PASI SAHLBERG
A Finnish educator, author and scholar Pasi Sahlberg has worked as a
schoolteacher, teacher educator, researcher and policy advisor in
Finland and has studied education systems and policies around the world.
In his long career in education he has served the World Bank in
Washington, DC, the European Commission in Torino, Italy, and the OECD
as an education expert. He is an advisor to several governments about
education and chairs the Open Society Foundation’s global education
advisory board. His recent books include “Finnish Lessons 2.0: What can
the world learn from educational change in Finland” (2015) and
“FinnishED Leadership: Four Big, Inexpensive Ideas to Transform
Education” (2018). His new book with William Doyle is “Let the Children
Play: Why More Play Will Save Our Schools and Help Children Thrive”
(2019).
His professional honours and awards include the 2012 Education Award
in Finland, the 2013 Grawemeyer Award in the United States, the 2014
Robert Owen Award in Scotland, 2016 Lego Award in Denmark, and 2017
Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency. He is a former Director
General of CIMO (Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) at
the Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture in Helsinki and visiting
Professor of Practice at Harvard University’s Graduate School of
Education. Pasi is Professor of Education Policy at the Gonski Institute
for Education, University of New South Wales in Sydney.
“What it is, why it matters, and what can we do?”
All world-class education systems pay particular attention to serving all children fairly and giving them all a fair go in school. This is the key idea in equitable education. Yet, equity in education is often understood in very different ways. This presentation explores various concepts of educational equity and explains why it is so essential in improving educational performance. Importantly it will emphasise significant ways in early childhood education and care can contribute to stronger equity of outcomes and thereby improve overall educational performance.