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Child empowerment is on the policy agenda of education systems around the world, in particular since the increasing emphasis in policy and research discourse on supporting children’s participation rights. A large body of literature suggests that child participation in making decisions on matters that affect them is not only essential from a child rights perspective, but also that it is associated with several positive outcomes from the individual to societal level. In OECD countries there are many domains in which children can and do actively participate in making decisions, including regarding their education. This paper explores how and where children can participate in decision making, with a focus on policies and practices in OECD education systems. It outlines key considerations for child participation, including barriers that many systems are struggling to overcome.

Teachers’ salaries are widely debated around the world, with divergent views among the actors of education. Salaries have risen very little over the last decade and have even fallen in real terms in almost half of OECD countries between 2015 and 2022. However, salary levels are just one of the many factors contributing to the attractiveness of the profession. In addition to raising salaries, decision makers should also take steps to raise the status of the profession in society, and offer teachers more opportunities for professional development and mobility to ensure that the profession remains intellectually stimulating throughout their careers.

As the global benchmark in educational assessments, PISA results are always hotly anticipated. The eighth round of PISA assessment was originally planned to take place in 2021 but the disruption caused by COVID-19 forced the assessment to be postponed by a year. The first results of PISA 2022 will be unveiled in two volumes on 5 December 2023. The focus of PISA 2022 is mathematics, with an emphasis on mathematics reasoning, to highlight its importance in tackling complex real-life challenges. The first volume examines how student performance in mathematics, reading and science as well as equity in education evolved before and after the pandemic. The second volume of PISA 2022 identifies 'resilient education systems' that maintained or promoted student learning, equity, and well-being amid the pandemic.

Calls for increased monitoring and evaluation of education policies and practices have not, so far, included widespread and consistent assessments of the inclusiveness of education settings. Measuring inclusion in education has proven to be a challenging exercise, due not only to the complexity and different uses of the concept, but also to its holistic nature. Indeed, measuring inclusion implies analysing a variety of policy areas within education systems, while also considering the different roles of the system, the school and the classroom. This paper discusses the application of the input-process-outcome model to the measurement of inclusion in education, and key indicators that can be adopted by education systems and schools to this end. It makes considerations relevant to policy makers when designing indicators to measure inclusion, such as the extent of their application, the constraints related to data disaggregation and the relevance of intersectional approaches to inclusion.

This report analyses the demand for positions that require skills needed to develop or work with AI systems across 14 OECD countries between 2019 and 2022. It finds that, despite rapid growth in the demand for AI skills, AI-related online vacancies comprised less than 1% of all job postings and were predominantly found in sectors such as ICT and Professional Services. Skills related to Machine Learning were the most sought after. The US-focused part of the study reveals a consistent demand for socio-emotional, foundational, and technical skills across all AI employers. However, leading firms – those who posted the most AI jobs – exhibited a higher demand for AI professionals combining technical expertise with leadership, innovation, and problem-solving skills, underscoring the importance of these competencies in the AI field.

During the last decade, several OECD countries have been supporting citizen engagement in policy making to better respond to increasingly volatile environments and complex problems. Ireland has a strong tradition and culture of partnership models and stakeholder engagement in education policy making. However, a desire to explore new opportunities for school community engagement and how they could support existing national consultation processes contributed to the exploration of alternative forms of stakeholder engagement in education. This has prompted the Teaching Council in collaboration with a range of Government Departments and national stakeholders, to request assistance from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) for the project 'Support to improve local community engagement in Ireland’s education policy development'. Drawing from international examples, existing stakeholder engagement practices in Ireland, the contributions of a wide range of education stakeholders and a pilot exercise, this report proposes a model and roadmap for exploring the potential of school community engagement to further support policy making across the Irish education system.

L’importance des enseignants expérimentés ne saurait être sous-estimée. Ils peuvent en effet contribuer à améliorer les résultats des élèves, mais aussi la qualité globale de l’enseignement en soutenant leurs collègues moins expérimentés. Ce numéro de la série L’Enseignement à la loupe (Teaching in Focus [TIF]) analyse leur répartition entre les établissements sous les deux angles distincts, mais complémentaires, de l’égalité et de l’équité.

The Republic of Moldova considers education a national priority and has been making steady progress in reforming and modernising its education system. The Ministry of Education and Research (MoER) in 2023 launched its Education Development Strategy 2030 and requested the European Union (EU) to engage the OECD to undertake a deeper analysis of selected policy domains that are central to its education reform. This laid the foundation for the project 'Support to the implementation of education policies in Moldova', funded by the EU. The MoER expressed a keen interest to learn from international research evidence and relevant international examples to help advance its education reform agenda. This report is the second output of the project 'Support to implementation of education policies in Moldova' and presents an analysis of one of three selected policy domains: 'the evaluation of Vocational Education and Training (VET) programmes and institutions in order to improve their functioning'.

The Republic of Moldova considers education a national priority and has been making steady progress in reforming and modernising its education system. The Ministry of Education and Research (MoER) in 2023 launched its Education Development Strategy 2030 and requested the European Union (EU) to engage the OECD to undertake a deeper analysis of selected policy domains that are central to its education reform. This laid the foundation for the project 'Support to the implementation of education policies in Moldova', funded by the EU. The MoER expressed a keen interest to learn from international research evidence and relevant international examples to help advance its education reform agenda. This report is the first output of the project that presents an in-depth analysis of two of three selected policy domains: 'professional development of teachers and other education professionals' and 'curriculum and learning resources' and has been developed by the OECD in collaboration with the UNESCO International Institute for Education Planning. The report will be valuable for Moldova and other countries that are looking to strengthen their school systems.

As societies become increasingly digital, the importance of cyber security has grown significantly for individuals, companies, and nations. The rising number of cyber attacks surpasses the existing defense capabilities, partly due to a shortage of skilled cyber security professionals. This report delves into the analysis of the demand for cyber security experts in Latin America, using information from online job postings in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. The analysis investigates recent trends in job demand for various cyber security roles, the geographical distribution of cyber security job postings, and the evolving skill requirements in this field. Additionally, the report focuses on the supply side by examining the landscape of cyber security education and training programmes in Colombia. It explores the different types of programmes offered in vocational and higher education, the characteristics of learners enrolled in these programmes, and their outcomes. Lastly, the report examines policies and initiatives implemented in Colombia to enhance the accessibility and relevance of cyber security education and training programmes. This report is part of a broader initiative that examines the evolution of policies and experiences in the cyber security profession around the world.