1.

United States of America

American education system is known to be one of
the countries with best education system. With top
universities in the country that are widely known
for their education proposition and program
structure along with other benefits like recruitment.
Students chose USA as one of their preferred
destination because of the wide opportunities of
learning and experiencing best educational
instances that benefit in the growth of their career.

Best Practices in Education

The term "Best Practice" has been used to describe "what works" in a particular
situation or environment. When data support the success of a practice, it is referred to
as a research-based practice or scientifically based practice. As good consumers of
information, we must keep in mind that a particular practice that has worked for
someone within a given set of variables may or may not yield the same results across
educational environments.
Grover J. Whitehurst, as assistant secretary for Educational Research and Improvement
at the U.S. Department of Education, defined evidence-based education as “the
integration of professional wisdom with the best available empirical evidence in making
decisions about how to deliver instruction.” Professional wisdom allows educators and
family members to adapt to specific circumstances or environments in an area in which
research evidence may be absent or incomplete. But without at least some empirical
evidence, education cannot resolve competing approaches, generate cumulative
knowledge, and avoid fads and personal biases.
These are the nine standards:
1: A Clear and Common Focus - In high-performing schools, administrators, teachers,
students, and parents share and commit to clearly articulated and understood common
goals based on the fundamental belief that all students can learn and improve their
performance. There is clear evidence of school practices to support this belief.
2: High Standards and Expectations - High-performing schools show evidence that
each teacher believes “all students can learn and I can teach them.” Staff members are
dedicated to helping every student achieve challenging state and local standards. All
students are engaged in an appropriately ambitious and rigorous course of study in
which the high standards of performance are clear and consistent and the conditions for learning
are modified and differentiated. This results in all students being prepared for
success in the workplace, postsecondary education, and civic responsibilities.
3: Strong Leadership - School leadership is focused on enhancing the skills,
knowledge, and motivation of the people in the organization and creating a common
culture of high expectations based on the use of skills and knowledge to improve the
performance of all students. Leadership fosters a collaborative atmosphere between
the school and the community while establishing positive systems to improve
leadership, teaching, and student performance.
4: Supportive, Personalized, and Relevant Learning - In high-performing schools,
supportive learning environments provide positive personalized relationships for all
students while engaging them in rigorous and relevant learning.
5: Parent/Community Involvement - In high-performing schools, parents and
community members help develop, understand, and support a clear and common focus
on core academic, social, and personal goals contributing to improved student
performance and have a meaningful and authentic role in achieving these goals. The
school community works together to actively solve problems and create win-win
solutions. Mentoring and outreach programs provide for two-way learning between
students and community/business members.
6: Monitoring, Accountability, and Assessment - In high-performing schools,
teaching and learning are continually adjusted on the basis of data collected through a
variety of valid and reliable methods that indicate student progress and needs. The
assessment results are interpreted and applied appropriately to improve individual
student performance and the instructional program.
7: Curriculum and Instruction - High-performing schools have aligned curriculum with
core learning expectations to improve the performance of all students. Students
achieve high standards through rigorous, challenging learning. Staff delivers an aligned
curriculum and implements research-based teaching and learning strategies. Students
are actively involved in their learning through inquiry, in-depth learning, and
performance assessments.
8: Professional Development - Ongoing professional development aligned with the
school’s common focus and high expectations to improve the performance of all
students is critical in high-performing schools. These professional development
offerings are focused and informed by research and school/classroom-based assessments.
Appropriate instructional support and resources are provided to implement approaches and
techniques learned through professional development.
9: Time and Structure - High-performing schools are flexibly structured to maximize
the use of time and accommodate the varied lives of their students, staff, and
community in order to improve the performance of all students. The structure of
programs extends beyond the traditional school day and year as well as beyond the school
building. The program draws on the entire community’s resources to foster
student achievement.
Five Ways U.S. Education Differs From Other G-20 Countries
It’s become common to dismiss the United States’ lackluster performance on global tests like
the Program for International Student Assessment by arguing that America has a different
education context. So it’s worth looking at how that context compares to those of other
industrialized countries.

The National Center on Education Statistics released its sixth comprehensive international
comparison report, for the first time comparing the United States not just to the G-8 countries
but to the G-20, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Turkey, and the
United Kingdom.

Leaving aside test scores (which you can dig into via NCES’ International Data Explorer), the
data show some interesting areas in which the United States seems to stand out from other
industrialized countries. For example:

U.S. Kids Tend to Start School Later.

From the beginning, young children in other G-20 countries are more likely than those in the
United States to get a jump on school. Researchers found that as of 2011, 9 out of 10 students in
France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom had entered formal education by ages 3 and 4.
The United States didn’t enroll 90 percent of its students until age 6.

The U.S. enrollment rate for 3- to 4-year-olds was 64 percent, higher than only six G-20
countries, including Indonesia and Turkey. Preschool enrollment in the Russian Federation, for
example, was 73 percent.

And even though other studies have shown rising rates of parents reading to their preschool-age
children ...

U.S. Students Are Kind of ‘Meh’ About Reading.

Internationally, the NCES data found that girls uniformly reported enjoying reading more than
boys did, based on a subset of survey questions given to 4th graders in 11 countries. Students
were asked whether they think reading is boring, whether they read only when they have to, or if
they would be happy with a book as a gift. America had a gender gap of 13 percentage points,
which was pretty middle of the road.

But the odd thing here is how little interest American students had in reading in general: Only 33
percent of girls and 20 percent of boys reported enjoying reading. Only girls in Italy and Russia
and boys in England, Italy, and Saudi Arabia had lower rates of reading enjoyment than U.S.
students. Interestingly, higher rates of both U.S. boys and girls reported being “motivated to
read,” than to say they enjoyed reading. That suggests that while gender differences may
contribute to reading achievement in school, educators may need to engage both girls and boys
in the subject more to instill a thirst for lifelong reading.

By comparison, 44 percent of girls and 45 percent of boys in 4th grade reported enjoying
mathematics—showing statistically no gender gap, and an enjoyment rate in the middle of the
international pack. By 8th grade, less than half that many American students reported liking
math, but that’s still about par or a little better than in other countries, and there’s no difference
between boys and girls in math enjoyment. This is also 2011 data, and it would be interesting to
see if it is an improvement from students’ attitudes before the push to interest more students in
pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math careers.

The lack of enjoyment in reading is a bit ironic, considering that ...

The United States Has More Reading Specialists Than Other

Countries.
American teachers were far more likely than those in other countries to say that a reading
specialist was always on hand to help students with difficulties. American teachers were also
less likely to wait and see if a student would grow out of reading problems than any other
country studied except Australia and the United Kingdom.

U.S. reading teachers, like teachers in most other industrialized countries, reported being pretty
satisfied with their jobs—but it’s worth noting that the United States has had one of the biggest
drops in teacher job satisfaction of any G-20 country since 2006. In 2011, the percentage of 4th
grade students who were taught by a “very satisfied” reading teacher fell 26 percentage points. It
would be interesting to see research digging into how falling teacher enjoyment might have
affected students’ love of reading.

The data did not include details on what sort of professional development reading teachers
around the world get, but it did look at STEM subjects, which showed a bright spot for U.S.
schools.

American Teachers Get a Lot More STEM Professional

Development.
The G-20 countries asked teachers whether they had received training in the last two years in
math and science content, pedagogy, assessment, or in integrating information technology into
instruction. In 8th grade, the United States was the only country in which a majority of students
were taught by teachers who had received math training in all four areas. In 4th grade, 68
percent of U.S. teachers reported participating in professional development in math content, the
highest rate of any of the countries studied.

Similarly, only in the United States and Russia did a majority of 8th grade students have
teachers who participated in science professional development in content, pedagogy, testing, and
technology integration in the last two years.
The U.S. Spends More Per Student on Education But Has Mixed
Graduation Rates.
At $11,800 per K-12 student and $25,000 per college student, the United States spends more
public and private dollars on education than any other country studied. That includes both “core”
spending, like teachers’ salaries or class materials, and ancillary spending such as transportation
or meals.

However, the United States had mediocre high school graduation rates, leading China, Turkey,
and Mexico, but lagging behind Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, and the United
Kingdom.

You can dig into these and a lot more interesting data.

Chart: U.S. teachers take less of a “wait and see” approach to early reading difficulties than
teachers in other countries, according to new data from the National Center for Education
Statistics. Source: NCES

Source: http://ctserc.org/s/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=8&Itemid=28
2. Switzerland
 Switzerland education system is applauded and is
included in best education in the world list. The
education system in Switzerland promotes their
students to acquire educational knowledge from
some of its top ranked universities in the country
that focus on the delivering knowledge of the
individual’s desired course. The program structure
in the universities focus on providing their students
advanced information in their tertiary
schools/college i.e. higher education.

Switzerland’s education system is one of the most advanced in the world. Switzerland is the go-
to choice for many students looking to study internationally.  The system is well established and
functional with delegated accountability and administration.

The administration and regulation of the school system in Switzerland is made by the cantons
while having a set framework by the central government. Each canton sets its school calendar,
curriculum, and criteria. This system is overseen by the State Secretariat for Education,
Research and Innovation (SERI). The decentralization has it’s perks, although it can make it
hard for people to move their children from one canton to another.

A distinctive characteristic of the Swiss education system is taking into account the wishes and
the abilities of students. This attribute is done by diversifying the different directions a student
can take once they’re done with their primary education. Although the cantons administer the
education system, a thing they all have in common is that they have this diversity.

Compulsory Swiss Education

Education is compulsory for all children and young people from 9 to 11 years.  Children start
compulsory education when they are about four to six years old until about when they turn 15
years old. The cantons also regulate this.

Even though there are private schools in Switzerland, most students attend public schools in the
local area. This brings diversity so children can experience many different backgrounds,
including, sometimes, linguistic backgrounds. Public schools are free of charge, and kids are not
required to wear uniforms.
Primary education
Primary education in most of Switzerland is considered kindergarten and the first learning cycle.
Kindergarten is not compulsory in all of the cantons, but primary school is.

In kindergarten, children are taught about basic manners and knowledge. That’s when they are
introduced to other languages and Swiss culture. Kindergarten aims to teach children social
skills and basic mannerisms through play-based learning. Through music, games, art, and lots of
crafts, they are introduced to basic reading and math.

After they have finished kindergarten, around the age of 6, they go to primary school.

Depending on the cantons, the combinations might differ.

In the German-speaking cantons, kindergarten and two years of primary education are combined
into the first learning cycle, and students aged four to eight years are in the same class. They call
this Grundstufe or Basisstufe.

In the French-speaking cantons, two years of kindergarten are combined with two other years
and make the first cycle of primary education.

The Italian-speaking cantons children attend kindergarten from the age of four.

Secondary education
Secondary education in Switzerland is divided into two stages. The lower secondary education
and upper secondary education. Kids start their lower secondary education around the ages of 11
to 12, and it lasts 3 to 4 years. The upper secondary education is equivalent to the high schools
in American education systems regarding the age of the students. Still, it is very much different
from an American high school.

Lower secondary education

Lower secondary schools in Switzerland are called Gymnasiums or Kantonsschule. This is
where kids learn their mother language, a second language spoken in Switzerland and English.
Languages are given quite the emphasis in the Swiss education system, and therefore most of the
people there speak at least a second language.

Natural sciences are also given a lot of importance where math, biology, chemistry, physics, and
geography are taught as some of the main subjects. Other subjects like history, civic education,
music, art and design, physical education and health, home economics, career guidance, and
vocational preparation are also taught.Students are graded with numbers from 6 (being the
highest) to 1 (the lowest). They also take tests at the end of the school year, where they get to
test their gathered knowledge. At the end of the year, depending on performance, students either
continue to the next year or repeat the previous one.

Upper secondary education

High school in Switzerland is not compulsory, and its structure is unique. After the students
finish their lower secondary education, they can choose what kind of career they want to pursue.
They get to choose from a Vocational education and training (VET), Baccalaureate, or Upper
secondary specialized school.

A vocational school is a preferred choice for most young Swiss students. That is where they get
to learn skills in school and see how it is done through the first-hand experience in companies
that provide apprenticeships and cross-company courses. They last from 2 to 4 years and allow
the students to gain technical and practical knowledge. Through VET school, students get a
federal VET diploma or a federal VET certificate that will enable them to work and continue
further education.

A Baccalaureate school is the choice of ⅓ Swiss students. It can be considered a continuation

of the lower secondary education, where the subjects are similar to the previous ones in lower
secondary education, plus law and economics. The enrollment is based on the student’s previous
performance, and the grading system is the same as in lower secondary education. These schools
usually last from 3 to 6 years, depending on the canton.

At the end of the program, students must take a test and present a baccalaureate essay.
Depending on their performance, they are granted a certificate called Matura and are then
eligible to start cantonal universities, institutes of technologies, and teacher-training universities.

Upper secondary specialized schools provide specialized preparation for a career in healthcare,
social work, and education. Students are graded with the same grading system as previously and
study the core subjects related to the specific occupation. The grades determine whether the
students progress to the next year or not.  The program lasts three years, and in the end, the
students must take a final exam in six of their subjects. If they finish that successfully, they get
the upper-secondary specialized school certificate and continue their education in PET colleges.

Tertiary
Tertiary education is a continuation of the higher secondary education a student chooses.
Switzerland’s education ranking has regularly been among the top 100 worldwide when it comes
to higher education.

University is the logical choice for the students with a Matura, while Fachhochschule or Höhere
Fachschule is the choice of students with a VET certificate. Students with an upper-secondary
specialized school certificate will continue their education in PET colleges.
University
Switzerland has 12 universities in total, 10 of which are run and regulated by the cantons and
offer theory-oriented mayors. There’s a wide range of subjects offered to study at Swiss
universities.

Furthermore, universities in Switzerland are known for their BBAs and MBAs, and they tend to
be some of the best in the world. This has resulted in a considerable number of international
students in the country. Many of these students attend top universities in Switzerland for their
advanced degrees.

Some of the best-known universities in Switzerland are the federal institutes of tertiary
technology and the universities of teacher education.

Fachhochschule or Höhere Fachschule

There is one private and eight public Universities of Applied Sciences. These higher education
institutions offer students degrees in topical areas such as engineering, technology, or business,
and they prepare students for the Swiss and global labor markets.

The difference between a University and a Fachhochschule is that the latter generally doesn’t
award a doctoral degree. Fachhochschule also differs from the traditional university in
Switzerland because of its practical-based teaching as opposed to a theory-based orientation.

Education in Switzerland is not only unconventional compared to many other nations but

also compulsory. With a wide variety of schools ranging from local Swiss schools to private
schools to bilingual schools to international schools, the education standards are extremely high
and, much like Switzerland itself, anything but boring.

1. The education system of Switzerland is largely decentralized. There exists 26 cantons,

which are overseen by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation
(SERI). However, each canton creates and implements its own standards, which can be
detrimental for families moving from one region of the nation to another.
2. Switzerland is ranked number nine out of 65 nations and economies in a recent
OECD/PISA survey of educational standards among 15-year-olds.
3. Most of the local and international schools are free but still exist at the cost of parents’
paying extremely high taxes. Education in Switzerland is compulsory, so there really is
no way for parents to sidestep paying such taxes.
4. Compulsory education lasts for 9–11 years, with some children beginning compulsory
education when they are four years old and others at six years, until about 15 years old.
5. Since most students are educated in state schools, they will be learning in an
environment that is rich in a variety of cultures, including variations in linguistic
backgrounds.
6. Like many universities in the U.S., Switzerland’s school year conventionally begins
between August and September and will carry on for two periods of 12 weeks at a time.
 7. However, the times in which schools operate may be a bit stressful for working parents.
Younger students will normally attend school in the morning with a break in the
afternoon, which can be potentially problematic for many parents. Many schools do offer
supervised lunches and after school care to alleviate such inconveniences.
8. The structure of Switzerland’s system begins with primary education (a sort of
kindergarten), then a lower secondary education followed by an upper secondary
education, which may even include vocational training. The highest level, tertiary level
education, is university level or higher education.
9. Home schooling is uncommon in Switzerland. In fact, laws addressing it vary from
canton to canton, and in some cantons, it is considered illegal.
10. Most notably, children and young adolescents with special educational needs have a right
to education and support from specialists from birth up until their 20th birthday. Children
are assessed by specialized agencies of their canton and are given support through their
school, which is also mainly free, though some special cases may vary.

Sources: eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/administration-and-governance-
local-andor-institutional-level-115_en

sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/en/home/education/swiss-education-area.html

eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/organisation-education-system-and-its-
structure-115_en
3. Denmark
With 99% literacy rate in Denmark, the
country is considered among top
educated countries in the world. The
Danish education system has divided
its secondary and tertiary level
education into following sectors from
which, students can determine their
choice of education:

Types of undergraduate degrees in

Denmark

 Academy Profession Degree

 Professional Bachelors
 Top up degree
 Business Academy Bachelor’s Degree
 Artistic Bachelor’s Degree
 Types of Post graduate degrees in Denmark
 Master’s degree
 Artistic Master’s degree
 PhD degree

Academia in Denmark is well-known because of its unique settings in the universities that
proclaim to provide healthy knowledge to their enrolled students.

Denmark is renowned all over the world for its schools. Here’s
why Danish education is a perfect foundation for your child’s
future.
The first thing that springs to mind when you visit a school in Denmark is the safe environment.
Children down to the age of 8 are walking or biking to school by themselves, there’s no need for
excessive security, and teachers and personnel have friendly and informal dialogues with parents
and students outside the classrooms. Due to the high level of equality in Danish society,
everyone can feel welcome in the school system and have the same access to education. The
high degree of state funding means that Denmark’s education system ranking is consistently
high compared to the rest of the world – ranking number 2 in the most recent study from 2020.

The levels of education in Denmark

In Denmark, children typically enroll in kindergarten at the age of 3. Most kindergartens are
more focused on teaching the children social skills, but in the final  3rd year before school starts,
many children will receive some pre-school training based on their readiness. After
kindergarten, compulsory education begins:

 Compulsory education for Danish children lasts for ten years

 There’s an optional 11th year which is often taken as a gap year on an “efterskole” – an
independent boarding school focused on arts, sport, theater, and other dedicated subjects
 After the compulsory years, more than 70% of children continue their education in high
school, which lasts 2 to 3 years
 Most of the rest opt for vocational education institutions, and very few get no further
education

What makes the Danish education system unique?

One of the things that set our education system apart is the lack of focus on learning by rote.
Especially in the early years, there’s a didactic mindset in the teaching helping children to learn
the way that suits the individual in the best way. From a young age, children are taught to be
problem solvers and critical thinkers through group work, presentations, and project-oriented
learning. In general, Danish public schools introduce grades from the 9th school year, but some
private Schools like Copenhagen International School introduce them much sooner.

What makes the Danish education system unique?

One of the things that set our education system apart is the lack of focus on learning by rote.
Especially in the early years, there’s a didactic mindset in the teaching helping children to learn
the way that suits the individual in the best way. From a young age, children are taught to be
problem solvers and critical thinkers through group work, presentations, and project-oriented
learning. In general, Danish public schools introduce grades from the 9th school year, but some
private Schools like Copenhagen International School introduce them much sooner.

Watch a Danish international school in action – book a digital tour

If you want to experience a Danish international school from the inside and see how we take the
best from the Danish educational system and combine it with the IB mindset, you can now book
a digital tour with one of our admission officers or sit in on a class. If you’re already in
Denmark, you can also book a physical campus tour. Find a time slot that suits you now.

The four more detailed areas of comparison are:

  Resources (expenditure  by government and private sector on teaching and research )

The highest ranked countries for Resources are Denmark, Singapore, the United States,
Canada, Sweden and Switzerland, in that order. The United Kingdom shows the greatest
improvement over last year’s rankings.

 Output (research and its impact, quality of the best institutions, and the production of an
educated workforce which meets labour market needs)

The top two countries in the Output ranking are the United States and the United
Kingdom. The scores for the next five countries are very close together, in order they
are; Australia, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and Canada. The rankings are similar to
last year’s rankings except that Australia and Canada have swapped positions.

 Connectivity (international networks and collaboration with industry)

The top five leaders in Connectivity in rank order are; Switzerland, Denmark, Austria,
the United Kingdom and Belgium.

 Environment (government policy and regulation, financial autonomy and diversity)

The environment for higher education is judged to be best in the United States, Hong
Kong SAR, Finland, New Zealand and the Netherlands, the same as last year’s rankings.

Source: https://www.copenhageninternational.school/danish-education-system/?
gclid=CjwKCAjw64eJBhAGEiwABr9o2M-D-0Loamq_QpKBFfJzRLRYmPbc-
8u_HErKri0UybPz286KmmknihoCZyoQAvD_BwE

Ranking report and data: www.universitas21.com/link/rankings

Interactive map: www.universitas21.com/ranking/map

By: universitas21.com
4. United Kingdom
Education system in the some parts of United
Kingdom is managed by separate governments.
The renowned government of United Kingdom is
responsible for the education system in England
where as other parts like Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland are managed by their respective
governments. Universities in UK are well-known
around the world ever since their establishment
which trace way back in history. The world
education system lists United Kingdom as one of
the best places to study and obtain knowledge.
The system address all topics ranging from arts,
business to management.

Examples of good practice in

development education from UK
1. TEACHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE UK
Teacher education and training programmes focus on the following themes, linked to the
qualified teacher status (QTS)* standards required by anyone wanting to teach in a state
maintained school. These are:
• knowledge and understanding of the relevant national curriculum programmes of
study for subjects
• planning and preparing lessons and setting learning objectives
• managing classes, promoting good behaviour and minimising disruptions
• using information and communication technology effectively
• awareness of the professional values expected of teachers, in their attitudes and
behaviour towards pupils and colleagues
Most student teachers divide their time between a university and a school, where they
will undertake supervised teaching practice. However, successive UK governments have
sought to promote the role of schools in teacher training, leading to an expansion in
training options in England and Wales, as set out below:
University-based training:
• Undergraduate training – a course of 3 or 4 years full time (or 4 – 6 years part time)
leading to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Education and
incorporating the Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Students to study for a degree and
complete teacher training at the same time.
• Post-graduate training (PGCE) – a post graduate qualification of 1 year for those
who have a degree. A PGCE course mainly focuses on developing teaching skills, as
well as the subject a student intends to teach.
School based training:
• School direct and School-centred initial teacher training (SCITT) – both 1 year
and post graduate. Students receive the majority of their training by a school who
negotiates some support from a local teacher training university. Funding goes
direct to the school or group of schools, who agree to employ the student at the end
of their training.
• Teach First – a 2 year “Leadership Development Programme” for students with an
undergraduate degree who undertake a 6 week intensive training programme with
the Teach First provider and their university partner followed by a 2 year period of
teaching in a low-income community school.
*Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – Anyone who wants to teach in a state-maintained
school in England or Wales needs to gain QTS (in Scotland the TQ), although recent
changes to the status of some schools means that ‘academy’ or ‘free’ schools can employ
teachers without QTS if they believe they are suitably qualified.
page 5
National Curriculum for England:
The National Curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and
secondary schools to ensure children learn the same things. It covers what subjects are
taught and the standards children should reach in each subject. Some types of schools
such as Academies and Private Schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum.
Academies must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths and
science, and teach religious education. The national curriculum is organised into blocks
of years called ‘key stages’ (KS).
Age Year Group Key Stage
3 - 4 Early Years
4 - 5 Reception Early Years
5 - 7 Year 1 and 2 KS 1 - Primary
7 – 11 Year 3 to 6 KS 2 - Primary
11 - 14 Year 7 to 9 KS 3 - Secondary
14 - 16 Year 10 and 11 KS 4 - Secondary
The UK Government is currently drafting a new National Curriculum for England,
consisting of ‘core’ and ‘foundation’ subjects as listed below. In each case, there is
increased emphasis on subject knowledge.
• English
• Maths
• Science
• Design and technology
• History
• Geography
• Art and design
• Music
• Physical education (PE), including swimming
• Information and communication technology (ICT)
• Modern foreign languages (MFL)
• Citizenship
• Religious education
• Personal, social and health education (PSHE)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-
framework-for-key-stages-1-to-4/the-national-curriculum-in-england-framework-
for-key-stages-1-to-4
2. GLOBAL LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: THEN AND NOW
Early developments:
The UK has a long history of global learning initiatives. The earliest of these was in
the 1920s and 30s when organisations such as the Council for Education in World
Citizenship aimed to promote ‘education for international understanding’.
Later educational movements in the 1960s and 1970s focused on single issues such as
environment, peace, and development education. However, university led projects
which took place during the 1970s and 1980s brought these ‘issue- based educations’
together under ‘umbrella’ concepts of World Studies and later Global Education (Hicks,
2008). These projects were highly influential in providing conferences, training events
and resources for teachers and teacher educators and they promoted approaches
familiar to Global Learning today, inlcuding:
• Key concepts and frameworks for exploring global issues
• Active and participatory teaching methods
• A focus on developing values, attitudes and action for positive change
(ibid; Bullivant, 2011)
The role of NGOs and DECs:
Developments in this field have also been influenced heavily by Non Government
Organisations (NGOs) such as Oxfam, and Development Education Centres (DECs);
locally based organisations who work directly with schools and a small number of
teacher training universities.
The early work of NGOs and DECs focused specifically on ‘development’ issues related
to eliminating poverty, influenced to some extent by funding from the Department
for International Development (DFID), the Government department responsible for
overseas aid. However, their work now encompasses a much wider range of issues
related to promoting a more just and sustainable world, with an emphasis on addressing
the educational needs of young people, deepening their knowledge and understanding
of global issues, developing their skills to critically assess these from a range of views
and perspectives, and promoting both attitude and behaviour change.
The work of DECs is also supported by ‘umbrella’ organisations in the different national
contexts within the UK:
Think Global (England)
http://think-global.org.uk/
IDEAS (Scotland)
http://www.ideas-forum.org.uk/
Cyfanfyd (Wales)
http://www.cyfanfyd.org.uk/

3. GLOBAL LEARNING IN TEACHER EDUCATION: TODAY AND

TOMORROW
Following the election of a Labour Government in 1997 there was an expansion of
support for promoting Global Learning, including publication of a number of key
documents which set out how teachers should seek to take this work forward in schools
(See Figure 2 and QCDA, 2007). These emphasized:
‘that the ‘global’ is as much about the local community as it is about faraway places
and that it is an integral component of all curriculum subjects.’ (Bourne, 2008)
Schools were encouraged to think beyond traditional approaches such as school linking
and charitable fund raising, although it should be noted that in other documents
teachers were also encouraged to promote skills for a ‘global, competitive economy’ (DfES,
2004)). Nevertheless, a number of useful education ‘agendas’ and frameworks were
introduced to support this work.

Universities found these frameworks useful to promote with students; an approach

recommended by an evaluation report of four university projects which identified the
need to:
‘Make explicit links to educational agendas’ Barr, I (2005)
These frameworks also emerged at a time when there was a concern to address
children’s well-being overall through agendas such as Every Child Matters and the SEAL
programme (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning), through which connections
could be made between the local and global context of childrens’ lives. DFID funded an
excellent project – SEAL and the Global Dimension – which offers lesson activities and
resources with clear global learning outcomes.
https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/EveryChildMatters.
http://www.sealgd.org.uk/
The move towards reframing this work as Global Learning was initiated by two
organisations; Teachers in Development Education (TIDE) and Think Global, a large
education charity and one of the ‘umbrella’ organisations referred to above. It was
suggested that,
‘Far from abandoning development education the strategy was to revitalise core
thinking about it’ (Sinclair 2011)
It was argued that the term Global Learning created a more focused agenda which
connected with young people’s learning needs generally. The term also signified an on-
going process rather than ‘using teaching activities to manipulate prescribed views....’
http://www.tidec.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Global learning -lets talk about it.pdf
2013 onwards:
Since the election of a Conservative Coalition Government in 2010, the agendas referred
to above are no longer part of current education policy, although they continue to
influence practice in the absence of anything new. As indicated previously, education
page 11
policy now emphasizes subject knowledge, requiring renewed focus on how
Global Learning can promote this in schools (Bourn, 2012). http://www.ioe.ac.uk/
GlobalLearningAndSubjectKnowledge.pdf
In spite of this new subject focused curriculum, schools are still required to address
wider social and moral issues, creating new opportunities for connecting these with
children and young people’s needs growing up in a global context. This is highlighted
in the case study from Liverpool Hope University (LHU) in Section 4 where links have
been made to the following areas of the current school inspection framework used by
OFSTED*:
Promoting pupils’ Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural Development
(SMSC):
Inspectors are required to investigate the impact of the curriculum on the pupils’
spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development through:
• observations of lessons in different subjects like RE, Art and Music.
• activities such as tutorials, citizenship programmes and discussions with pupils
about their work
• opportunities created by the school for pupils to take part in a range of artistic,
cultural, sporting, dramatic, musical, mathematical, scientific, technological and
international events and activities that promote SMSC development.
http://www.doingsmsc.org.uk/
Promoting Pupils’ Personal Social Health Education (PSHE)
PSHE covers a wide range of issues relevant to young people’s personal, social, emotional
and health development. The Government do not prescribe exactly how this should be
done, but encourages schools to cover the following themes:
Relationships and sex education; Drugs and alcohol education; Bullying; Economic
and financial awareness; Emotional health and well-being; Staying healthy and safe;
Making informed choices; Social and life skills; Citizenship
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/p/pshe cons report.pdf
The process of revitalised thinking about Global Learning also continues through groups
and organisationa both outside of and connected to formal education. For instance, the
recent interest in the role of values in teaching and learning.
http://www.learningthroughvalues.org/
Global Learning Programme
Despite the current Government’s reluctance to promote Global Learning initially, a
national Global Learning Programme (GLP) is about to be launched for schools. This
is funded by DFID and has a strong focus on ‘learning about international development’,
but it also reflects the influence of NGOs and DECs in encouraging ‘critical examination
of global issues’. In keeping with other areas of Government education policy, the
programme is designed to be led by schools, reinforcing the need for close collaboration
between schools, teacher education and NGOs, as reflected in the case studies below.
http://globaldimension.org.uk/glp

page 12
*OFSTED – The National Curriculum is subject to inspection by Ofsted (Office for
Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills). They report directly to
Parliament and are independent and impartial. Their role is to inspect and regulate
services which care for children and young people, and those providing education and
skills for learners of all ages.

At University College London’s Institute of Education working with colleagues on the Justice to
History project and spending time observing and teaching in schools in and around London. I
have already gained insight into, and admiration for, the uniqueness of the UK educational
system compared to that of the United States. Although no education system is perfect, the UK
system has many qualities that educators outside of the UK might consider learning about and
possibly adopting. Below are four such qualities.

1. Head Teachers Are Still Teaching

In almost every school I have visited, the head teacher—equivalent of a U.S. school principal—
still teaches at least one class. In fact, at one school I visited, the national Ofsted (Office for
Standards in Education) team evaluated the head teacher’s class during their annual review. In
another, the head teacher taught a course to half of the student body during one term and the
second half during the other term. This engagement can positively impact a school’s culture in
many ways, the most obvious being the opportunity to get know the students in a much different
capacity than from a desk in the front office. This also helps ensure that the administration does
not “lose touch” (and is not perceived to have lost touch) with what is going on in the
classrooms of the schools they lead.

2. Staff Prioritize Collegial Time

Schools in the U.S. rarely present opportunities for teachers to meet socially during the school
day. In every school I observed in London, a twenty-minute block of time was scheduled
midmorning where teachers met in either their department offices or the general staff room for
tea or coffee, biscuits, and conversation. Although much of the talk was education-oriented and
professional as much as personal, the chance to take a break together and have some collegial
time that is not part of a scripted meeting or professional development program had a powerful
impact on the overall happiness of those I observed. As teacher burnout is a phenomenon yet to
reach the UK to the extent it has in the United States, maybe there is something to the midday
break!
3. Schools Use Staggered Scheduling
Whereas in the U.S., most teachers teach the same class at the same time every day of the week,
this is not the case in UK schools. Rather than referring to them as classes, students attend
lessons that are at different times on different days. A UK teacher might have a double-lesson on
Monday with one class and not see them again until Wednesday for a single lesson. This is a
refreshing system that can eliminate some of the monotony of the week for teachers. For
students, not having the same schedule every day can be similarly refreshing. This also allows
UK students to take more classes than U.S. students during the course of a year, which
introduces them to a wider array of subjects. For teachers, repeating a lesson more than once a
day or even a week appears to be rare. Although this means there is more preparation for
different lessons each day, this doesn’t seem to bother the UK teachers I observed.

4. Upper-Level Independent Inquiry

The last two years of UK schooling are referred to as Sixth Form and take place in what are
called colleges. The equivalent of our junior and senior years of high school, the experience is
unique in that much of the learning done at this level is independent and related to a student’s
choice of subject to study. Preparing for their A-level exams (the scores relate directly to
university acceptance), students are guided by their teachers through lessons rather than
passively lectured to. Within certain parameters, students select topics and questions to research,
all of which are writing-oriented. Teachers at this level prepare lessons designed to give some
background knowledge into the overarching topic, but that focus more on skills such as
historical interpretation. Much of the responsibility for learning rests on the shoulders of
students at this level, a good way to prepare them for the challenges of university that are soon
to come.

I believe that many of the things UK schools are doing can be adopted or amended to fit our
system in the United States. These four aspects of UK education just happen to resonate with me
as I contemplate my own pedagogy and professional philosophy. As critical reflection should
always be an important part of education, thinking about how other systems, such as the UK’s,
might have positive attributes that could be blended with what we do is something we should all
embrace. If such approaches might help even one student, isn’t it at least worth thinking about?

Connect with Robert and Heather on Twitter.

Quote image courtesy of Pablo. Photo of author teaching is courtesy of the author.
5. Sweden
The population of the country is not more
than 1 lakh. With manageable citizens and
almost 100% literacy rate Sweden is
undoubtedly one of the best destinations
for higher education. Along with some of
its general academic degree, Sweden also
provides several vocational and
professional in fields such as engineering,
law and medicines. The Swedish
education system is quite pleasant and
with the statistics derived, the advanced
educational practices in the country are
highly reliable.

Education is key in Sweden. It’s tax-financed, and

compulsory from the age of 6.
Swedish children go to school for at least ten years from the year they turn six, as mandated by
the Swedish Education Act (link in Swedish). Sweden's long focus on education is quoted as one
of the explanations for the country's capacity for innovation.

Nursery school
Förskola (nursery school, or preschool) is provided by Swedish municipalities for children ages
one to five. The amount of municipal subsidy for preschool depends on the child’s age and
whether the parents work, study, are unemployed or on parental leave for other children.
Swedish preschool emphasises the importance of play in a child’s development, with a
curriculum aiming to ensure children’s individual needs and interests. Gender-aware education
is increasingly common, striving to provide children with the same opportunities in life
regardless of gender.

Compulsory schooling
Swedish compulsory schooling consists of four stages: förskoleklass (‘preschool year’ or year
0), lågstadiet (years 1–3), mellanstadiet (years 4–6) and högstadiet (years 7–9). Children
between ages six and thirteen are also offered out-of-school care before and after school hours.

Compulsory education also includes sameskolor (Sami schools) for children of the indigenous
Sami people.

Upper secondary school

Gymnasium (upper secondary school, sixth form or high school, years 10–12) is optional. There
are eighteen regular national programmes of three years to choose from, six of which are
preparatory for higher education such as university, and twelve of which are vocational.

While entrance requirements vary between programmes, all of them demand students to have
passing grades in Swedish, English and mathematics from their final year of compulsory
schooling.

In 2020, about 86 per cent of Swedish ninth-year students qualified for a national programme.
Those whose grades didn’t qualify have five so-called introductory programmes to choose from.
From these introductory programmes, students can then move on to a national programme.

There are also upper secondary schools for people with intellectual disabilities as well as
programme variations targeting for example athletes.

In total, roughly 72 per cent of upper secondary students receive a leaving qualification
(diploma).

Independent schools
The number of independent schools with public funding, friskola in Swedish, is growing in
Sweden. Following a law change in the 1990s, parents and their children can choose among
tuition-free schools, whether municipal or private.

Although private schools have been in existence for as long as there has been compulsory
education in Sweden, they were not a wide-spread competitive alternative to municipal schools
until the 1992 law provided them with public funding.
These publicly funded non-municipal schools are called friskola to differentiate them from
tuition-based private schools (of which there are only a handful left in Sweden).

Same rules apply

In Sweden, these independent schools must be approved by the Schools Inspectorate and follow
the national curricula and syllabuses, just like regular municipal schools.

In 2020, around 17 per cent of compulsory schools and 34 per cent of upper secondary schools
were independent schools and they attracted 15 per cent of all compulsory school students and
28 per cent of all upper secondary school students.

Children’s rights
The Swedish Education Act, along with the Swedish Discrimination Act, strives to protect
children and students from discrimination and degrading treatment. In essence, the headteacher
of nursery schools, schools and adult education programmes are responsible for enforcing
prohibitions against discrimination and degrading behaviour, and for promoting equal treatment.
The Equality Ombudsman supervises compliance with this law.

All students have access to a school doctor, school nurse, psychologist and school welfare
officer – all tax-funded.

Also, since 2020, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is Swedish law.

Recent reforms
In 2011, the Swedish Education Act was thoroughly revised, with higher formal requirements
for teachers than earlier. The current act also puts more focus on student and teacher health, and
allows more freedom of choice than previously.

That same year, Sweden's national curriculum came into force. The curriculum, which applies to
all forms of compulsory education, came with new general goals, guidelines and syllabuses.
Mandatory national subject tests to assess student progress – which were already in place for
years 3 and 9 – were added for year 6.

New grading system

The Swedish grading system was also updated in 2011, to a new grading scale with six grades
from A to F, where A to E are passing grades, and F represents a failing grade. This system is
similar to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), the standard grading
system for higher education in Europe.

Since 2012, grades are assigned from year 6 in Sweden.

Teacher certification
As of 1 December 2013, professional certification is required for school and pre-school teachers
on permanent contracts. The decision aimed to raise the status of the teaching profession,
support professional development and thus increase quality in education.

Government authorities within education

The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the government’s education and
research policies. The ministry works on issues including school performance, conditions for
teachers and study financing.

The Swedish Schools Inspectorate (Skolinspektionen) oversees and examines the quality of

schools across the country through regular inspections. The inspectorate monitors compliance
with the Education Act.

The National Agency for Education (Skolverket) provides information about education,

promotes understanding, and administers public funding and grants.

The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (Specialpedagogiska

skolmyndigheten) provides children, young people and adults with disabilities with the same
opportunities for development and education that everyone in society is entitled to.

The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (Myndigheten för

yrkeshögskolan) analyses labour market demands for workforce education, decides what
programmes are to be included in higher vocational education and allocates public funding to
education providers. The agency also assesses and inspects the quality and results of this
education.

The Sami School Board (Sameskolstyrelsen, link in Swedish) is an administrative agency for
public Sami schools and their affiliated activities, which are governed by the Sami School
Ordinance.

Source: https://sweden.se/life/society/the-swedish-school-system

8 Facts About Education in Sweden

1. The Swedish educational system is decentralized. The federal government grants

localities autonomy in designing the course curriculum. However, the federal
government sets standardized goals and objectives for Swedish localities to follow.
2. Education in Sweden is divided into four levels of schooling. Children may attend an
optional preschool program (förskola) from 1-5 years of age. Children are then offered a
place in kindergarten (förskoleklass) when they turn six years old. Following
 kindergarten is compulsory schooling, which is divided into three levels. Elementary
school (lågstadiet) comprises the first three years of compulsory school, then middle
school (mellanstadiet) for years 4-6 and finally junior high school (högstadiet) for years
7-9. After compulsory school, Swedish students may attend an optional senior high
school (gymnasium) for three years.
3. Following an amendment to the law in the 1990s, the Swedish government permitted the
development of publicly-funded charter schools (friskola) which act independently of the
municipality. These schools are defined by an individualized approach to learning, an
open-classroom layout, no uniform policy and unconventional teaching methods.
Independent schooling is popular in Sweden; in 2010, approximately 12 percent of
compulsory school students and 24 percent of senior high school students attended either
tuition-based private schools or charter schools.
4. Sweden has a Sami population of 20,000-35,000 people. The Sami people are indigenous
to Northern Sweden and other Nordic countries and specialize in the production of
reindeer meat. Along with preserving their right to the development of the Sami
language, traditions and crafts, the Swedish government allows Sami children to attend
specialized Sami schools (Sameskolan) during the years of Swedish compulsory school.
5. Play and recess compose an integral part of the early years of education in Sweden. In
accordance with the goals of the government, pre-school teachers incorporate the
domains of STEM into the classroom curriculum by having the children participate in
communal exercises rather than teaching the subjects at the chalkboard.
6. The Swedish government has been working hard to compete with the educational
systems of other European countries. In 2014, Sweden invested a larger share of its GDP
on education (6.8 percent) compared to other member countries of the OECD (5.6
percent).
7. As part of a new curriculum made for all Swedish schools, including Sami language
schools, special schools and upper secondary schools, the grading system changed to the
A-F scale that is commonly used in the United States. Prior to 2011, the Swedish grading
system had four grades ranging from Pass with Special Distinction (MVG) down to Did
Not Pass (IG).
8. According to the World Population Review, Sweden ranks tenth in the world in
education, trailing behind its Nordic neighbors, Finland and Norway.  Sweden’s top
university, the Karolinska Institute, is ranked 40th in the world.

– Grayson Cox
 LEYTE COLLEGES
Paterno Street
Tacloban City
325-2432

Towards relevant education for all

FIVE (5) EDUCATIONAL BEST

PRACTICES OF COUNTRY

MAKE COMPARISON AND DIFFERENCES

(The Teacher and the School Curriculum)

SUBMITTED BY: JUN MARK B. YABO BSED – II

SUBMITTED TO: SIR. ROLANDO VIDAN