The 59th World Assembly of International Council on Education for Teaching (ICET2015)

Theme: Challenging Disparities in Education

Location: Naruto University of Education, Naruto, Tokushima, Japan from 19 – 22 June 2015

Website: Click here

 

In September,  Sultan Qaboos University  joined Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) as an institutional member supporting  ICET efforts to improve educational experiences and outcomes for all. On behalf of the ICET Board I would like to  acknowledge their contribution to the work of ICET. 

In July ICET accepted an invitation to join UNESCO's International Taskforce on Teachers for Education for All (EFA). In December members of this group, including ICET will meet with Dr. Qian Tang (Assistant Director-General for Education UNESCO Paris) to provide Pan European and North American perspectives on the proposed post-2015 education goal and targets (also making reference to the Proposal of the OWG for an education goal and targets), make regional contributions to the development of the post-2015 Framework for Action and suggest recommendations for the future education agenda. These recommendations will represent a formal regional contribution to the post-2015 education agenda and to the Framework for Action to be adopted at the World Education Forum 2015.  

ICET will be present at the invitation-only International Conference on “Innovation, Governance, and Reform in Education,” hosted by the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI). The conference will be held in the Conference Centre at OECD Headquarters in Paris on 3-5 November 2014. ICET's invitation was based on its work linked to the  MESH project, which has links to the Innovative Teaching for Effective Learning (ITEL) project  . In the words of the OECD, the conference will bring together cutting-edge work and leading players to discuss the core concerns facing leaders and policy-makers with regard to innovation, governance, and reform in education.  
At least four bodies of analysis will be brought together:

• Innovative Teaching for Effective Learning (ITEL) is exploring the nature of teacher professionalism in the 21st century and how to innovate teaching for improving learning outcomes.
• Governing Complex Education Systems (GCES) is exploring new forms of governance, bringing in multiple school accountability, knowledge mobilisation, complexity theory, and trust.
• Innovation strategy (IS) has built up a detailed understanding on what can be done to make education systems more innovative.
• Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) is developing new knowledge on strategies for growing and sustaining innovative learning and the implications for transforming learning systems.

The conference aims to consider this substantial body of international analysis as a whole and to make connections and synergies across the different projects. The contributions of ICET and other delegates will assist the OECD examine key questions for the future that may help forge new policy directions.

 
 

In August I accepted the invitation of Mr Dequan Li,  Executive Director of the The Chinese Society of Education (CSE) International Division, to provide the keynote address at the CSE National Assembly. The CSE, founded in 1979,  is the the oldest and largest non-profit educational organization serving Pre k-12 education and directly subordinated to the Ministry of Education in China. ICET was the first INGO ever invited to present at this event. Work is now under way to work with Executive Director Li to expand ICET's membership and presence in China. We hope to share news of some new and exciting developments in the next newsletter.