Too high ratings and too little layout

Iceland does not show the level of education that could be expected from the capital provided in education in this country. Teachers tend to give students good grades for not so good results. This is the opinion of Andreas Schleicher, the OECD’s education director, who conducts the PISA surveys.

The results of PISA have been widely debated in this country, as they have shown increasingly deteriorating performance of Icelandic young people in international comparisons.

Schleicher is present in this country in connection with an international summit on teachers’ affairs, Istp. A journalist spoke to the German in Harpa and asked him what could be improved in the Icelandic education system.

In this connection, he calls for more planning and better structure.

The system is not bad in Iceland, it has its strength. He specifically mentions that Icelandic students are independent and generally show good psychological well -being and a good sense of social relationship.

« These are important strengths, let’s not make a difference. »

Much more ambition for states that perform better

What can you tell us about the education system of the states that have performed better in Pisa?

« It is shown much more ambition and more and more stable expectations for students. In Iceland, students often receive good grades when their performance may not be so great and it sends young people the wrong message, » says Schleicher.

He believes that teachers mean well. They may not want to be too harsh with students, but in fact they are saying that their results are nothing or that their teacher does not trust them to show ambition.

« Expectations in these states that have been doing well are great and they are stable. Then their systems are good and seem to attract the most talented teachers into demanding classrooms. You know, if you have difficult students but do not get better resources, you get better teachers.

« And the investment that these states put into good experienced teachers, for those students who are the most challenge, I think is something that matters really. »

Feel a lack of layout

You have visited Icelandic schools this week. Did you see something we are doing that we shouldn’t be doing?

« What really fascinated me was how much work teachers make efforts to find a way to each student. They seem very sensitive to the situation. »

Schleicher claims to have gone to school where many immigrants are and see the teachers really try. For example, if a student had difficulty learning language, they used music. He says he is impressed with that approach and believes it is very important.

However, he says he has missed more planning and better structure. Students do not know what they do not know and as a teacher he can appreciate a student -centered approach in Iceland.

« But the approach also has to be teacher -managed where teachers say: » Look, you may not like to learn math today, but the fact is that I know that for your future it is very important to learn math. « 

It’s something that I didn’t think was very obvious that was fine in the schools I have looked at. «