Common Futures, Different Pasts: Global Solutions to Curriculum Challenge

Most education systems are in transition, regardless of how well these systems are performing. Schooling that was once seen as the right way to prepare new generations for the predictable future has become challenged by many as the times are changing.

Curriculum has been perhaps the most commonly used tool in making education serve for social transformation, economic growth and technological change. As nations are coming from different pasts of tradition, ideology and social values, they are today facing similar global challenges that education, among other things, is addressing. Climate change, digitalisation, global health risks and lifelong learning are just a few of those global issues.

Despite common futures, countries are using differing policies and strategies in adapting their curriculum and assessment systems to the changing educational environments. This presentation explores how nations are adapting to changing the curriculum and the issues that surround assessment, increased school accountability and productivity.

Pasi Sahlberg, Senior Education Specialist, World Bank, Washington

Pasi Sahlberg is a former teacher, staff member of the National Board of Education (Ministry of Education) in Finland and the Director of the Centre for School Development at the University of Helsinki. He has broad global experience in educational change, training leaders and teachers, coaching schools and advising education policy-makers in curriculum, assessment and school improvement.

He has published writings on educational change, improving classroom learning and education policies, most recently “Education Policies for Raising Student Learning: The Finnish Approach” (2007), “Education Reform for Raising Economic Competitiveness” (2006), “Policy Development and Reform Principles of Basic and Secondary Education in Finland since 1968” (2006), “Raising the Bar: How Finland Responds to the Twin Challenge of Secondary Education (2006) and “Teaching and Globalization” (2004).

His professional interests include educational change, school improvement, international education policies, co-operative learning and mathematics education.