Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Informal Meeting of Ministers for Education Nicosia 4-5 October 2012

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary The crisis: How to overcome its challenges through education ? Mojca Škrinjar State Secretary

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Global changes in society  Transformation from an industrial to an information society  Terrorism  Wars  Increased energy/power/oil prices (black gold)  Scope of climate change despite the awareness of the necessity of sustainable development.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Care for public infrastructure  Accusations about the amount of public expenditure.  Demands to decrease financing on one hand and the fear that the decrease will undermine quality (which nobody wants) on the other.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Crisis as an opportunity  Each problem is also an opportunity.  Who are the individuals that invented things like the personal computer and the Internet?  Behind each successful change there are always correspondingly persistent, brave, independent, social, hard-working, ambitious and curious people.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary  Only teachers can change the world through education of youth.  Only the innovative, brave, ethical and unique teachers shall educate brave, innovative, ethical and unique children.  OECD study (2010) concludes that the improvement of the PISA results ensures the increased economic success of a country.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Wise choice of motivated candidates for studies in teaching/education professions.  Studies for teachers which will equip them with increased autonomy and better communication skills, as well as increased self-esteem.  Better knowledge in the field of communication skills.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Excellent teachers should be offered possibilities for a longer professional in-service training abroad; e.g. as advisors of educational institutes or at faculties.  They should keep the right to return to their former position at schools, where they would apply their freshly acquired competencies and knowledge to enrich the schools' practice.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  What can be done by a machine (computer) and an application, should be done by a machine (computer) and an application. Teachers should devote their attention to working with pupils and students, as well as contact with parents.  Division of knowledge is a necessity. First, a live demonstration of good teaching practices - followed by direct professional communication between the presenters and their audience is much more effective than talking about good practices to large groups.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Division of knowledge is a necessity – second: Open teaching/learning resources imply the division of knowledge at the level of curricula, concepts and last, but not least, ICT supported teaching/learning resources. However, digital interactive student resources created by top experts, practitioners, lecturers and advisors make the lessons more interesting.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Planned professional monitoring of pupils and observing their strong characteristics at earlier stages (not just before they select their secondary school - ISCED 3 level) allows for the informing of pupils’ parents about their potential and thus makes easier their choice of further education.  Promotion of professional vocational education, which can also be further upgraded by university education.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Excellence of universities and the establishment of their links with the economy: creation of a balance between the promotion of creativity and the upgrading of knowledge for the needs of science.  The introduction of entrepreneurial thinking, which we must understand as “entrepreneurship” and not as “business”, requires its inclusion in every subject while it must also deliver the expected results.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Care for disadvantaged areas and groups, encouragement of environments in a consistent way, which includes everyone; pupils and parents, as well as local cultural institutions and the local community as a whole.  Smart organisation, which includes a sustainable network of schools, as well as the number of pupils and students in schools, will ensure the education of deficit professions and smart and fair forms of funding.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Reflection on potential measures  Development of a model for the prediction of professions of the future, which shall ensure better planning of the school network and enrolment.  Careful monitoring of quality in schools, updating of information, which enable the planning of change.  Innovative teachers are the result of an encouraging environment, based on the principle of ethics and a high level of professionalism, and not the result of excellency at administrative tasks. Thus, they are fostered by an environment based on working culture and less regulation.

Mojca Škrinjar, State Secretary Conclusion  The main question is: How to use education to build a world of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and social connection?  The key word is funding. In the time of preparation of the new financial plan it is important that education is one of the priority measures for remedying the crisis. Priority objectives of education must be included in all future financial mechanisms and thus provide it with a role corresponding to our society.

Thank you for your attention! Contact: Mojca Škrinjar State Secretary Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Slovenia