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Education Ministers to Discuss how Top Performing School Systems can Nurture Citizens for the Future at Inaugural International Education Roundtable in Singapore
It’s not just about the money and resources. Nor only a question of class size.
Every year, governments all over the world spend billions on reforms and improvements on education. Substantial increases in spending are needed to provide greater autonomy for schools, curriculum changes, smaller class size, better teacher-student ratio and more with the goal of a high quality education for their students.
Yet, some school systems are performing better than others. So, how do the world’s best performing school systems come out on top? What do they need to continue to do right, to nurture citizens who are ready for the challenges of the future?
To discuss these issues, the International Education Roundtable (IER), to be held in Singapore from 6-8 July, will bring together education ministers and senior government officials from Australia (Victoria), Canada (Alberta), China, Hong Kong, Sweden and the US for an open dialogue.
The discussions will centre on themes pertinent to education systems worldwide, including defining and preparing educated citizens of the future, attracting and recruiting good teachers and grooming school leaders.
Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen and Sir Michael Barber, Partner at McKinsey & Company and former Chief Advisor on Delivery to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, are co-chairing the sessions.
The IER is a joint project by the Ministry of Education and McKinsey & Company. The Roundtable provides education ministers with the opportunity to re-visit key findings from the 2007 McKinsey Report which covered 25 of the world’s school systems including 10 of the top performers; and responses to the report two years on.
With greater attention being paid to the results of international benchmarking tests and reports like the McKinsey Report, education reform has moved from the domestic agenda to international platforms like the IER. The IER presents a good opportunity for education ministers and officials to come together for discussion on a topic that is high on everyone’s agenda.
9th World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals (July 6-10)
Running concurrent to the IER is the International Confederation of Principals (ICP), which will be hosted by the Academy of Principals, Singapore (APS) this year. The keynote speaker of the convention and special Guest-of-Honour is Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
More than 1,200 school principals from 35 countries around the world are expected to attend the biennial convention to discuss the modern challenges in school leadership under the theme of the convention: Charting the New Education Landscape. The school principals will visit various Singapore schools to experience first-hand the innovative and creative approaches in teaching and learning.
Reflecting on the theme of the convention, APS President, Mrs Belinda Charles, who is also Principal of St Andrews’ Secondary School, said that the rapid changes overtaking the whole enterprise of learning and school management in this century underscored the importance of connectedness among school principals. “This convention will provide a unique opportunity for sharing of ideas and best practices both within and beyond education; from the practitioners and the systems leaders; from those with a history of success and those working towards new breakthroughs,” she added.
International Conferences held in Singapore in July
Besides the IER and ICP, July will see a confluence of international conferences that will bring some of the world’s leading thinkers in education to Singapore. These include:
The 2nd International Conference on Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) organised by the Institute of Technical Education on 8-10 Jul, which will gather policy-makers and practitioners from around the world to learn from renowned experts about innovative VTE practices; and
The Conference on Teaching and Leading for Understanding, organised by Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Wide-Scale Interactive Development for Educators (WIDE) World, on 10-11 Jul which will bring together over 500 local educators who will share inquiry-centred pedagogic and leadership practices to improve learning and teaching in the classrooms.