basis for the understanding and improvement of learning
and teaching processes and practices, notably in the areas of
reading, mathematics and lifelong learning.
The project aims to establish a direct link between brain
and learning specialists in the hope that the resulting mental
alchemy will yield new approaches and ideas about how what the
brain does is educationally relevant; to actively pursue
data sources from research to synthesise existing and emerging
findings from cognitive and brain science; to dispel popular misunderstandings
of the brain and its relationship to learning and teaching; and
to make the results of the project widely accessible to include
non-specialists.
Along with several reports, the initiative has produced Understanding
the Brain: Towards a New Learning Science, published by OECD
in September 2002.
Canada
is a participant in this project. Canadian members of the Lifelong
Learning Network include Janet F. Werker (University
of British Columbia)
and Michael J. Meaney (McGill
University). Canada
is not currently represented on the Numeracy or Literacy Networks.
2. Capacity
Building, Education, Training and Development
The poorer countries are handicapped on the global market by
their shortage of appropriately trained people who can help draw
up development-oriented policies and then implement them. This
works seeks to resolve some of these problems.
3. Economics
and Management of Knowledge
The work in CERI and IMHE ranges from clarifying the concepts
and theoretical foundations for a knowledge-driven economy, through
analysis of public-private sector case-studies and surveys of
knowledge management to analysis of education R&D systems
and university management of research.
The perspective of CERI is to go beyond the widely used macro-level
indicators of the "knowledge-based economy" in order
to develop a micro-level analysis of the transition towards a
knowledge-based economy which would enable a better understanding
of the rising challenges for the education and learning systems,
as well as the kind of policies that would accelerate countries'
transition towards a knowledge economy. The project will include
a Study Group, high-level Fora, an international survey and reviews
of national educational R&D systems.
Publications of interest:
Measuring Knowledge Management in the Business Sector: First
Steps. This book offers a synthetic view of the results of
the first systematic international survey on knowledge management
carried out by national statistical offices in Canada,
Denmark,
France
and Germany.
Co-published with Statistics Canada.
Are we managing our knowledge? Results from the pilot Knowledge
Management Practices Survey, 2001. Available on the web site
of Statistics Canada, at http://www.statcan.ca/english/IPS/Data/88F0006XIE2002006.htm
Canada
is involved in this project. Canadian contact:
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
Canada
Telephone: (416) 962-8100
Fax: (416) 962-2800
Email: information@cmec.ca
4. Education
and Skills
The current mandate for Education and Skills is "making
lifelong learning a reality for all", through monitoring
and evaluating strategies; strengthening foundations; facilitating
transitions; mobilising resources and using them effectively;
and improving the sharing of roles and responsibilities.
Canadian contact:
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
Canada
Telephone: (416) 962-8100
Fax: (416) 962-2800
Email: information@cmec.ca
A number of topics covered under “Education and Skills”
are listed below.
4A. Country
and Thematic Policy Reviews in Education
Country and thematic reviews are key Education Committee tools
for peer monitoring and assessment, and are voluntary in nature.
Country reviews are of particular interest to the country concerned
while thematic reviews have potentially wider audience. National
reviews cover a single country (Norway
for example), while thematic reviews cover several countries on
a particular theme, such as adult learning.
Peer country reviews are a major tool for the Education Committee
for monitoring progress, and identifying best practice and policy
options suited for individual country circumstances.
Thematic reviews provide comparative lessons. Tertiary education,
transition from school to work, early childhood education and
care, and adult learning are recent examples.
The policy areas covered have very wide interest. Policy and
decision makers at all levels, stakeholders in education and training,
learners and their families, communities, institutional providers,
the public at large and the media are potential users.
4B. Education
Facilities
The OECD Programme on Educational Building (PEB) promotes the
exchange and analysis of policy, research and experience in all
matters related to educational building. Its work is of relevance
to policy-makers in national and regional authorities responsible
for educational facilities, to architects, system level and institutional
managers, and to researchers in the field.
The Programme has three objectives:
- improving the quality and suitability of educational buildings;
- ensuring that the best use is made of the resources devoted
to planning, building, running and maintaining educational buildings;
and
- giving early warning of the impact on educational building
of trends in education and in society as a whole.
4C. Education
Statistics and Indicators
The OECD education indicators (the INES
project], which are presented in the annual publication Education
at a Glance , provide comparable and up-to-date measures
on the functioning, development and impact of education - from early
childhood through formal education to learning and training
throughout life in both OECD and non-OECD countries.
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
measures how well 15-year-olds are prepared to meet the needs
of today's knowledge societies. The first PISA
survey, results for which were published in Knowledge and Skills
for Life (2001), was conducted in 2000 in 32 countries. This study
focused on reading literacy while the 2003 study will focus on
mathematical literacy.
4D. Equity
and Social Inclusion
Work focuses on understanding the causes of educational inequities
and identifying policy options to combat them. New PISA
data and thematic and country reviews are being used to understand
the "vicious circle" of underachievement - that begins
in early education and continues through tertiary learning and
labour market outcomes -- and to develop policy options for breaking
it.
Potential audience consists of stakeholders in lifelong learning
and policy and decision-makers.
4E. Information
and Communication Technology and Learning
OECD countries are making substantial investments in ICT in order
to improve the quality of teaching and learning. ICT both poses
major challenges and presents major opportunities for education
systems. The OECD is exploring many of these within its work on
Education and Skills.
CERI is completing a three-year study on ICT and the Quality
of Learning, with reports already published on the Digital Divide,
E-Learning and Learning to Change. Case studies in OECD
countries examine the impact of ICT in schools, with other work
measuring the ICT skills needed by young people.
Other CERI work is exploring the impact of ICT upon international
trade in tertiary education. And work in PEB is exploring the
implications of ICT for the design and use of educational facilities.
Beginning in 2002, the Education and Training Division will explore
a range of related policy implications: resourcing; access; effects
on teachers; and the curriculum.
4F. Innovation
and Education R&D
Innovation and R&D are pillars of a knowledge-based society.
They are just as fundamental to the dynamism and effectiveness
of education. Is education sufficiently innovative? Does it invest
sufficiently in R&D? A number of relevant indicators suggest
that there is a long way still to go.
CERI is continuing its reviews of specific types of innovation
("What Works in Innovation in Education") each involving
around 6-8 countries, and embarking on reviews of the education
R&D systems in single countries. CERI has also launched new
work on learning science and brain research, bringing together
findings from different disciplines to shed light on educational
practice and organisation.
4G. Investment
in and Financing of Learning
Lifelong learning is vital to sustained economic progress and
social cohesion in the "new economy". But its implementation
raises new and complex resource issues. It defines in new ways
the content, place, timing, and duration of learning. Lifelong
learning is potentially expensive to implement. Learning is valued
differently in a knowledge economy.
The work explores policies, practices, innovations, and ideas
for achieving efficient levels and equitable distribution of investment
in learning. It considers how to strengthen incentives to invest
in learning by making learning more cost-effective and signalling
better the economic value of learning outcomes; and how to secure
financial and in-kind resources from the private and public sector.
The potential audience for this work is broad because of the
broad societal stakes in lifelong learning (individuals, communities,
enterprises, economies, society), and because of the wide spectrum
of actors involved in providing learning opportunities (public
and private providers, social partners, for example).
The work is being carried out through the collection and analysis
of information on national policies related to resource issues
and data on provision of and participation in lifelong learning;
review of literature related to investment in and finance of learning;
analysis of data on rates of return to investment in learning;
an international conference on investment and finance issues.
4H. Lifelong
Learning and Sectors of Education
Lifelong learning for all is the guiding framework for OECD's
work on learning, both formal and informal. Systemic considerations
include foundations; outcomes; access and equity; resources; pathways;
visibility and recognition; and policy co-ordination. Major sectors
are: early childhood education; pre-primary, primary, secondary
and tertiary education; and adult learning.
The work monitors, evaluates and develops strategies for "Lifelong
learning for all", a cradle-to-grave view adopted by OECD
Education Ministers in 1996. An emphasis on competencies was added
in 2001. Work on system-wide features includes: EPA, Investment
in and financing of learning. For sectoral policy evaluation see
Policy reviews and developments; Tertiary education; Teaching
and learning.
The work is targeted at policy makers, decision makers and stakeholders
in education and training policy: governments, national, regional
and local; institutions, private and public; enterprises and social
partners; and non-governmental organisations.
4I. Management
in Education
Management issues in education must be addressed if change is
to be effective. Educational governance is increasingly complex
and decentralised, bringing in a range of different stakeholders.
Very large volumes of resources, human and financial, are devoted
to education. Management and leadership are critical.
How can such large volumes of resources be most effectively managed
within complex decision-making arrangements? How can learning
organisations be created and sustained in education? How can out-moded
forms of educational management be transformed? These questions
underpin OECD work in this field.
4J. Teaching,
Learning, and Schools for the Future
What will our future schools look like? What kinds of teaching
and learning will take place in them? Who will the teachers be,
and will they be high quality? Will schools be laying the foundations
for lifelong learning for all or for just the lucky few? These
are crucial questions for education and society at large at the
outset of the 21st Century.
Forward-thinking approaches are still in their infancy in education.
CERI's new phase of Schooling for Tomorrow work is developing
an "operational toolbox for innovation, forward-thinking
and school system change" and an analytical instrument of
indicators for the six scenarios. It continues its co-operation
with the innovation exchange networks - the Spanish and German
networks, ENSI and PCC.
The ability of schools to meet pressing needs will hinge to a
large extent on the quality of the teaching workforce. The Education
and Training Policy Division is focusing on policies aimed at
attracting, developing and retaining effective teachers. It has
developed a collaborative project to assist government design
and implement teacher policies to improve teaching and learning
in schools.
The work of PEB is looking at the facilities and infrastructure
needed to create the schools that will serve the future, including
existing exemplary designs.
5. Employment
and Skills
The Thematic Review on Adult Learning, a joint activity of the
Education and the Employment, Labour and Social Affairs Committees,
examines the institutional arrangements and practices that underlie
the availability of learning opportunities to different groups
of adults through nine country reports and a comparative report
with key lessons and good practises now in preparation.
A follow-up to the Growth project focuses on an empirical analysis
of the contribution of training to human capital formation and
beyond, economic growth and the role of the social partners and
collective bargaining to stimulate training in companies.
Researchers may wish to consult the "Labour
Force Statistics" database, which contains detailed
statistics on working-age population (15-64), labour force, employment
and unemployment, broken down by age and sex as well as employment/population
ratios, participation rates and unemployment rates by age and
sex. There are two databases, one for indicators, one for data.
Canada
participated in the Thematic Review. Canadian contact:
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
Canada
Telephone: (416) 962-8100
Fax: (416) 962-2800
Email: information@cmec.ca
6. Family-friendly
Policies
Reconciling work and family life involves two key goals for both
individuals and society: (1) being able to work, earning an income
and seeking self-fulfilment, and (2) providing the best care and
nurturing for one's own children. These aspirations need not be
mutually exclusive. Babies and Bosses (Volume 2) (forthcoming) looks
at these work and family issues in Austria,
Ireland
and Japan.
The previous volume Babies and Bosses (Volume 1) covered
Australia,
Denmark
and the Netherlands.
The third volume - Autumn 2004 - will cover New
Zealand, Portugal
and Switzerland.
7. Millennium
Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are used by the international
development community as a common framework to guide its policies
and programmes and to assess our effectiveness.
8. Human and
Social Capital
Human capital is the familiar notion that knowledge, skills and
attributes derived from education, training and experience, represent
some of our most valuable resources. The idea of social capital
is less familiar, but recent research has highlighted the importance
of established social relationships, norms of behaviour and mutual
trust in many kinds of social and economic endeavours.
The OECD reviews policies that influence the incentives to invest
in human
capital and the efficiency of the provision of educational
services. The OECD Growth Project established the importance of
human capital accumulation for economic growth. The OECD has also
examined the financial incentives for individuals to engage in
human capital investment beyond compulsory schooling, and the
impact of government financing arrangements on equity outcomes.
In addition, it has explored how internal efficiency in the provision
of educational services can be promoted.
In terms of human
and social capital, OECD's CERI and ETD are analysing
how different parts of the education system contribute to human
capital formation, and the impact this has through the returns
to individuals and the society at large. CERI is also working
to improve the measurement of social capital and engage in a burgeoning
policy debate. The publication The Well-being of Nations: The
Role of Human and Social Capital helps clarify the concepts
of human and social capita.
9. Trade
in Education Services
Until recently, education has been largely absent from the debate
on internationalisation because it was thought to be essentially
a non-traded service. There is, however, significant trade in
educational services in post-secondary education and training,
the largest share taken by students traveling abroad.
A rough estimate puts the value of education services at about
$US 30 billion in 1999, equivalent to 3% of total services trade
in OECD countries. New forms of trade in educational services
such as cross-border e-learning activities and the establishment
of campuses and teaching facilities abroad are growing rapidly,
although from a low level. A PDF entitled "Trade in Educational
Services: Trends and Emerging Issues” is available on
the web site.
CERI is working on the issue of the internationalisation of post-secondary
education and training with three complementary strands:
- OECD Forum on Trade in Educational Services
- Statistics and indicators on the main trends in the internationalisation
of post-secondary education and training
- Illustrative case studies on e-learning activities in post-secondary
education and training
International
Indicators of Education Systems (INES)
The INES Project began in 1988 in response to national policy
makers' desire for information that would allow them to compare
the performance of their education systems with those of other
countries and thus better assess and monitor the effectiveness
and evolution of their education systems. Canada
has been an active participant in INES since its inception.
Through INES, a system of indicators has been developed for cross-national
comparisons in education. Specifically, INES:
- develops, collects, analyzes, and interprets a set of key
indicators for international comparisons disseminated through
its annual publications: Education
at a Glance and Education
Policy Analysis;
- provides a forum for international cooperation and exchange
of information about methods and practices of developing and
using educational indicators for national policymaking and managing
education systems; and
- contributes to assessment methodology and practice to develop
more valid, reliable, and comprehensive indicators, and to gain
a better understanding of their use in policy-making.
The work of INES is carried out by three Networks and a Technical
Group, each of which has voluntary membership and is focused on
a different charge:
- Network A, chaired
by the United States,
develops indicators on learning outcomes;
- Network B, chaired
by Sweden,
develops indicators of the social and economic outcomes of education;
- Network C, chaired
by the Netherlands,
develops indicators on structures and processes of schools;
and
- The Technical Group
ensures the comparability of administrative data, developing
indicators on educational participation, access, human and financial
resources, and school completion.
The funding and administration
of PISA is coordinated by the BPC.
Canada is represented on all INES groups and the Board of Participating
Countries. The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)
coordinates the appointments to OECD education committees on behalf
of provincial/territorial Ministers of education and training.
Statistics Canada and the federal Department of Human Resources
and Skills Development are also represented on some INES groups.
For further information contact:
Council of Ministers of Education, Canada
95 St. Clair Avenue West, Suite 1106
Toronto, Ontario M4V 1N6
Canada
Telephone: (416) 962-8100
Fax: (416) 962-2800
Email: information@cmec.ca
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Copyright © 2006 Edudata Canada