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This report evaluates the education reform agenda of Kazakhstan – its feasibility and focus – by taking stock of present-day strengths and weaknesses of the secondary education system. The report also provides guidance on adjusting the reform implementation plans in line with international experiences and best practices regarding educational change, and consolidates much of the previously dispersed (national) data on primary and secondary schools in Kazakhstan  into a common analytical base of evidence, validated by the education authorities.

Chapter 1 of this report provides an overview of the country, it education system and reform plans. Subsequent chapters provide analysis of and recommendations on equity and effectiveness of schooling; assessment and evaluation practices; policies for teachers and principals; expenditure patterns and financing mechanisms; vocational education and training; and a summary of the recommendations.

Education is a central priority for the State of Santa Catarina. Its policy makers are firmly committed to provide a relevant and efficient education system that responds to the requirements of the global economy and will allow the state to be competitive, both nationally and internationally .

This OECD review gives a brief overview of education in Santa Catarina and its development. It presents an analysis of the system from pre-school to tertiary education and lifelong learning, and identifies key directions for policy reform in light of the challenges encountered by officials, communities, enterprises, educators, parents and students. It concludes with a set of key recommendations concerning the structure of the system and its labour market relevance; access and equity; governance and management; research, development and innovation; internationalisation; and financing.

Education is a powerful force in building the new Russia: it can help its citizens meet the challenges of the new, emerging democratic society; develop in its labour force the talents, skills and dispositions required in the new economic and social setting; and harmonise national aims with regional concerns. The challenge to the education system in the Russian Federation is especially great because so many other social and economic systems are undergoing transition and reform simultaneously. Against the present context of fluid and uncertain conditions and significant financial constraint, school policies need to promote and support the adaptation and restructuring of curricula while reinforcing evident strengths in current provision and fostering the development of new, effective partnerships at national, regional and local levels.

This report describes the most recent trends in schooling and education policy in the Russian Federation, and analyses the education reform initiatives under way. While supporting the overall policy trends now under way, its recommendations draw attention to particular problems and share new perspectives as well as identify ways to consolidate the ongoing reforms. Recommendations are offered for education goals, access and opportunity for all; curriculum and assessment; teachers and teacher education; reforming vocational and technical education within a changing economy; and management, finance and the role of government.

Growth and diversity have characterised higher education in OECD countries for fifty years. Chile is no exception and has experienced dramatic increases in the number of students, the range of institutions and the programmes that they offer. But wider participation and diversification are only part of the story. Chilean society remains highly unequal in economic and social terms, and the quality of the academic, technical and professional programmes on offer is uneven. The establishment of a culture of quality in higher education which goes beyond accreditation, and the provision of accurate and reliable information, have become issues of concern not only to institutions, students and employers but to a wider public.

This report  analyses the performance of the relatively young higher education quality assurance system (SINAC-ES). It provides a set of key principles that the OECD review team believes both reflect international practice and are relevant for Chile. The report makes a set of recommendations about the place of the SINAC ES in Chilean higher education and society; the focus of its work; its structure and leadership; and the functions of licensing; accreditation and information that it carries out.

Reform of education, training and human resource development is an integral part of the transition to a democratic society and market economy. Lithuania has made progress in all these areas since reform began in 1990. The challenge for the Ministry of Education and Science has been to promote and support changes that meet the needs of the new economy and society as well as the interests of all young people and adults, in the face of a shortage of financial and human resources.

This book first gives a brief overview of regional issues and a history of education in Lithuania and describes the development of education in the country since the political changes. It then presents an analysis of the entire education system and identifies key directions for the reinforcement of the reforms in light of the challenges encountered by officials, communities, enterprises, educators, parents and students under very dynamic conditions. It concludes with a set of key recommendations of goals of education, learning effectiveness, outcomes and the curriculum, management and governance for flexibility, responsiveness and change and, resources and financing. This review will be very useful to both Lithuanian professionals and their international counterparts.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a highly influential instrument for monitoring the quality of education systems and provides a strong evidence base for informed policy making and education research. PISA also has a proven potential to trigger reforms and stimulate stakeholder involvement in the process.

Notwithstanding the importance of its ranking, the full strength of PISA unfolds when data it delivers is utilised in the national policy domain. Linking PISA outcomes and policy choices, and monitoring the impact on education quality is thereby a demanding task, which requires sound analytical capacity, and also knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the respective education system. The OECD Directorate for Education addresses the demand of non-member economies for policy support in understanding and analysing PISA data in the broader context of education system management and policy formulation. 

This report explains the reasons for the dramatically low performance of Kyrgyz students in the 2006 PISA survey, despite significant resources and efforts invested in education by schools, parents and government. The report reveals that a number of policy areas are in need of urgent attention and recommends ways to close the currently existing gap between aspirations and education reform achievement. 

In the last 40 years, educational provision in Korea has grown at a rate unprecedented among OECD countries. Modern systems of education and training have been created, and rates of expansion have kept pace with demand for elementary, secondary, university and other forms of tertiary education. Despite these impressive gains, the Korean education system needs improvements to respond positively and creatively to the challenges of globalisation, the electronic revolution and the advent of society based on knowledge and information.

This review covers the entire education and training system, including vocational and tertiary education. It assesses the main directions of the reform proposals put forward by the Presidential Commission on Educational Reform in May 1995. It makes recommendations for improvements in such key areas as: access to education and training opportunities within the context of lifelong learning; quality of learning to foster creativity at all levels; improving the inner dynamics of the education and training system to provide a reformed, decentralised system; and the knowledge and information base for the effective performance of the education and training system.

OECD's 1998 review of Italy's education system.  It finds that a major reform of the entire Italian education and training system is in progress, aiming at the improvement and integration of learning in schools, universities and regional training institutions in order to respond to changing social and economic demands for knowledge, skills and qualifications. Fundamental changes will include the decentralisation of administrative responsibilities and increased school autonomy, enabling the grassroot actors in education and training to respond more flexibly to the diversity of individual, local and enterprise needs and to utilise more effectively available funds and technologies. Central elements in the reform will also provide evaluation and increased accountability across the system.

The OECD examiners support these objectives and suggest a number of strategies to strengthen the implementation of the reform goals. They underline the need for broad societal agreement on these goals and the mobilisation of all the parties involved in order to achieve the wide-ranging changes which are envisaged.

Lower secondary education is key for success in overall education attainment, because it is where students can either “make it or break it.” It is the last level to consolidate basic skills and to enter either upper secondary education or the labour market with the adequate competences. This report develops comparative knowledge on lower secondary education across OECD countries and tailors it to the context of an OECD country: Norway.

Despite diversity in provision across countries, lower secondary education faces some similar challenges: some countries have difficulties ensuring high academic achievement, and many students fall behind at this stage, resulting eventually in drop out from upper secondary. Selected evidence shows that there may be lack of student motivation and that the configuration and practices in schools at this age may not cater adequately to the specific development needs of early adolescents.

After analyzing the comparative evidence and country practices, this report provides a strategy to support teachers, schools and students that can contribute to raise student attainment in this level (or to make this level more effective) in Norway.

Following the 2008 OECD review of education policies in the Dominican Republic, the examining team was tasked to assess the condition of higher education in the Dominican Republic, to evaluate policies for higher education and research, and to identify future policy options to help meet the nation’s needs.

Against the background report prepared by the Dominican authorities and information supplied in meetings in the course of site visits, this OECD report provides an analysis of the higher education sector within the economic, social and political context of the Dominican Republic. It looks into access, quality and relevance, the effectiveness and governance of the system, its financing as well as its research and innovation capacity. The report concludes with a list of pragmatic recommendations for policy action.