OECD Education & Skills TopClass Podcast

Employers are struggling to find skilled workers. How can we fix the job skills gap? Apprenticeships are touted as one possible solution. They combine on-the-job training with classroom learning, allowing employers to recruit and train people to meet their skills needs. According to the OECD, there are huge opportunities for apprenticeships to expand into a wider range of sectors. But many countries are failing to take full advantage of them. In this episode of Top Class, Doug Walton, an Associate at research and consulting firm Abt Global, and Dr. Bryan Coyne from the Faculty of Business & Social Sciences at Atlantic Technological University in Sligo, Ireland, discuss how people and businesses can make the most of apprenticeships. Learn more by reading the latest research shared at the 2025 joint Cedefop-OECD symposium: New fields for apprenticeship: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/events/2025-joint-cedefop-oecd-symposium-new-fields-apprenticeship

The early years of a child's life are crucial for their development. Falling behind early can mean never catching up. How can countries ensure lasting benefits from early childhood education and care? In this episode of Top Class, Stephanie Jones, the Gerald S. Lesser Professor in Early Child Development at Harvard University, and Professor Henrik Zachrisson from Centre for Research and Equality in Education at Oslo University, discuss with OECD Editor Duncan Crawford ideas to ensure that all young children get lasting benefits from early education.

How can you help disengaged teenagers rediscover their passion for learning? In this episode of Top Class, Rebecca Winthrop, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, discusses ideas from the new book she has co-authored called ‘The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better' with OECD's Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher. Whether you're a parent, teacher or simply interested in the topic, this episode outlines practical strategies and policies to make education engaging and relevant.

Wildfires raging in Los Angeles have destroyed thousands of homes and forced the closure of hundreds of schools. With communities trying to cope following the destruction, including the burning down of schools, what should teachers do to support students at this time? In this episode of Top Class, Developmental-Behavioural Paediatrician David Schonfeld, Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the critical role educators play during times of crisis. The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement helps children and communities deal with trauma and grief. You can learn more about it here https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/ Learn more about the OECD's work on well-being here https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/teachers-well-being_c36fc9d3-en.html

As technologies transform businesses, what critical skills are needed to succeed in the workforce of the future? With artificial intelligence, the green transition, globalisation and much more all impacting the world of work, there is an urgent need for policymakers, educators and businesses to respond. In this episode of Top Class, we explore what needs to happen to ensure people can develop the right skills to prosper in the years ahead. Stefano Scarpetta, the OECD's Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and the Chief Economist at LinkedIn, Karin Kimbrough, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford how people can adapt and upskill to ensure they don't get left behind. Want to learn more about taking a skills first approach? Read: https://oecdedutoday.com/unfilled-job-vacancies-a-skills-first-approach-can-help/ Want to learn more about the OECD Survey of Adult Skills? Read our Insights and Interpretations brochure: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/support-materials/2024/12/survey-of-adult-skills-2023_1ab54c9e/PIAAC2024_InsightsInterpretations_FULL.pdf

Over the past decade, literacy and numeracy skills among adults have largely declined or stagnated in most OECD countries. This is the main finding from the second OECD Survey of Adult Skills, a once-in-a-decade assessment that measured the skills of adults across 31 countries and economies. Despite efforts to strengthen education and adult training systems, only Finland and Denmark have seen significant improvements in adult literacy skills. However, adults performed better in the numeracy proficiency test, with eight countries seeing their average scores improve. In this episode of Top Class, the OECD's Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford why he is concerned about the findings. Learn more about the OECD Survey of Adult Skills here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/do-adults-have-the-skills-they-need-to-thrive-in-a-changing-world_b263dc5d-en.html

Every year, countless teachers face stress-related illnesses and burnout. While some manage to keep going, often at a reduced capacity, others leave the profession entirely. In this episode of Top Class, we explore how policymakers and schools can better support teacher well-being and create healthy working environments to ensure educators remain happy and healthy. The CEO of mental health and well-being charity Education Support Sinéad McBrearty and Pedro De Bruyckere, the head of Leerpunt in Flanders in Belgium, a knowledge broker in education, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about practical strategies to create sustainable and supportive environments for teachers. Teachers in the UK can get mental health and well-being support with Education Support: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/ Learn more about some of the OECD's work in this area with the New Professional and the Future of Teaching Project: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/new-professionalism-and-the-future-of-teaching.html

Why is there a persistent gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects? Despite their growing importance for many future jobs, women make up only about a third of STEM graduates, with numbers dropping to as low as 20% in some OECD countries. This disparity is alarming to many policymakers, especially considering the lucrative and impactful careers STEM fields offer. In this episode of Top Class, Beatrice Boots, Director of the Dutch STEM Platform PTvT and Chair of the EU STEM Coalition, and Priscilla Wanjiku Gatonye, Program Officer for Inclusion and Youth at UNESCO's International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that increasing female participation in STEM subjects should be a priority.

Many countries are experiencing a growing skills gap – what can be done to address the issue? WorldSkills, the largest international skills competition, aims to help. Held every two years, it sees more than 1,400 talented young people compete in 62 different technical disciplines, from Cloud Computing and 3D Game Design to Plumbing and Floristry. The aim is to show off the importance of skills-based learning and to make technical and vocational professions more attractive to school leavers. The OECD is working with WorldSkills to ensure quality vocational schemes support the jobs of the future. OECD Editor Duncan Crawford travelled to Lyon to check out the contest. Learn more about the work of the OECD and WorldSkills here

On average, science scores have been falling globally for over a decade. What can be done to improve the quality of science teaching? In this episode of Top Class, Nobel Prize winning physicist Carl Weiman, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Education at Stanford University, and Yidan Prize winner, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that current science teaching techniques are often ineffective. He argues that traditional lectures need to be ditched in favour of more active learning methods. Learn more about global science scores in the latest PISA report here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i_53f23881-en.html Learn more about The Yidan Prize here: yidanprize.org

Education budgets are huge. Public spending on schools, universities and other public and private educational institutions is around 5% of GDP across OECD countries on average. But is the money well spent? In this episode of Top Class, Economist Professor Eric Hanusek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and Yidan Prize winner, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that smarter spending would lead to considerably better learning outcomes and make societies better off. Learn more about public spending on education here: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/public-spending-on-education.html Learn more about The Yidan Prize here: https://yidanprize.org/

With some three-quarters of employers reporting difficulty in filling jobs, do traditional hiring methods need to change? As companies shift their focus from past job titles to specific skills, individuals are also rethinking how they present themselves to potential employers. In this episode of Top Class, Papia Debroy from non-profit Opportunity@Work and Dan McCabe, a 3D artist and WorldSkills Champion, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that it is time to reconsider hiring practices. They argue that a skills-first approach benefits businesses and job seekers, and can lead to better job matches and career growth opportunities. Want to learn more about skills? Check out the OECD Centre for Skills: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/centre-for-skills.html

How do you create a classroom where students are actively creating, innovating and problem-solving? A part of the answer involves empowering teachers with the tools and training they need to help students be more creative. But what does that involve? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford speaks to US Primary School Teacher Billie Freeland and Jennifer Mansfield, Senior Lecturer in Science Teacher Education at Monash University in Australia, about how to rethink teacher training so that teachers are better prepared to foster creativity in students.

Do smartphones help support learning in classrooms or are they a distraction that harms education? A growing number of governments have implemented restrictions on the use of smartphones in schools. Even without nationwide bans, many schools collect phones at the start of the day or insist on children keeping them in lockers during lesson time. Are the bans justified? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford speaks to two educators on opposing sides of the debate: Matt Miles, an American teacher and co-author of “Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber” and Damian Maher, a senior lecturer from University of Technology Sydney, who backs the use of smartphones in schools.

Bullying is an urgent issue in many schools and crucial steps need to be taken to address it. In this episode of Top Class, Professor James O'Higgins Norman, the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, highlights a common but flawed response from teachers: “I haven't seen it therefore it doesn't exist.” What can schools and policymakers do to ensure bullying is tackled effectively, including extreme forms of bullying such as violent attacks? Professor O'Higgins Norman, who is based at Dublin City University where he is also Director of the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, tells the OECD's Duncan Crawford about the best practices and techniques to combat bullying and support victims.

As artificial intelligence integrates into the world of education, how can we ensure it supports effective learning in the classroom? AI learning bots and other AI tools are increasingly being used by students and teachers, but not every agrees this is a good thing. While supporters champion AI as a transformative force that improves personalised learning and efficiency, sceptics are concerned about the erosion of critical thinking skills, the potential for algorithmic biases and privacy issues. In this episode of Top Class, Adeel Khan, Founder of MagicSchool AI, and Associate Professor at University College London, Wayne Holmes, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the potential benefits and risks of AI, and the balance between technological progress and educational integrity.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is a growing concern for many policymakers around the world. It affects approximately 5% to 10% of children globally and can influence how they learn and behave, including through hyperactive and impulsive behaviour. In this episode of Top Class, Sam Pittis, a British radio presenter who was diagnosed with ADHD and hosts the podcast “You're Wrong About ADHD”, discusses how to navigate ADHD in schools with OECD Editor Duncan Crawford, alongside OECD analyst Cecelia Mezzanotte, who has worked extensively on how to support children with ADHD.

Sola Mahfouz was pulled out of school in Afghanistan at the age of 11 after a group of men threatened her safety if she continued studying. After years with no education, she began to secretly teach herself through online classes. Against the odds, Sola later passed a college entry test, travelled to the US to study and is now a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University. Writing under a pseudonym, she is also co-author of her memoir Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for an Education. In this episode of Top Class, she tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford her remarkable story and reflects on life with the Taliban.

While some countries have maintained or improved performance in maths and reading, many countries across the globe have seen large drops in educational performance, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. Almost 700,000 15-year old students from 81 countries and economies took the PISA test in maths, reading and science in 2022. Why have there been such large drops in performance? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the findings and what they mean for global education

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a non-profit which aims to provide free, world-class education for everyone. His organisation has developed an AI tutor and teaching assistant that he believes will transform global education for the better. Is he right? In this edition of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford explores the far-reaching implications that thinking and learning machines pose for students, teachers and society as a whole.

On a daily basis, academic studies, reports and news tell us that the Earth's ecosystem is in danger. But are schools doing enough to help raise awareness about climate change? OECD PISA test results show that schools play a central role in educating kids about environmental issues. In 2018, about 90 percent of school principals across the OECD reported that climate change and global warming were covered in the school curriculum. However, Matthew Pye, a philosophy teacher and founder of The Climate Academy, argues that schools and teachers need to be doing much more. In this episode of Top Class, he tells the OECD's Duncan Crawford that schools should have a far greater focus on climate education.

Rapid developments in technology and society mean education is constantly on the move. These developments are having a profound effect on both students and teachers. So what should the teaching profession look like in the future? In this Top Class podcast, Professor A Lin Goodwin from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College and Marco Snoek, Professor of Teacher Development and School Innovation at Amsterdam's University of Applied Sciences, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about their visions for the future. You can read more about the OECD's work on teacher professionalism here: https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/new-professionalism-future-of-teaching.htm

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has led to the destruction of much of the country's education system. Thousands of schools and universities have been damaged or destroyed, with teachers, students and parents killed in Russian attacks. With the education of millions of children interrupted, how should policymakers, schools and teachers respond? This episode of Top Class explores how to support the education of Ukrainian children, both inside and outside the country. Frederik Smets, an Education Officer at the UN Refugee Agency's Regional Bureau for Europe, talks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the challenges children and teachers face and what can be done to help. The OECD is working to support Ukraine's agenda for reform, recovery and reconstruction. This report looks at how other countries' educational experiences can support Ukraine's plans to remodel its education system: https://www.oecd.org/education/Lessons-during-Crisis.pdf You can read more about the OECD's work to support Ukraine here: https://www.oecd.org/ukraine-hub/en/

US National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson on teaching struggles, “flip” lessons, & what it was like to meet US President Joe Biden & US First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Listen to Top Class with Duncan Crawford

In a world of tablets, smartphones and AI – how exposed should young children be to digital technologies? This episode of Top Class explores the latest research on the use of digital tech in creches, nurseries and kindergartens. OECD policy analyst Carlos González-Sancho tells OECD editor Duncan Crawford about the findings of the OECD report “Empowering Young Children in the Digital Age” and answers many questions, including: ✅ Should 2-6 year olds be allowed to use digital tech? ✅ How much screen time is OK? ✅ What are the key dangers of digital technologies? ✅ How can digital tech improve early childhood education? ✅ What are the potential benefits to carers and teachers? Read the report here: https://www.oecd.org/publications/empowering-young-children-in-the-digital-age-50967622-en.htm #children #digitaltechnologies #technology #creche #nursery #kindergarten #education #childhood

‘A focus on social & emotional skills is fundamentally about high quality teaching' Professor Stephanie Jones from Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) talks to Duncan Crawford, Senior Content Manager at the OECD, about the challenges to teaching these skills, practical tips and Sesame Street.

On this OECD Education and Skills podcast Professor Patrick Newell from Shizenkan University joins Duncan Crawford, Senior Content Manager of the OECD's Education and Skills Directorate, to discuss how learning in schools could drastically change in the future.

On the latest Top Class podcast

Cyberbullying is a growing problem worldwide and has serious consequences for students. It can take place on social media, gaming platforms and mobile phones, and often involves scaring, angering or shaming an individual or group. The experience can be incredibly traumatic for young people, who sometimes feel that escaping from it is impossible. It can also have academic consequences, with OECD data suggesting that students who are regularly bullied score lower on reading tests. As digital technologies radically change the way young people interact, communicate and get information, the OECD's Education and Skills Directorate has released a working paper, Cyberbullying: An overview of research and policy in OECD countries, outlining ways to deal with the issue. The author, OECD analyst Francesca Gottschalk, and Christina Salmivalli, professor of psychology at the University of Turku in Finland, discuss what can be done. Host: Clara Young Producer: Stephen Flynn

From the autumn of 2019 till the pandemic shutdowns, schoolchildren in the millions marched to save Earth from irreparable climate crisis. Calling on world leaders to keep the planet's temperature rise below 1.5°C by cutting carbon emissions, teens organised an unprecedented scale of climate strikes around the globe. And they are still going. Evidence from PISA 2018 bears out Generation Z's environmental commitment: more than 2/3 of 15-year-olds in every country and economy feel they need to take care of our planet. How do schools help students build on this momentum? Anuna de Wever was one of the founders of the youth climate strike movement in Belgium. She is now a trade policy officer at the European NGO, Climate Action Network. Host: Clara Young Producer: Stephen Flynn

The uproar over the 2021 Revision of the California Mathematics Framework shows us how passionate people are about mathematics – and how we learn it. For many, however, math arouses not so much passion as fear, even, loathing. But does it have to be this way? Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University. She is the author of nine books on mathematics learning, including Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead and Live Without Barriers. In 2013, Boaler taught the first-ever Massive Online Open Course on mathematics education for Stanford University, called "How to Learn Math". Jo Boaler is an advisor to the PISA team at the OECD and one of the authors of the 2021 Revision of the California Mathematics Framework, which is an advisory for kindergarten-to-Grade 12 maths education in California. Hosted by Clara Young and produced by Stephen Flynn.

There's a gaping hole in the global education budget and it's 200 billion US dollars deep. Yearly. Part of the problem has to do with taxes: Many developing countries raise less than 20% of their GDP in tax revenues and out of this, education should take up between 4 to 6% of GDP. That's a tall order in deficitary times. Michael Ward, OECD Senior Analyst specialising in global educational development issues and Bert Brys, Senior Tax Economist at the OECD, walk us through efficient education spending and how to raise money for education through better taxing. Hosted by Clara Young and produced by Stephen Flynn.

Sometimes the road to doing well at school goes through surprising places, like hip hop. In 2015, the Lycée Turgot in Paris pioneered a programme for 15- to 18-year-olds that combines regular academic classes with hip hop dance. The brainchild of teacher David Bérillon, Hip Hop Turgot now has students from all over the country, as well as the city's less privileged catchment areas. Diversity is just as important as dancing in this small programme, along with academic excellence, and the social-emotional qualities of determination, social ease, self-confidence, and the belief that one can always do better – whether at break battles, math class, or in life. The OECD's international Survey on Social and Emotional Skills tells us that students who think of themselves as highly creative also report high levels of intellectual curiosity and persistence. At this school, dance is the key to unlocking those qualities. Hip Hop Turgot is the subject of a documentary, Allons enfants. Pascale Guy, who is an English teacher at Lycée Turgot, is one of the main teachers involved in the programme. Hosted by Clara Young and produced by Stephen Flynn.

Never before has critical thinking been so…critical. With so much compromised information online, how do we know what's opinion? What's fact? And what's disinformation? Education can teach us to ask questions, check sources, and understand how algorithms impact the information we're getting. And, none of this needs to be taught in STEM-based computer science courses – digital media and algorithmic literacy can be cleverly integrated throughout the curriculum. Kara Brissin-Boivin is Director of Research at Mediasmarts, Canada's Centre for Digital and Media Literacy. And OECD analyst Jordan Hill is the author of a new working paper on digital media literacy. They discuss what 21st-century critical thinking should look like. Host: Clara Young Producer: Stephen Flynn

For many LGBTQI+ students, school can be a hostile place. Bullying and the social and emotional strain of not feeling part of the sexual and gender mainstream is tough, especially for teens. Can teachers, principals, students and governments come together for the well-being of LGBTQI+ students? Can schools be safe, and creatively and intellectually stimulating places where LGBTQI+ students can not only learn in peace but succeed beyond their wildest dreams? That is the goal. To celebrate Pride month, Jody McBrien discusses “The Inclusion of LGBTQI+ Students across Education Systems”. Jody McBrien is a professor in the School of International Global Studies at the University of South Florida and currently on secondment at the OECD as a Council on Foreign Relations Fellow.

When factual information comes under attack, societies head into Orwellian waters. OECD's Andreas Schleicher and Molly Lesher discuss disinformation and other forms of “untruths” and how to get the measure of a tenacious and elusive phenomenon. Societies can tackle harmful information through citizen- and AI-driven fact-checking and content tagging. Platforms can boost transparency and collaborate with governments to tamp down fake news and synthetic media. But the best defence of all is educating people to question and check information for themselves. Because for contemporary democracy to survive and thrive, it needs digitally literate citizens.

Kim Kardashian has been apprenticing with two lawyers for the past few years to become a lawyer herself in California. Apprenticeships like Kardashian's “reading law” and vocational education training are career pathways that not enough young people are considering when deciding on what to do after high school. And maybe they're not thinking about what happens after graduation because schools aren't getting them “career ready” enough. New analysis of national longitudinal datasets and 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data show that it's good for job markets and young people's life outcomes when students start thinking about their future early on. Specifically, students whose schools organised first-hand encounters with people from the work world can expect to experience less unemployment and a greater likelihood of better-paying and fulfilling careers. Anthony Mann, senior policy analyst in the OECD's Education and Skills directorate, talks to us about career readiness, apprenticeships and vocational educational training. Host: Clara Young Producer: Ilse Pacheco Sánchez

After the immediate needs of food, medical and psychosocial care, and housing, comes education. According to the UNHCR and UNICEF, “education for refugee children is arguably the best means available to help them, here and now, and to transform their futures.” Estonia is one of the countries on the front line for refugees fleeing the war. We talk to Viivian Jõemets, Chief Expert at the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, specialising in language learning and migration, and OECD analyst Lucie Cerna, specialising in education and refugees, about how to best continue schooling and vocational training for refugee children and teenagers. Host: Clara Young Producer: Ilse Sánchez Pacheco

Estonia was the top performing European country in PISA 2018 in reading, math and science. And it's done this with an education budget that is 30 % lower than the OECD average. Does digital strategy have something to do with Estonia's success story? Estonia's Ambassador-at-large for education, Birgit Lao, explains. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Ilse Sánchez Pacheco

Iceland has topped global charts on gender equality for nearly a decade. One of the country's more radical approaches to breaking gender stereotypes is a school method called Hjalli. Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir opened the first Hjalli pre-school in 1989. Here, children play with open-ended toys, wear school uniforms and use gender-neutral learning materials. More unusually, girls and boys have separate classes throughout most of the day. In 2006, Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir received The Knight's Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon from the President of Iceland for innovation in education. She tell us what she thinks it takes to undo children's gender biases. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Ilse Sánchez Pacheco

“Why is the sky blue?” “Why do people get sick?” “Why aren't there any more dinosaurs?” Sometimes it feels like children never stop asking questions. And they shouldn't. A recent OECD International Early Learning and Child Wellbeing study shows that children who are curious have stronger language and number skills, and better self-control. So how do we keep students curious and creative even after they've outgrown kindergarten? Rowena Phair, senior analyst at the OECD, and Mitch Resnick, Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab, discuss. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Ilse Sánchez

People who graduate from university have on average better health, better life expectancy, and better earnings than those who don't. But many students just can't afford higher education, especially in countries where there's less public money going into grants, bursaries and tuition waivers. With higher education budgets possibly tightening, where will the money come from? Lorraine Dearden, Professor of Economics and Social Statistics in the Social Research Institute at University College London talks about how student loans are handled in a number of countries and why, just like free lunches, there's no such thing as free tuition. Host: Clara Young, Editors: Taline Shahinian & Ilse Sánchez

In the OECD's PISA survey of 66 countries in 2018, 88% of high-school principals reported that climate change was covered in their school's curriculum. But it was Italy that was the first country in the world to make climate change coursework mandatory in all public schools. As Italy's Minister of Education, University and Research in 2019, Lorenzo Fioramonti drove Italy's climate education reform. Nita Seng is a middle-school math and science teacher in the United States and co-director of Subject to Climate. She gives us the teacher's point of view on reforming school curricula to integrate climate education. Host: Clara Young, Producer: Taline Shahinian.

Are schools teaching students enough about climate change? And are they empowering them to do something about it? In PISA 2018, an average of 88% of high-school principals in 66 countries reported that climate change was covered in the school curriculum. But maybe this needs to come earlier. We hear from Shreya KC, 23, from Solukhumbu, Nepal. Shreya was a delegate at COP25 in Madrid, Spain in 2019, an organiser of the Mock Cop initiative in 2020, and is currently the National Network Coordinator for Nepalese Youth for Climate Action. Also in this podcast is Eleanor May, 18, from Ivybridge, England. Eleanor is a campaigner for the UK's Teach the Future, a movement by secondary and tertiary education students to improve climate change education in the UK. Host: Clara Young, Producer: Taline Shahinian.

Alperton Community School is in one of London's lowest-income areas, Brent. Almost half of the children there live below the poverty line. And yet this secondary school is in the top 1-5% of the country in terms of qualifications and accreditations. What's Alperton's secret sauce? Well, to start with, its teachers. Andria Zafirakou teaches arts and textiles at Alperton. In 2018, she won the Varkey Foundation Global Teacher prize – what is essentially the Nobel prize in teaching. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Taline Shahinian.

Children have probably spent more time online this year than they ever have before. Which is why the OECD's newly adopted Recommendation on Children in the Digital Environment comes right in time. How much do children know about the privacy of their data? Or how to tell the difference between good and bad information? How do we deal with cyberbullying and hate content? Elizabeth Milovidov is an expert on digital parenting and children's digital rights at the Council of Europe. Tracey Burns is a senior analyst at the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. She consulted on the OECD's Recommendation on Children in the Digital Environment. It sets out the principles of a safe digital environment for children. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Taline Shahinian.

We've heard a great deal about what boosts our immune system during this pandemic. But what boosts our “commune” system? Michael Ungar, director of the Resilience Research Centre at Dalhousie University, Canada, discusses how community helps us through hard times. And as young people navigate through the pandemic and its aftermath, their resilience will serve them well – a resilience not of individual grit, but formed through the people around us. Host: Clara Young; Producer: Taline Shahinian.

If we looked into a crystal ball, what kinds of school would we see? Would classes be happening exclusively within school walls with a teacher in front and students in rows? Or would it be a robot conducting class? Would some school be online? Or would learning take place anytime and anywhere? The OECD has put together four scenarios of what the future of education might be. Keri Facer, Professor of Educational and Social Futures at the University of Bristol in the UK, and Tracey Burns, Senior Analyst in the OECD's Centre for Educational Research and Innovation and co-author of a new report Back to the Future of Education FOUR OECD SCENARIOS FOR SCHOOLING, talk about the future we want for schools… and the future we might get. Host: Clara Young Producer: Taline Shahinian

Remote schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic has opened our eyes to the difficulties of intersecting digital technologies and traditional schooling. Sanjay Sarma, who is Vice President for Open Learning at MIT, talks about online learning and how it can work hand-in-hand with teachers and students… with some serious cognitive science know-how.

Over the course of 2020, millions of students across the globe were unable to attend classes due to school closures, meaning that countries were forced to rely on emergency measures to keep learning going. Online classes were a popular choice in countries that had the technical capacity, but strategies differed between countries and depended heavily on the context of each area. In this podcast, we talk to Earl Phalen, Founder and CEO of George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academies, Ryoko Tsuneyoshi, Professor of Comparative Education at the University of Tokyo, and Stéphan Vincent-Lancrin, Senior Analyst at the OECD, about how schools fared and what the situation was like in the United States and Japan in particular. To read more stories of how schools managed the crisis, visit oecdedutoday.com/coronavirus/#Continuity-stories