Tolley meets Hague at global education summit in UK

Ministers of education from more than 65 countries gathered at the global education summit in London three weeks ago.

Anne Tolley, Minister of Education, was welcomed to the forum by the William Hague, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, as well as Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education and David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science.

In recognition of the challenges facing education systems around the world, the ministers shared thoughts, experiences and ideas on the central theme, ‘Education for Economic Success’. 

Presenters included Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, Dr Elizabeth King, director of education at the World Bank, Andreas Schleicher, head of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Professor Sir Michael Barber of McKinsey and Company and Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Dominic Savage, Director General BESA and Forum Director, said, “Education is a crucial factor in national and global economic health; a country’s strongest resource for its future economic stability and success lies with its young people. 

“In the shadow of a global economic crisis there can be no better time to focus our best efforts on education and collaboration. The Education World Forum 2011 gave us a platform to share expertise and establish a cooperative, future-proof approach to education.”

Martin Davidson, chief executive, British Council, said, “It is essential that the economic and social benefits of education are realised for as much of the world’s population as possible. 

“Having so many ministers in one place at the Education World Forum gave us a unique chance to understand the challenges we all face and to share knowledge between countries to ensure that we make the most of the opportunities ahead.”