The Economist on Effective Education Systems

(Community Matters) “There is no substitute for good teachers: successful school systems have a number of things in common: they find culturally effective ways to attract the best people to the profession; they provide relevant, ongoing training; they give teachers a status similar to that of other respected professions; and the system sets clear goals and expectations but also lets teachers get on with meeting these. Higher salaries, on the other hand, accomplish little by themselves.” The Economist’s, The Learning Curve

Five lessons for education policymakers

1. There are no magic bullets

2. Respect teachers

3. Culture can be changed

4. Parents are neither impediments to nor saviours of education

5. Educate for the future, not just the present