Previous Issues (2014)
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 35, December 2014
The year 2014 has been busy for EPR! In this last issue of 2014, we reflect on the achievements and milestones of the past year for the entire Unit. Thank you for your support during 2014 and we wish you a very happy new year!
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 34, November 2014
There is little doubt that globalization brings challenges and opportunities for education systems across the Asia-Pacific. This is reflected in UNSG’s Global Education First Initiative which promotes fostering global citizenship as one of its three priorities. But in 2014, what skills and competencies are most needed to face the challenges of globalization? And how can we ensure education systems are best prepared to meet them head on? In this issue, we learn about global trends impacting education, as well as several perspectives and initiatives on the matter. Happy reading!
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 33, October 2014
As learning assessment has been increasingly emphasized in education policy discourse across the region, in this issue, we look into UNESCO work in capacity development around large-scale assessments of learning and mapping of ‘transversal competencies’ in the Asia-Pacific. In partnership with the SEAMEO network, we follow various discussions on improving the quality of education in Southeast Asia. We also hear from the Myanmar Minister of Education her country’s efforts to improve teacher effectiveness. Hope you find them useful.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 32, September 2014
We know that quality teachers and teaching are essential for quality learning. But how can we make sure that education systems attract and retain motivated, professionally-trained and committed teachers? Participants of the UNESCO-KEDI Seminar discussed their research findings on policy and practice for ensuring teacher effectiveness. We also hear from a teacher on practical experience in integrating global citizenship education into classroom activities.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 31, August 2014
The education community of Asia and the Pacific celebrated one of the most important regional events since it entered the 21st century. The Asia-Pacific Regional Education Conference (APREC) brought together representatives of 37 countries and many other stakeholders from the region to develop a vision for the future of education. Please visit our website carrying the rich discussion of this event, including the Asia-Pacific Statement on Education Beyond 2015 (Bangkok Statement).
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 30, July 2014
This month’s highlight is “Skills for the Future Work”. A skills development specialist shares his views about the future of education and training. Colleagues from UNEVOC share their perspective on green economies. We also carry some regional perspectives and activities on education policy, teachers and learning. We are glad to announce the upcoming Asia-Pacific Regional Education Conference (APREC), taking place from 6 to 8 August in Bangkok. APREC will take stock of regional progress in achieving EFA and provide regional recommendations for the post-2015 global education agenda.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 29, June 2014
This month’s edition on happiness and education is led by the young staff of UNESCO Bangkok to announce an exciting new project: the ‘Happy Schools Project’ (HSP), which focuses on happiness as key to fostering love of learning in students. The highlight explores the concept of ‘happy education’, a successful model of a ‘happy school’ in Japan, and perspectives from youth in the region looking back at their school days. This newsletter also includes news on higher education, changes in education funding, along with a call for papers on the theme of Learning to Live Together and invitation to online consultations on teachers.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 28, May 2014
Many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are weighing the scope and level of decentralized management of education systems, considering its certain benefits. Yet, increasing evidence shows that socio-economic and cultural contexts as well as capacity of local actors should also be considered in designing and implementing decentralization policies and strategies. The highlight of this edition "Education Decentralization" is prompted by the above consideration and the release of the updated version of the Education Microplanning Toolkit as well as UNESCO’s capacity development work in Myanmar. We bring you news on several events related to quality and relevance of education and learning and wish to draw particular attention to the upcoming Asia-Pacific Regional Education Conference.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 27, April 2014
Education is more than acquiring academic knowledge. It should prepare our children and youths for a rapidly changing world – being able to adapt to changes, think critically and creatively, act responsibly and communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds. However, in increasingly competitive environments of the region, competition is penetrating education, leading to teaching to the tests and other side effects. Following up our last newsletter on learning to live together, this issue focuses on “transversal learning” – acquisition of skills, competencies, values and attitudes that are considered important other than academic knowledge and skills.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 26, March 2014
"Learning to Live Together" (LTLT) is the highlight of our March Issue. We proudly present our regional study on this theme, conducted across 10 countries of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as an interview with the Director of UNESCO Bangkok on the topic and a look at the importance of teachers in promoting LTLT. The 2014 annual meeting of NEQMAP and the launch of a new book on regulating private tutoring are also featured, together with the findings from an expert meeting on transferable skills in TVET, as well as announcements on new research on girls’ progression to STEM and the virtual UNEVOC conference.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 25, February 2014
In this edition, we would like to draw your attention to the EFA Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2013/4, focusing on Teaching and Learning. As countries in the Asia-Pacific Region continue to expand access to education, issues related to quality of teaching and learning have become the centre of debate in all countries. Several issues raised in the GMR report have been highlighted in this edition, linking to the experiences of the region.
Education Policy Matters! Issue no. 24, January 2014
In this last edition of 2013, we look back at some of our key activities in 2013 - a year of intense work across all the teams focused on issues of quality learning in the region amid discussions on the post-2015 education agenda, while working through our networks and partners for collaborative research. In reflecting on the relevance of education and learning, we realized that more should be done to promote "Learning to Live Together" (LTLT) and hope to create greater awareness with our LTLT calendar. Happy New Year 2014!
