Catching up: learning from the best school systems in East Asia

Catching up: learning from the best school systems in East Asia

The five top-performing systems are Hong Kong, Korea, Shanghai and Singapore, according to OECD’s 2009 PISA assessments. In recent years, Australia and many OECD countries have substantially increased education expenditure, often with disappointing results. Grattan Institute’s new report, Catching up: learning from the best school systems in East Asia, shows how studying the strengths of these systems can improve our children’s lives.

Grattan’s report shows that while Australia cannot and should not import policymaking systems from East Asian countries, it has much to learn from their unrelenting focus on learning and teaching, and readiness to make tough trade-offs to achieve their goals.

Hear how Australian schools and education systems could match the successes of their counterparts in East Asia by focusing on the things that are known to matter in the classroom: a relentless, practical focus on effective learning and the creation of a strong culture of teacher education, collaboration, mentoring, feedback and sustained professional development.

At this event in Brisbane, Kate Evans, a producer and presenter for ABC RN, will discuss the conclusions and recommendations of the report with Dr Ben Jensen, Grattan’s School Education Program Director.

Register http://school-education-brisbane.eventbrite.com.au/ for the event.

It will also be streamed live http://www.grattan.edu.au/event_live_stream.html for those unable to attend.

About the speakers:

Ben Jensen spent 5 years in the OECD Education Directorate, where he analysed effective education policies and programs amongst OECD countries. In particular, he led an expert group examining how to accurately and meaningfully measure school performance and an international network comparing public policies that affect how schools operate and are organised.

Much of his work concentrated on effective teaching practices, teacher management, and school leadership, and their effect on school outcomes.

Ben holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Melbourne.

Kate Evans is a Brisbane-based producer and presenter for ABC RN, working for both Books and Arts Daily (presented by Michael Cathcart) and the Saturday night program, Books Plus, which she presents. She has also worked on many other Radio National programs, including Rear Vision, MovieTime, Hindsight and Life Matters (a program whose brief includes a strong commitment to policy and education issues). Kate has spent more years than she should perhaps admit in educational institutions, from Dapto High School through to PhD.

Date: Wednesday 29 February 2012

Time: 6.00 – 7.00 pm

Venue: Auditorium 2, State Library of Queensland

Stanley Place, South Bank

South Brisbane QLD 4101