No Child Left Behind: Tackling the School Absenteeism Crisis
 30 April 14:00-15:00 CET

COVID pandemic-induced school closures hindered learning for young people around the world. Yet even today, many students across the OECD have failed to return to the classroom. Two-thirds of schools in the US are facing chronic absenteeism. In England, absences are 50% higher than before the pandemic, with more than one in five secondary pupils considered “persistently absent”, missing 10% or more of their hours of schooling. Even in Norway, which in the pre-pandemic era had successfully cut absenteeism by a quarter, four out of ten school principals are now very concerned about absenteeism in their school.

Addressing absenteeism necessitates a comprehensive approach, including identifying causes, providing support and fostering a positive school culture that prioritises attendance and engagement. In this webinar, we’ll talk to experts working to tackle the absenteeism crisis in communities. We’ll look at what we know and what knowledge gaps remain and explore effective policies and practices for a meaningful intervention to tackle the soaring number of children missing school.

Speakers include:

- Michael Gary Jr., Chief of Staff, Concentric Educational Solutions, United States
- Bjørn Lescher Nuland, Divisional director for competence development, Directorate of Education, Norway
- Áine O’Keeffe, Director, Tusla Education Support Service, Ireland
Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, OECD

Moderated by Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, Communication Manager, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD

The Creative Classroom: Rethinking Teacher Education for Innovation 
19 April 13:00-14:00 CET

Unlock the power of creativity in education! Join our latest OECD webinar as we explore how countries are equipping educators to nurture student creativity and inspire innovative teaching methods.  

In celebration of World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21 April, discover a professional learning framework for teachers and leaders developed by the OECD's Creativity and Critical Thinking Project. Our panel will showcase real-world examples of teacher learning experiences that prioritise creativity and share insights on fostering creativity within education systems worldwide.

Don't miss this discussion on unleashing creativity in the classroom as we reimagine teacher education to place student creativity at the forefront of learning. 
 
Speakers Include: 

- Maria Wallin, Director of Institute, Berättarministeriet, Sweden 
- Billie Freeland, Primary Teacher, Kent City Elementary, USA 
- Jennifer Mansfield, Senior Lecturer in Science Education, School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia
- Cassie Hague, Analyst, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, OECD  

Moderated by Duncan Crawford, Senior Content Manager, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. 

You can visit our webpage to register or check out the recordings of previous events.