Info

ICSEI has a vitally important mission - to help ensure that schooling will serve young people well in the future. Most people here will be familiar with UNESCO's four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be. In our efforts to improve schooling in the knowledge society, it is vital for us to consider how we will ensure that learning continues to be for all, not just the most advantaged. In doing this, we apply one of the key tenets of school effectiveness - equity. Furthermore, at a time when world peace is a critical issue, we need to consider how UNESCO's learning pillar - learning to live together - isn't just a learning outcome within our own countries, but can become a reality across countries. ICSEI plays an important role here in its aim to be a truly inclusive community. I am delighted that there are presenters from 43 countries at this conference and attendees from many more. ICSEI is an organisation where people are enriched by and enrich the ideas of those from other countries. Part of our mission is a desire to contribute to knowledge development in all of our countries. In conclusion, ICSEI aspires to be an international learning community where colleagues from all parts of the world, and bringing different educational perspectives, can engage in dialogue, create new knowledge, enhance our collective intelligence, and work together to understand how best to use this knowledge to improve schooling in and for the knowledge society. I hope that those of you who are new to ICSEI will join the community, and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the next few days. Have a great conference.