Education Ministerial of 7-8 December 2022: Rebuilding an inclusive and equitable society through education
Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education: "Building an inclusive and equitable society presupposes having an education system that is itself inclusive and equitable. We still have a long way to go, which will require a great deal of political will, but we are determined to move forward in this direction, which we believe is essential for a democratic society that includes all its pupils and trains them for citizenship".
The closure of schools as a result of the Covid-19 crisis has had a profound effect on the world’s education systems, leading to a massive digitalisation of teaching methods and calling into question decades of progress in the fight against educational inequality. At the same time, the pandemic has reinforced mistrust in democratic institutions, eroding confidence between governments and citizens.
The gradual recovery from the pandemic requires governments to learn the lessons of this crisis, and raises questions about the future of democratic systems. In particular, the education sector is faced with the challenge of preparing the next generations for the changes in the contemporary world, both environmental and digital, while at the same time reducing social inequalities and restoring the confidence of future citizens in democratic institutions.
Faced with this complex and unprecedented context, described as a "Promethean moment" by Thomas Friedman, the OECD is involved in analysing public education policies in order to inform and guide governments. In particular, the flagship PISA and Education at a Glance reports enable international comparisons to be made of the structure, funding and performance of education systems in OECD member and partner countries, in the light of which the Organisation proposes solutions for implementing inclusive and equitable education policies.
At the same time, the OECD acts as a Forum for education stakeholders to meet and exchange good practice. It was in this spirit that the Education Policy Committee meeting at ministerial level took place on 7 and 8 December 2022, on the theme "Rebuilding an inclusive and equitable societý through education". This ministerial meeting brought together more than 30 education ministers, as well as OECD experts, teachers, headmasters and students to discuss this theme of equity in and through education.
In the course of these meetings, the French ministers Pap NDIAYE (Minister for Education) and Carole GRANDJEAN (Minister for Vocational Education and Training) were able to present French initiatives in terms of inclusion and equity in education to their counterparts, as well as finding out about initiatives in other OECD countries. France’s objective is not only to raise pupil performance, but also to ensure that inequalities between pupils are reduced, particularly when these are explained by the social situation of their parents.
The ministerial’s final declaration, a document that sets out the broad outlines of the OECD’s education policy, presents the conclusions of the event, divided into three themes: "Building a more equitable society through education and training", "Rethinking education" and "Supporting tomorrow’s skills".
After expressing their firm condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the OECD education ministers expressed their commitment to "seize the opportunity offered by the resumption of education to define an ambitious vision of the future of learning", enabling "all learners to acquire the knowledge, skills, behaviours and values that will enable them to achieve their full potential and contribute to economic and social well-being in a context of permanent change and sudden disruption".
To this end, they call on the OECD to make its contribution by producing studies and statistics enabling relevant international comparisons to be made of equity in education systems, and by producing tools to ensure inclusive lifelong learning adapted to the new realities of the labour market.
Through these commitments and discussions, this event demonstrates the usefulness and vitality of multilateral organisations such as the OECD in the development of public policies: exchanging perspectives and good practices in the light of scientific analyses of the impact of public policies, in order to create effective policies to serve the people.
Link to the OECD’s work on equity at school
Link to the OECD’s study "Are students ready to take on environmental challenges?"
