World Class
How to Build a 21st-Century School System
In a world where the kind of things that are easy to teach and test have also become
easy to digitise and automate, it will be our imagination, our awareness and our sense
of responsibility that will enable us to harness the opportunities of the 21st century
to shape the world for the better. Tomorrow’s schools will need to help students think
for themselves and join others, with empathy, in work and citizenship. They will need
to help students develop a strong sense of right and wrong, and sensitivity to the
claims that others make.
What will it take for schools to be able to do this? Andreas Schleicher, initiator
of the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and an international
authority on education policy, has accompanied education leaders in over 70 countries
in their efforts to design and implement forward-looking policies and practices. While
improvement in education is far easier to proclaim than achieve, in this book Schleicher
examines the many successes from which we can learn. This does not mean copying and
pasting solutions from other schools or countries, but rather looking seriously and
dispassionately at good practice in our own countries and elsewhere to understand
what works in which contexts. Trained in physics, Schleicher offers a unique perspective
on education reform: he convincingly argues that it should not necessarily be less
of an art, but more of a science.
“No one knows more about education around the world than Andreas Schleicher. Full
stop. For the first time, he's collected 20 years worth of wisdom in one place. World
Class should be required reading for policy makers, education leaders and anyone who
wants to know how our schools can adapt for the modern world – and help all kids learn
to think for themselves.” – Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World,
a New York Times bestseller
“[Schleicher]…grasps all the key issues, and does so through keeping his ear to the
ground and by working out solutions jointly with a variety of leaders at all levels
of the system, and in diverse societies” – Michael Fullan, Global Leadership Director,
New Pedagogies for Deep Learning
“Every visionary leader who is serious about improving student learning should add
the data-driven World Class: How to Build a 21st-Century School System to the top
of his or her reading list.” – Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida, and Founder and
Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education
“…a must-read for those who wish to create a future in which economic opportunity
can be shared by all.” – Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World
Economic Forum
"In this timely and forward-looking book, one of the most knowledgeable educators
in the world draws on impressive data, keen observations, and considerable wisdom
to indicate the paths to effective education for all young people." – Howard Gardner,
Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Published on May 29, 2018Also available in: German, Spanish, French, Portuguese
In series:Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Educationview more titles