Hitendra Pillay – författare

With more than 140 countries currently offering or in transition to a kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12) school education system, this desk study explored the experiences of four countries---Mongolia, Philippines, Poland, and Turkey---and one Canadian province, Ontario, in preparing and implementing K–12 systems. Lessons learned from the five diverse jurisdictions are: (i) align the education system with macro policies, (ii) view transition to K–12 as part of a package of reforms, (iii) prioritize improving student learning, (iv) consider teacher development as critical, (v) avoid high-stakes examinations, and (vi) focus on higher order curriculum and assessments.

Early adoption of information and communication technology can allow developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to move from labor-intensive, natural resources-based to knowledge-based economies. Higher education institutions must adopt an institution-wide, holistic information and communication technology (ICT) strategy, not a project-based approach, to avoid redundancies, obsolescence, and large maintenance costs. A coordinated top-down plus bottom-up intervention is best, with three areas requiring attention: infrastructure, application software, and staff development. ICT investments in higher education institutions in support of teaching, research, and community engagement are essential for developing and retaining competitive advantage in the knowledge economy.

Higher education institutions in Asia and the Pacific, modeled on industrial age thinking that demands excellence in routinized capacities, lack the ability to innovate and create new knowledge enterprises. The transition to a knowledge economy is affecting the purpose, content, pedagogy, and methodologies of higher education. Nontraditional stakeholders such as professional bodies, industry experts, think tanks, research institutes, and field experts/practitioners are now involved not only in planning but in providing higher education services. The traditional model of "knowledge versus skills" is no longer relevant. Higher education programs must consider lived experiences, contextual knowledge, and indigenous knowledge.