Global Education and Skills Forum ends in Dubai

By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, March 22, GNA - The 2017 Global Education and Skills Forum, which seeks to address the challenges, equity and employment for all in the educational sector, has ended in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The forum, an initiative of Varkey Foundation, an essential platform for collaboration is on the theme: 'How do we make 'real' global citizens?'

Mr Andreas Schleicher, the Director of Education and Skills, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, said the most successful societies were the most creative ones.

He said the more diverse children's interests and experiences; and the more they are encouraged to work with their peers to address problems in new ways, the better prepared they would be before the new digital age.

He said the education system should move away from constantly testing students to find the best.

'We should be developing everyone, not looking for those already doing well,' he added.

He said in a digital age school children needed to be taught complex ways of thinking and the skills for collaboration.

He expressed the belief that collective capacity and complex thinking did not sit with standardization and compliance.

'Teachers need to be free from the constant demands of tests and examination instead, they should be high-level professional knowledge workers, showing young people how to solve problems in new and innovative way,' he added.

Mr Schleicher said teachers and schools should have the freedom to experiment and support staff trying new ways of working.

He said 'if we fail to create more global citizens, we will see a further worsening of the existing problem of growing inequality and further erosion of the social fabric.'

GNA