How to improve Ukraine’s education system during a time of war was the main topic of discussion at an education festival in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv last month. More than 2,000 Ukrainian teachers gathered for the Teachers of the Future 2025 festival to discuss efforts to reshape schools across the country. Despite Russia’s ongoing war of aggression, Ukrainian policymakers are pushing forward with reforms to tailor learning for all students so they can fulfil their full potential. The N...
Jul 07, 2025•17 min
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 Associa...
May 13, 2025•41 min
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 yo...
Mar 06, 2025•41 min
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...
Feb 07, 2025•31 min
Wildfires raging in Los Angeles have destroyed thousands of homes and forced the closure of hundreds of schools. As communities try to rebuild following the destruction, including the burning down of schools, what can teachers do to support students? 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 rol...
Jan 16, 2025•38 min
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, La...
Dec 18, 2024•46 min
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 prof...
Dec 10, 2024•33 min
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 F...
Nov 28, 2024•36 min
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 ...
Oct 23, 2024•31 min
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 ...
Sep 17, 2024•29 min
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 Wieman, 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...
Aug 30, 2024•27 min
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 soc...
Aug 19, 2024•33 min
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 ...
Aug 01, 2024•38 min
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 traini...
Jul 17, 2024•29 min
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...
Jul 05, 2024•41 min
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...
May 28, 2024•27 min
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....
Apr 10, 2024•44 min
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 Crawfo...
Feb 13, 2024•34 min
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...
Jan 29, 2024•27 min
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 ...
Dec 07, 2023•26 min
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.
Dec 01, 2023•45 min
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 Clim...
Oct 30, 2023•30 min
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 Dunc...
Sep 13, 2023•34 min
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 ...
Aug 29, 2023•36 min
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
Jul 24, 2023•34 min
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 scre...
Jul 10, 2023•26 min
🎧 Top Class Micro-credentials are bite-sized qualifications designed to help people demonstrate they have certain skills or experience. Dr Monique Ositelu from data consultancy firm Itàn & Shizuka Kato, Education Policy Analyst at the OECD explain why they’re becoming more popular.
Jul 03, 2023•29 min
‘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.
Jun 06, 2023•29 min
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.
May 17, 2023•32 min
On the latest Top Class podcast 🎧, OECD's Education Senior Editor Duncan Crawford is joined by John McLaughlin, President & CEO of Atlantic Education International, to discuss educational challenges in Canada, teachers under pressure, and how to ensure all children get an equal chance to succeed at school.
Apr 19, 2023•32 min
