The Danish Evaluation Institute10th Anniversary

15th September 2009

World class Primary & World class Primary & Lower Secondary Lower Secondary

EducationEducation

Peter MortimoreFormer Director Of The Institute of Education, University of London & Professor of Pedagogy,

University of Southern Denmark.

Plan Plan • Introduction – does the Danish system need to

improve?• World context• What do we mean by world class education?• Some data on school systems• How world class is the Danish system – an

outsider’s view• Different ways to improve• The challenge ahead.

World conditionsWorld conditions

• 80% of people live on less than $2.5 a day

• 25,000 children die of poverty each day

• 72 million children cannot go to school.

Use of resources by richest and Use of resources by richest and poorest tenth of populationpoorest tenth of population

Global Issues www.globalissues.org

2005 Human Development Index2005 Human Development Index(CIA world Factbook 2009)

Unicef Report Card 7 (2007)Unicef Report Card 7 (2007)Overall rank COUNTRY Average rank

1 Netherland 4.2

2 Sweden 5

3 Denmark 7.2

4 Finland 7.5

5 Spain 8

# # #

# # #

20 US 18

21 UK 18.2

Does Danish education need Does Danish education need to improve?to improve?

• No• Done a good job up to now - why mess

with it?

• Yes• It is not as good as it might be• Too many young people are handicapped

by school failure • All institutions need to keep improving or

they start to decline.

What do we mean by What do we mean by education?education?

• Formal training through school• Teaching/instruction by another• Self learning.

Positive outcomes of Positive outcomes of educationeducation

As well as skills for survival and employment• Improved health

• New knowledge• Respect• ‘A trained mind’• Empathy and imagination• Appreciation and character.

Education and powerEducation and power• Advantaged people create and control the formal

education system• These advantaged people usually ensure their

children have better access to formal education• As education enhances people’s ability it enables

them further to increase their wealth and power• Thus education predominantly benefits families

which are already advantaged• Yet the disadvantaged families are the ones who

need education most in order to change their lives.

What disadvantage meansWhat disadvantage means• Poorer diet, health and housing• Proximity to pollution, crime and drugs• More frequent disruption and accidents• Necessity for part-time paid work• Fewer books, computers, outings and

holidays• The constant shame of poverty• For some, the stress of racism.

So what might be the So what might be the characteristics of a world class characteristics of a world class

system ?system ?• Equitable• Aspiring• Success-oriented• Patient• Broad• Fun.

Significantly different reading average Significantly different reading average scores and standard deviationsscores and standard deviations

% of population with % of population with upper secondary educationupper secondary education EAG 2009)

% of population with tertiary % of population with tertiary educationeducation

(EAG 2009)

Adult literacy average scoresAdult literacy average scores

English reformsEnglish reforms• Ongoing since 1988

– Removal of local authority powers– Abolition of HMI & creation of OFSTED– Changes to Teacher Training– National Curriculum– New types of schools –Technology, Faith,

Specialist and Academies– Marketisation of schooling based on league tables– High stakes assessments.

Reactions to high stakes testingReactions to high stakes testing• Teaching to test • Turning learners off• Unreliability• Collusion and even cheating• Stressed children/parents• Costs• Negative effects of league tables on all aspects

of schooling.

The Finnish systemThe Finnish system• Comprehensive system• No streaming or setting• Reading recovery type programmes• No inspections or national testing• 5 year university-based teacher training• Trust and esteem.

Possible ways to improve an Possible ways to improve an education systemeducation system

• A pressure on equity as well as quality • A lifelong learning perspective• Maximum support for the disadvantaged• Teacher education only of highest quality• Autonomy for teachers within clear limits• Contestability of curriculum/methods• Constant search for improvement.

So what should Denmark doSo what should Denmark doto achieve world class?to achieve world class?

• Build on strengths of existing system & work with teachers not against them

• Use tests to support learning - not just for accountability - and avoid league tables

• Adopt a reading recovery type programme• Evoke a culture of evaluation in all schools to

raise expectations• Encourage innovation & experiments.

Post scriptPost script

• Hvad solskin erFor den sorte muldEr sand oplysning

For muldets frænde.

The challenge for educators today To do all that is possible (and a little bit more)

within the context of a society’s culture.

ReferencesReferences• Boston. J, Martin. J, Pallot. J and Walsh. P (1996) Public Management: The New

Zealand Model. Auckland: OUP• Laukkanen. R in Nils C. Soguel and Pierre Jaccard - Governance and

Performance of Education Systems Springer Books 10.1007/978-1-4020-6446-3_14]

• Mortimore, P. & Whitty, G. (1997) Can School Improvement overcome the effects of Disadvantage? London: IOE.

• National Commission on Education (1995) Success against the Odds: London: Routledge.

• Poverty Facts and Stats http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

• Twain. M (1898) Mark Twain's Notebook. • Wells. H. G. (1919) The Outline of History Vol 120 Chap 41 Page 4. London: George

Newnes.• Wilkinson. R & Pickett. K (2009) The Spirit Level. London: Allen Lane.• World Health Organization (2008) Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity

through action on the social determinants of health. Geneva: WHO.

More referencesMore references• Mortimore. P (2000) Does educational research matter? British Journal Research

Journal 26. 1. 6 – 24.• Noss. R & Pachler. N (1999) The challenge of new technologies: doing old things in

a new way, or doing new things in P. Mortimore (ed) Understanding pedagogy and its impact on learning London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

• OECD (2001) Knowledge and skills for life: first results from PISA 2000 Paris: OECD. • OECD (2004) Denmark: lessons from PISA 2000 Paris: OECD.• OECD (2004) Learning for tomorrow’s world: results from PISA 2003 Paris: OECD.• OECD (2007a) Science competences for tomorrow’s world: results from PISA 2006

Paris: OECD.• OECD (2007b) No more failures: ten steps to equity in education. Paris: OECD. • OECD (2007c) Education at a glance Paris: OECD. • UNICEF (2007) Child well-being in rich countries IRC Report Card 7 Florence:

Innocenti Research Centre.