Environmental and Zoo Education ConferenceWollongong, NSW, Australia

4th February 2020

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE CHANGING WORLD

pasi_sahlberg

Our experiment

NOAH

Expenditure on pre-primary education as a percentage of GDP

How much national wealth goes to early childhood education?

OECD, 2018

Perc

enta

ge o

f GD

P

0

0,2

0,4

0,6

0,8

1

1,2

1,4

SwedenIce

landNorw

ayIsra

el

Finland

HungaryLatv

iaChile

FrancePoland

Slovenia

Belgium Brazil

Lithuania

EU22 average

OECD avera

ge

Portugal

Luxembourg

Slovak Republic

Spain

GermanyKorea

New Zeala

ndItal

yAustri

a

Czech Republic

Costa Rica

United States

United King

dom

Switzer land

Netherlands

Colombia

Greece

Australia

JapanIre

land

% of GDP

Does money matter?

Primary and secondary schoolEarly childhood Post-school

Age

Rate

of r

etur

n to

inve

stm

ent

OTTO

English/Mathematics P.E./History

40 m

insL

UN

CH +

Extr

acu

rric

ular

Mor

ning

tea

20 m

ins

9.00 11.00 13.15 ~15.00

A typical Year 2 primary school day

IT/Design

Mother tongue Music Math P.E.

15’ p

lay

45-6

0 m

ins

LUN

CH +

PLA

Y

15’ p

lay

9.00 11.00 13.00

After-school play

0 2 000 4 000 6 000 8 000 10 000 12 000

Hungary 8Latvia 9

Poland 9Turkey 8

Finland 9Slovenia 9

Austria 8Estonia 9

Korea 9Slovak Republic 9

Belgium 8Greece 9

Sweden 9Czech Republic 9

Lithuania 10Japan 9

Germany 9Italy 8

OECD 9Iceland 10

Switzerland 9Norway 10

Spain 9Luxembourg 9

France 9Chile 8

Ireland 9Portugal 9Canada 9Mexico 9

Netherlands 9Israel 9

US 9Denmark 10Australia 11

Pr imary

Lower Secondary

Total number of compulsory instruction hours in primary and lower secondary schools

OECD, 2019

0 2 000 4 000 6 000 8 000 10 000 12 000

Hungary 8Latvia 9

Poland 9Turkey 8

Finland 9Slovenia 9

Austria 8Estonia 9

Korea 9Slovak Republic 9

Belgium 8Greece 9

Sweden 9Czech Republic 9

Lithuania 10Japan 9

Germany 9Italy 8

OECD 9Iceland 10

Switzerland 9Norway 10

Spain 9Luxembourg 9

France 9Chile 8

Ireland 9Portugal 9Canada 9Mexico 9

Netherlands 9Israel 9

US 9Denmark 10Australia 11

Pr imary

Lower Secondary

5 years of schooling

Total number of compulsory instruction hours in primary and lower secondary schools

OECD, 2019

PETRA

Percentage of school leaders experiencing violence in work in Australia

2011 2014 2018Threats of violence

by studentsby parents

17.419.0

23.825.2

32.430.7

Physical violenceby studentsby parents

17.34.6

24.66.7

34.67.8

Bullyingby studentsby parents

3.112.0

3.917.8

4.421.1

Source: The Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey 2018 Data

I

Australia has one of the best school systems in the world…for some of its

children.

OECD (2018): Australia has had the largest increase in social segregation within its school system in the OECD since 2006.

UNICEF (2018):Australia has the second most unequal school system among the richest nations in the world.

STRENGTHS

The schools we need are already here.

CHALLENGES

Student achievement vs.

Child wellbeing

A majority (85%) of Australian parents think children today spend less time playing compared to when they were young.

Gonski Institute, 2019

A vast majority of parents (88%) believe that children are under pressure to grow up too quickly.

Center on Media and Child Health, 2015

It's estimated that around one in seven Australian kids experience mental health issues and about half of all serious mental health issues in adulthood begin before the age of 14.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2017

Parents’ expectations vs.

Students’ interests

Students being given opportunities to be creative at school

Students learning about the things that interest them

Students having fun at school

Gonski Institute, 2019

Public opinions on Australian schools & schooling, Deana Leahy & Neil Selwyn, Monash University, February 2019

PARENTS LEAST EXPECT FROM SCHOOL

Good schoolsvs.

Poor schools

35

40

45

50

55

60Fi

nlan

d

Swed

en

Nor

way

Irela

nd

Switz

erla

nd

Icel

and

New

Zea

land

Cana

da

Uni

ted

King

dom

Kore

a

Den

mar

k

Ger

man

y

Pola

nd

Net

herla

nds

Latv

ia

Luxe

mbo

urg

Gre

ece

Esto

nia

OEC

D a

vera

ge

Aus

tria

Slov

enia

Port

ugal

Turk

ey

Japa

n

Italy

Fran

ce

Lith

uani

a

Belg

ium

Slov

ak R

epub

lic

Spai

n

Czec

h Re

publ

ic

Uni

ted

Stat

es

Isra

el

Aus

tral

ia

Braz

il

Chile

Hun

gary

Mex

ico

%

Disadvantaged students in disadvantaged schools

OECD, 2018

“Disadvantaged students attendingadvantaged … schools score 78 points … points higher than those attendingdisadvantaged schools.”

- OECD, 2018

Since Australia has one of the most unequal education systems in developed world, the majority of opportunities for educational improvement are found in system level issues, such as fair funding, inclusive special education, and giving children voice regarding their own schooling.

OUR OPPORTUNITY

Top 3 most important issues for young Aussies

Mental health – 36%

The environment – 34%

Equity and discrimination – 25%

Source: Mission Australia Youth Survey Report 2019

ASKING DIFFERENT QUESTIONS

“Ask not is a child ready for school, ask is the school ready for

that child.”

“Ask not how smart is my child, ask how is my child smart.”

“Ask not what your school can do for you, ask what you can do for

your school.”

pasi_sahlberg

Thank you!