Presidential Invited Session: Launch of the 2024 GEM Report concept note on school and education leadership

Group Submission Type: Presidential Invited Sessions

Proposal

This panel will launch the concept note for the 2024 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report on the theme of school and education leadership. As the main resource for decision makers who seek comparative research and knowledge to inform their actions on inclusive and equitable quality education at national, regional and global levels, the 2024 GEM Report will draw on the most recent evidence to critically examine the theme of school and education leadership aiming to explore what skill set is required for an effective school leader and the evidence on the effect of good school leaders on learning. The first in a series of consultations involving representatives from the academic community, the launch will kick-off a series of global and regional consultations on the topic which will culminate with the launch of the 2024 GEM Report some 18 months later.

The Education 2030 Framework for Action included among its recommendations to ‘strengthen school leadership to improve teaching and learning’ including ‘through greater involvement of communities, young people and parents in the management of schools’. It acknowledged that teachers can improve student learning ‘with the support of school leaders’ and ‘need the time and space to take more initiative to work with colleagues and school leaders’. Looking at the relationship in the opposite direction, the role of education institutions for the education of future leaders was also recognized. Looking beyond school leadership, therefore, the Framework for Action also called on governments to ‘sustain political leadership on education … while ensuring a transparent and inclusive process with other key partners’. It reminded of the ‘need for stronger leadership, coordination and synergy within governments as regards education development and its integration into wider socio-economic development frameworks’. Yet the role of leadership in education remains underestimated, presenting opportunities and challenges that the report will aim to unpack.

In order to achieve inclusive and equitable quality education for all, the role of schools and their leaders is fundamental. School leaders who believe all students can learn, do not discriminate or exclude, and share their leadership can transform schools and communities. In richer countries, it has been estimated that school leadership accounts for one quarter of the difference in student outcomes that is explained by school-level variables. This makes school leadership second only to teachers as an influence on learning. As stated in an influential review, ‘there is not a single documented case of a school successfully turning around its pupil achievement trajectory in the absence of talented leadership’. The same principle applies to the higher levels of education administration: school inspectors, local education authority leaders, as well as Ministry of Education officials. Their skills both as technocrats and as managers, their values, but also their motivation can help turn around education. Yet, for many if not most countries, preparing school and education leaders has been a low priority.  

This panel discussion will feature a short overview of the rationale and framework for the 2024 GEM Report, before giving the floor to two school and education leadership specialists to share brief insights from their unique viewpoints on what constitutes effective school and education leadership, and why effective school leadership is increasingly viewed as key to large-scale education reform and to improved educational outcomes.

The remainder of the session will provoke an interactive discussion with the audience to address the following questions (to be updated to take the final format/concept note into account):

This activity aims to support policy development by providing in-depth analyses of different approaches to school leadership. In broad terms, the following key questions are being explored:

What are the roles and responsibilities of school leaders under different governance structures?

What seem to be promising policies and conditions for making school leaders most effective in improving school outcomes?

How can effective school leadership be best developed and supported? What policies and practices would be most conducive to these ends?

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Manos Antoninis, Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO

Individual Presentations

• Insights from an academic perspective - Manos Antoninis, Global Education Monitoring Report, UNESCO