We are living in a time of convergent crises that taken together place exceptional demands on education policymakers across the world. Education reform is always challenging and complex, and requires sustained energy and political will, particularly so at this point in time because of the pandemic. However, education reform is absolutely essential to equip young people with the skills they will need to deal with these crises.
The Education Policymakers Network launched in April 2021. This group of reform-minded education policymakers from 21 different countries have been meeting online and in-person to discuss and collaborate on a range of projects to support and sustain education reform around the need to develop a breadth of skills – cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional – in young and school-aged learners.
Addressing the skills gap has been high on global and national political agenda/s for several years, and may be easy to buy-in to, but establishing the political will to move from rhetoric to delivery is not. The path to whole system reform is not clear and easy. Stamina for systems reform wanes when there is pressure to focus on literacy and numeracy. The COVID-19 situation has created an unprecedented and unpredictable time and has created new challenges. Yet, there have been moments where we have seen glimpses of what education could and should be.
This five-day highly-interactive session, held at Schloss Leopoldskron, home of Salzburg Global Seminar, will provide a retreat-like environment to stimulate new thinking and insights around ways to overcome existing and anticipated blockages to the establishment of a breadth of skills approach in education policy. Participants will compare theory, policy and practice, opening up new perspectives and intensive learning opportunities.
The program will combine presentations by groundbreaking practitioners, cross-sector panel discussions, and curated conversations. Participants will also work in smaller focus groups that meet several times to develop ideas, arguments and new approaches in greater depth.
The Education Policymakers Network connects policymakers from different countries to work, learn and innovate together. Launched in 2021, the network helps support and sustain education reform around the need to develop a breadth of skills – cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional – in young learners.
This event is open to members of the Education Policymakers Network and invited guests only.
All images are available for download. Please credit Salzburg Global Seminar/Katrin Kerschbaumer. Unwatermarked images are available on request.