Today we publish the last article of a summer series in which Kimberley Botwright of the OECD Public Affairs and Communications Directorate looks at OECD work through a Shakespearean lens.
Twelve years before the start of The Tempest, Prospero the Duke of Milan, was usurped by his brother Antonio, with the help of Alonso, King of Naples. Prospero was exiled to an island, with his three-year old daughter Miranda, where he reigns over the spirit Ariel and native resident Caliban, using his magic powers and books. The play opens with a storm conjured by Prospero; designed to shipwreck Antonio and Alonso on his island. After conjuring the storm, Prospero reminds his daughter; “I have done nothing but in care of thee, / Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter.” Over the years, the play has taken on post-colonial readings; but it’s also a story about a father trying to secure a better future for his daughter.
Securing a better life for our children, family, friends and friends is something some of us might also worry about. The OECD certainly does, judging by its slogan – Better policies for better lives. But what do we mean by better? It’s probably got a lot to do with wellbeing, but how do we measure that? Surely that touches on something too difficult to define, or as Miranda says; “’Tis far off / And rather like a dream than an assurance.”
Fortunately, as part of the OECD Better Life Initiative, (you’ve probably heard about this one), the OECD How’s Life? Measuring Well-Being report presents the first international set of comparable well-being indicators. Better still, the OECD offers an interactive tool called Your Better Life Index where you can rank the 11 different dimensions of wellbeing discussed in the report according  your own personal priorities, allowing you to contribute your voice to the wellbeing debate, not only in English, but also in Spanish, French and Russian. Read more...

By Marilyn Achiron Editor, Directorate for Education and Skills. Summer in the northern hemisphere is barely over and we’re already talking about doing well in school? Not only are we talking about doing well in school, we’re talking about doing verywell in school – and in all of the three subjects that PISA assesses: reading, mathematics and science.
As this month’s PISA in Focus explains, all-rounders – students who attain proficiency Level 5 or 6 in all three assessment subjects – are rare:only 4.1% of15-year-old students meet this high standard. Why do – or should – countries care about the number of all-rounders they produce? Knowing the proportion of students who excel in these three subjects helps countries to determine the depth of their future talent pool, which has significant implications for a country’s ability to compete and grow in an increasingly information-based global economy.

Governance modes and models have a high correlation with the overall performance of education and training policies, influencing their strategic formulation and implementation.
The experience of the ETF shows that, when looking at the governance dimension of education and training, there is need to map and discuss:

• the effectiveness of VET functional settings,
• develop relevant mechanisms to ensure high-quality VET provision,
• find smart, innovative and efficient financing solutions to support VET policies within a lifelong learning perspective.

In this context, what is needed are actions and debates that target the development and enhancement of good governance, and an increased role for sub-national regions and local actors, social partners and civil society organisations in shaping education and training policies. This brings ETF partner countries closer to European efforts to increase the role of regions and ensure multi-level participation in the policymaking cycle. Such vertical and horizontal interaction can help to ensure greater effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, transparency and accountability of education and training policy in the overall strategic development of a country.