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Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex or somewhere else on the gender/sexuality spectrum (LGBTQI+) are among the diverse student groups in need of extra support and protection in order to succeed in education and reach their full potential. Because they belong to a minority that is often excluded by heteronormative/cisgender people, they are often the targets of physical and psychological harassment. Such discrimination can place them at risk for isolation, reduced academic achievement, and physical and mental harm. This paper provides a brief history of how the LGBTQI+ population has often been misunderstood and labelled in order to understand challenges faced by students who identify as a part of this population. It continues by considering supportive educational policies and programmes implemented from national to local levels across OECD countries. Finally, the paper considers policy gaps and discusses policy implications to strengthen equity and inclusion for LGBTQI+ students.

In spite of advances in recognising that girls and boys, and women and men, do not have to be bounded by traditional roles, gender stereotypes persist in education and beyond. Children and youth are affected by gender stereotypes from the early ages, with parental, school, teacher and peer factors influencing the way students internalise their gender identities. As such, not only is intervening in pre-primary education necessary, but also measures at the primary and secondary levels are key to eradicate gender stereotypes and promote gender equality. Based on the analytical framework developed by the OECD Strength through Diversity project, this paper provides an overview of gender stereotyping in education, with some illustrations of policies and practices in place across OECD countries, with a focus on curriculum arrangements, capacity-building strategies and school-level interventions in primary and secondary education.

Social and emotional learning (SEL) strengthens students' abilities to regulate their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours and to interact successfully with others. There are an array of important social and emotional skills (SES): goal-setting, working to one's potential, resilience, creativity, perseverance, problem solving, and caring about the welfare of others, among them. All students need SEL, but newcomer and refugee students may have particular challenges requiring SES. The beginning of this paper examines the current situation of refugee and newcomer students in OECD countries, SEL, its frameworks and skills and how they apply to newcomer and refugee students. The paper concludes with an examination of SEL policies and practices for newcomer and refugee students in OECD countries.

Since UNESCO's Salamanca Declaration in 1994, inclusive education has progressively attracted attention in international debates around education policy. While some evidence exists on the positive impact that inclusive education reforms can have on the academic and personal outcomes of diverse students -- and in particular of students with special education needs -- limited information is available on the economic sustainability of such reforms. Starting from the literature on the correlations between education and individuals' life outcomes, this paper reviews the existing evidence on the potential benefits and costs of inclusive education reforms. Specifically, the paper discusses the evidence on the shortcomings of current education settings for diverse groups of students -- with specific sections on students with special education needs; immigrant and refugee students; ethnic groups, national minorities and Indigenous peoples; gifted students; female and male students; and LGBTQI+ (which stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex') students. It highlights the individual and societal costs deriving from the low academic, social and emotional outcomes of these students and the socio-economic costs these yield for societies. Where possible, the paper also presents evidence on the effects of inclusive education reforms on diverse student groups.

This paper studies the contribution of parental influence in accounting for cross-country gaps in human capital achievements. We argue that the cross-country variation in unobserved parental characteristics is at least as important as the one in commonly used observable proxies of parental socio-economic background. We infer this through an indirect empirical approach, based on the comparison of the school performance of second-generation immigrants. We document that, within the same host country or even the same school, students whose parents come from high-scoring countries in the PISA test do better than their peers with similar socioeconomic backgrounds. Differential selection into emigration does not explain this finding. The result is larger when parents have little education and have recently emigrated, suggesting the importance of country-specific cultural traits that parents progressively lose as they integrate in the new host country, rather than of an intergenerational transmission of education quality. Unobserved parental characteristics account for about 15% of the cross-country variance in test scores, roughly doubling the overall contribution of parental influence.

Classrooms have become increasingly diverse places where students from various backgrounds share their learning experiences. To promote inclusive school settings for all, building teacher capacity for inclusive teaching represents a key policy area. Education systems need to ensure that teachers are adequately prepared for inclusive teaching and supported throughout their career. Mechanisms to attract and retain a more diverse teaching body as well as to monitor and evaluate teacher preparation and work with respect to diversity and inclusion should also be developed. While teacher policies have increasingly addressed some of these areas, most education systems lack comprehensive capacity-building frameworks for inclusive teaching. This paper maps policies and practices to build teacher capacity for inclusive teaching across OECD countries. It then presents core elements and competences to design and implement inclusive teaching strategies. Finally, the paper reviews some of the evidence available on teacher diversity and interventions for inclusive teaching.

Digital technologies offer immense potential for transforming teacher learning and the delivery of professional development activities throughout teachers' careers. As the COVID-19 pandemic has made face-to­-face professional learning challenging or impossible for teachers to attend in many contexts, online professional learning options for teachers have been receiving renewed attention. This paper puts forward research evidence on the effectiveness of various forms of online learning for teachers and adults, and examines prerequisite conditions for enhancing teacher learning through digital technologies. Teachers' engagement in online learning activities, as captured by OECD surveys, remained limited in many OECD countries before the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper provides a basis for investigating how policies can support teachers' engagement in professional learning using digital technologies and help strike a balance between system-level provision of online teacher professional learning opportunities and the facilitation of teacher-led initiatives.

This working paper identifies OECD countries' interests in digital innovation in education by analysing their policy papers on digital education. Many OECD countries have adopted a specific strategy on digital education, or integrated the topic in a generic strategy on digital innovation as such. The ideas that are expressed in the strategies differ greatly; some are work in progress, others contain bold envisions of the future. There is a high awareness among OECD countries of the benefits of digitalisation, and the role of government to support digital innovation in education. This paper covers and documents countries' policy focus before the 2020 coronavirus crisis.

The global spread of COVID-19 has led to unprecedented disruptions in schooling around the world that have animated increased interest among policymakers, educators, researchers and the general public in knowing about how education systems have responded to the pandemic and how students' learning experiences have changed. The PISA Global Crises Module was developed to address this need. 62 student questionnaire items (grouped into 11 questions) and 68 school questionnaire items (grouped into 14 questions) were developed following a process that involved input from leading questionnaire development experts, PISA National Centres, as well as small-scale cognitive interview studies in three countries. While all countries were affected by the pandemic in some way, the module seeks to illuminate differential effects on student learning and well-being, and the degree of interruption or changes to education across different education systems. Governing bodies, organisations and researchers can use the instruments and the descriptions of the underlying constructs for adaptation and broader implementation.

Early years are a critical period for skill development. In this sense, the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programmes have an important role in promoting children's learning during this period. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of ECEC programmes by analysing the relationship between students' ECEC attendance and their later academic proficiency using PISA 2015 data. PISA results show that across the OECD countries, students who had attended ECEC tend to have higher scores in academic proficiencies at the age of 15. However, these differences in academic proficiencies between those who attended ECEC versus those who did not attend are almost nil when students' socio-economic status (SES) is considered. This relationship reflects differential access to learning opportunities for children from deprived contexts. Furthermore, results show that entering ECEC programmes earlier than the typical time is associated with lower proficiencies at the age of 15. Therefore, earlier entry to ECEC is not necessarily beneficial. Learning benefits of ECEC provision vary considerably across PISA countries illustrating the importance of a country-specific policy context and the quality of their ECEC provision. The analyses of several quality indicators point out that the improved quality of ECEC programmes is associated with higher academic skills at later stages. These results highlight that mere attendance to ECEC programmes is not enough to ensure better academic performance. The quality of the educational provision, especially concerning those students from disadvantaged backgrounds, should be ensured.

Set against the backdrop of increasing economic interdependence in East Asia, the idea of regional integration is now being discussed as a long-term political process in the region. As in the field of the international economy, de facto integration and interdependence exist with respect to the internationalization of the higher education system in East Asia. Based on the results of a comprehensive Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute (JICA-RI) survey of 300 leading higher education institutions active in cross-border higher education, located in ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member Southeast Asian countries and three Northeast Asian countries (China, Japan, and Korea), this paper examines universities perceptions of the degree of cross-border activities, the significance of their expected outcomes, and their regional preferences for partners. The objective is to envision a direction for a future regional higher education framework in East Asia and to consider the policy implications of the internationalization of higher education in East Asia in the context of regionalization. The findings related to the degree of cross-border activities suggest a current perception that there is more prominent in conventional than in innovative activities, but that innovation will rise considerably in the future. With respect to the significance of expected outcomes,academic and political expected outcome are perceived to be more significant than economic expected outcome, which are nevertheless expected to be more significant in the future. Finally, in terms of their preferred regions of partners, universities in East Asia overall place a high priority on building partnerships within their own region. Yet, among Northeast Asian universities, North America is perceived as the most active partner. (Contains 3 figures, 21 tables, and 13 footnotes.) [This paper was prepared as part of a Japan International Cooperation Agency Research Institute (JICA-RI) research project titled, "Cross-border Higher Education for Regional Integration and the Labor Market in East Asia."]

There is growing evidence that students throughout the world no longer see the US as the primary place to study; that in some form this correlates with a rise in perceived quality and prestige in the EU and elsewhere; and further, that this may mean a continued decline in the US's market share of international students. There clearly are a complex set of variables that will influence international education and global labor markets, including the current global economic recession. Ultimately, however, we think these factors will not alter the fundamental dynamics of the new global market, which include these facts: the international flow of talent, scientific or otherwise, is being fundamentally altered as nations invest more in educational attainment and human capital; the US will continue to lose some of its market share over time--the only question is how quickly and by how much; and without a proactive strategy, nations such as the US that are highly dependent on global in-migration of talented students and professionals are most vulnerable to downward access to global talent, with a potentially significant impact on future economic growth. This study provides data on past and recent global trends in international enrollment, and offers a set of policy recommendations for the US at the federal, state, and institutional level. This includes our recommendation of a national goal to double the number of international students in the US over the next decade to match numbers in a group of competitor nations, and requires recognition that the US will need to strategically expand its enrollment capacity and graduation rates to accommodate needed increases in the educational attainment rate of US citizens, and to welcome more international students. Attracting talent in a global market and increasing degree attainment rates of the domestic population are not mutually exclusive goals. Indeed, they will be the hallmarks of the most competitive economies. (Contains 6 figures and 41 endnotes.)

A substantial amount of money is spent on technology by schools, families and policymakers with the hope of improving educational outcomes. This paper explores the theoretical and empirical literature on the impacts of technology on educational outcomes. The literature focuses on two primary contexts in which technology may be used for educational purposes: i) classroom use in schools, and ii) home use by students. Theoretically, ICT investment and CAI use by schools and the use of computers at home have ambiguous implications for educational achievement: expenditures devoted to technology necessarily offset inputs that may be more or less efficient, and time allocated to using technology may displace traditional classroom instruction and educational activities at home. However, much of the evidence in the schooling literature is based on interventions that provide supplemental funding for technology or additional class time, and thus favor finding positive effects. Nonetheless, studies of ICT and CAI in schools produce mixed evidence with a pattern of null results. Notable exceptions to this pattern occur in studies of developing countries and CAI interventions that target math rather than language. In the context of home use, early studies based on multivariate and instrumental variables approaches tend to find large positive (and in a few cases negative) effects while recent studies based on randomized control experiments tend to find small or null effects. Early research focused on developed countries while more recently several experiments have been conducted in developing countries.

This paper provides an overview of the available information concerning selected policy instruments intended to promote employer-provided training, including the stated rationale and objectives, the target groups and operational design as well as a at a summary of the evaluative evidence regarding their operation. The analysis focuses on policy instruments providing financial assistance or incentives, specifically, subsidies (including tax incentives and grants) and levy schemes that devote a least some share of their resources to continuing training. Training leave regulations are considered only to the extent that they can be treated as a form of subsidy or a levy scheme, depending on the main financing mechanism involved. Instruments that focus solely on improving the quality of training or enhancing transparency in the training market are not addressed. In addition to offering a description of different instruments, the paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses (or risks and opportunities, respectively) of different types of instrument or particular elements of instrument design. It also specifies principles of successful instrument design that have been put forth in the literature and concludes with some remarks regarding the choice of policies. Training funds in combination with levy schemes in OECD and non-OECD countries are appended. Individual sections contain endnotes. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

Exploratory in nature because of its small foreign-born sample, this working paper represents a first step in efforts by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (IFS) to examine the role of the family among the major immigrant groups in Australia. Comparisons are made between foreign-born and Australian-born families based on data collected in the 1981-1982 IFS survey concerning household structure, family background, marriage and fertility patterns, attitudes and decisions. Findings are complex. In some areas of family formation a number of foreign-born groups differed from the Australian-born; in other areas one foreign-born group contrasted not only with the Australian-born but also with the other foreign-born groups; in yet other areas there were strong similarities among all groups. After a discussion of methodology in chapter 1, chapters 2 and 3 describe the Australian Family Formation Project (AFF) survey data, the scope of the analysis, the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, and their household composition and family history. Chapters 4 to 9 present findings on family formation patterns, attitudes, and intentions. The report concludes with an assessment of the main findings of the analysis, the effectiveness of the AFF Project survey questionnaire, and recommendations for the structuring of future surveys. (RH)

"Engaging Young Australians with Asia" is a national policy statement which supports "The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century." These goals promote understanding of the value of cultural and linguistic diversity, and possessing the knowledge, skills and understanding to contribute to, and benefit from, such diversity in the Australian community and internationally. The "Statement" identifies the broad knowledge, understandings, values and skills required to engage with Asia in the context of existing policies and practices in teaching and learning. It is based on the understanding that, across all learning areas, studies of Asia and Australia will achieve a status comparable with other studies traditionally included in the curriculum. "Engaging Young Australians with Asia" has been prepared by the Asia Education Foundation (AEF) and builds on "Studies of Asia: A Statement for Australian Schools" (Second Edition, 2000). It reflects the significant work undertaken since 1993 by all education jurisdictions and schools across Australia in integrating the study of Asia across learning areas, including Asian languages. It draws on this experience to outline six interlinked elements for education jurisdictions, schools and teachers which are optimal to assist all Australian students gain such essential capabilities from their schooling. These elements are: teaching and learning, curriculum resources, teacher professional learning, engaging parents and community, teacher education and quality assurance. The statement integrates responses from a widely representative consultation of school education stakeholders including parents, business leaders, education sectors, classroom practitioners, school principals, curriculum leaders, teacher educators and Asian Studies academics. (Contains 16 footnotes.)

Problems facing distance open learning in the developing Asian countries were examined, and possible solutions were proposed. The prominent features of distance and open learning in 10 developed nations were identified. Existing distance education (DE) systems in developing nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America were reviewed and found to share the following features: inadequate finances; poor communication and infrastructural facilities; the absence of clear governmental policies; limited use of audiovisual media; a shortage of experts to develop multimedia courses; a lack of financial and academic autonomy for distance teaching institutions; and distance education's low social and academic status because of quality issues. The review indicated that blindly copying Western models of DE is more dangerous than evolving indigenous models for developing countries. The future of DE in developing countries was shown to depend primarily on the ability of DE institutions to respond to the specific needs of learners at different levels. The following actions were recommended for improving DE in developing Asian countries: (1) review existing institutional structures and governance; (2) evaluate existing methods of teaching and learning and existing support systems; and (3) recognize the potential of information communication technologies and evolve appropriate policies for distance open learning. (Contains 30 references.) (MN)

The field of higher education studies has expanded dramatically in recent years. Notably, research centers/institutes and academic programs devoted to the field of higher education (tertiary education) has increased worldwide to now include peer-reviewed journals, books, reports and publications. Utilizing secondary data from 277 higher education programs, 217 research centers/institutes, and 280 journals and publications from "Higher Education: A Worldwide Inventory of Research Centers, Academic Programs, and Journals and Publications" (2014), this paper examines the policy actors and scholars engaged in higher education studies across 48 countries. The finding of this study suggests that people living the world's wealthiest countries occupies a position of significant privilege and power with regards to access to higher education research, analysis, and trained human capital. As higher education research centers, programs, and journals around the world expand their understanding of their place in a wider global network of similar entities, supporting one another and particularly under-resourced colleagues around the world deserves increasing attention. [For the complete Volume 17 proceedings, see ED596826.]

This paper explores the possibilities for building research-oriented, school-engaged teacher education through the professional learning of volunteer teacher-researchers. Volunteerism in education covers a broad spectrum of people and activities ranging from working in school canteens to supporting language and literacy programs. This paper reports on the professional learning of volunteer Mandarin teaching assistants as they develop into volunteer teacher-researchers. Situating this study in relation to Australian National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program, this paper draws on concepts from "Asia literacy" for its theoretical framework. A review of the research literature points to a need to value volunteers' contributions to teaching experience as a way of promoting volunteerism in schools. Elements of the research method for the study reported here include the project's focus, the participants and their selection, and ethical protocols. The analysis of evidence explores the transition through the work-integrated professional learning of these volunteer teacher-researchers, tracking their development through a collection of 28 documents. The discussion section uses the concept of "Asia literacy" to analyse the value of this research-oriented, school-engaged teacher education program. (Contains 4 tables.)

Becoming "Asia literate" is a pivotal part of the federal government's "Education Revolution". The federal government asserts that "equipping young Australians with the knowledge and skills to communicate and work with our regional neighbours...such skills must be a core element of an Australian school curriculum" (Gillard, 2008), especially in a climate of globalisation. Cultural intelligence, as suggested here, is of economic value, as intercultural knowledge and understandings are vital to preparing an Australia workforce that is globally competitive, and in particular, can capitalise on the economic opportunities available in Australia and region. There are, however, increasingly problematic issues surrounding the implementation of curriculum that fosters intercultural understanding between Australia and Asia, the presence of which ultimately questions how teacher-educator programs can prepare graduates to engage effectively in crossing such cultural borders. Using curriculum documents and a selection of teacher education, this paper explores how the concept of being "Asia literate" resides in current federal government policy, and in particular, it explores the tensions around the development of an "Asia literate" curriculum in terms of ideological differences with traditional Eurocentric approaches to education and what is known about effective cultural education. It then identifies and discusses the challenges for teacher-educator programs to equip graduates to realise these curriculum needs. The dilemma of introducing "another" or "other" culture without enforcing unnecessary division or creating insurmountable borders is complex. In light of this, Said poses a critical question: "Is the notion of a distinct culture (or race, or religion, or civilisation) a useful one, or does it always get involved either in self-congratulation (where one discusses one's own) or hostility and aggression (when one discusses the "other")?" (p.325-326) Fostering intercultural understanding is crucial to becoming "Asia literate", however an approach that implicitly or explicitly promotes a division between cultures and communities is problematic, especially as the "National Statement for Engaging Young Australians with Asia in Australian Schools", approved by the Ministerial council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs in 2005, highlights that: "our future is inextricably linked to the strength of the relationships and understandings that we forge with Asian countries" (AEF, 2006). On the basis of this analysis, the paper identifies and addresses three key implications for teacher educators in the context of the federal government's "Asia literate" policies. First, it investigates what knowledge base teachers need to ensure cultural awareness development of students immersed in "Asia literate" curriculum. Then, it explores how teacher educator programs can prepare teachers for this challenge. The paper closes with reflections on what import existing teacher educator programs place on the "Asia literate" focus, as available in current programs, and raises questions on the implications of the representation and circulation of "Asia literate" knowledge in the tertiary setting. (Contains 1 note.)

Climate change is an ongoing process that, at the current pace of such activities, cannot be avoided. Tools have been proposed to deal with climate change focus on adaptation and mitigation. Strengthening national and international awareness of and commitment to reducing the impact of climate change has become the only viable option to ensure the sustainability of life on Earth. The Paris Agreement entered into force in 2016 with the aim of bringing all nations together in a common goal of combating climate change and adapting to its impacts. According to the Agreement, every party should submit a climate plan laying out its adaptation and mitigation targets. Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has the potential to play significant roles in these plans. The smooth transition to green societies and economies relies on amongst others the knowledge, skills and competencies to promote sustainable development. Effective education and training for sustainable development pivots on governance and vision, and the ability to empower people in an inclusive manner to act in favour of sustainable development. It also relies on the ability to train, upskill, reskill and empower those that can take advantage of the job growth and job creation potential in a changing economy. This discussion paper compiles and reviews relevant information regarding the country submissions (Nationally Determined Contributions and National Communications) which lay out adaptation plans and the policies created in fifty-seven selected countries. The aim is to summarize key information that can help assess the ongoing and potential contribution of TVET to the realization of these plans. The analysis made through this discussion paper has helped to generate a set of approaches for climate change adaption, through the education and training lens. These approaches can be used to advance the discussion in strengthening the technical and vocational skills development component in country climate adaptation plans. [This report was written in collaboration with Uthpala Sankalpani.]

Due to its close links to the labour market, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) can play an important role to improve job opportunities and livelihoods for young people, and in particular for disadvantaged youth. However, this potential is not always fully realized, and relatively little research and evidence has been collected about the barriers disadvantaged youth face when accessing to and progressing through TVET. This paper maps some of the main barriers disadvantaged youth face in TVET and examines available evidence on strategies and approaches that are being used or can be used to meet the needs of disadvantaged youth. The paper discusses these barriers using a framework that looks at '4As': availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. The report is the outcome of a study conducted in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and other members of the UNEVOC Network.