Opening van de internationale conferentie 'Inspiring education'

Toespraak | 01-11-2011

Inspiring education

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Kearney,

What an honour it is to welcome you here today in The Hague.
You have come from three continents to discuss ‘inspiring education’.

It is a wonderful and multi-faceted subject. An important subject for us to share our thoughts on. Research has shown that educational systems that perform well internationally have something in common – the fact that they continually work towards making improvements. This conference will provide plenty of knowledge and expertise in this area from a large number of experts.

I am proud of the fact that your global centre for Africa, Europe and the Middle East has established its office in The Hague. The International Baccalaureate Organisation fits in seamlessly in The Hague as an international city. The Hague is home to most of the international organisations that are established in the Netherlands. And tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world live and work in the city. The Dutch Government has its seat here and the city is home to dozens of foreign embassies. The Hague is also the international centre for peace and justice; the Peace Palace is a powerful symbol of this.
And, of course, we are proud of the International School of The Hague, where 1,300 pupils between four and eighteen years of age, representing 86 different nationalities and speaking some 55 different languages, are receiving a good international education to prepare them for the future.

In the days to come, the ideas and creativity of professionals from all corners of the earth will converge at this conference. This immediately reveals that, despite differences in language and culture, people who work in education have one thing in common: the ambition to provide young people with a good education. An education that prepares young people for ‘living, learning and earning in the conceptual age’ – in her opening speech to the plenary session, Professor Erica McWilliam will tell you more about this.

Because, regardless of where your school is located in the world, your work in education presents you with this imposing challenge. We live at a time when we need to tap the talents of people more than ever. Current problems in the areas of migration, economics and climate change require education to train world citizens that will seek answers in places where no one has yet sought them. People who can think and work creatively, outside the box, and across international borders. International education can make an important contribution to meeting this challenge.

Your former Director General, George Walker, quoted from a brochure of the Washington International School a couple of years ago in a speech he gave in Stockholm. He said:

“Educating global citizens means much more than exposure to many nationalities, learning about multiple cultures, or even immersion in other languages. It requires giving students the outlook and skills that equip them with mental flexibility and a basic respect for perspectives other than their own.
(..)
A global citizen examines and respects differences, and evaluates them critically. He or she does not passively accept all ideas or philosophies. Engagement – in thought, in discussion, in active learning – is the basis for global citizenship.”

These are magnificent qualities, qualities that are indispensable in this day and age. But most young people do not develop these qualities on their own. An essential condition for enabling their innate talents to emerge is good, inspiring education. Education that brings the best out of all pupils and everything out of the best pupils. Education that challenges and inspires them. Education that gives them space, but also sets high standards. Education that shapes young people and helps them to develop their talents so that later they can position themselves in a labour market that is increasingly international in character.

As the Dutch Minister of Education, I am therefore committed to a strong foundation of knowledge and to the broad-based development of pupils. Because ‘21st century skills’ such as thinking critically and creatively, entrepreneurship, global citizenship and service-learning, do not come about in a vacuum. Learning to read, for example, is about basic skills and about gaining access to other, new worlds. Maths is about learning to solve formulas; it stimulates abstract thinking and logical reasoning. It is not a question of either-or, but rather a question of going for both.

My goal is for pupils to leave school with a solid foundation of knowledge and as socially engaged, critically thinking people. This is a part of the broad challenge for the education we provide – that young people are able to find a place for themselves in this information society and that they know they are a part of a greater whole, something bigger than themselves.

Good interaction and collaboration between Dutch and international education can make a contribution to this. Our country has more than twenty international primary and secondary schools that our government subsidises. Schools that are linked with Dutch schools. This enables teachers to share experiences. Components of the international curriculum can also be offered at the Dutch schools. These international schools may also grant Dutch pupils admission to their IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmes). In this case, these pupils take the last two classes of secondary education and earn their diploma from them. The school fees are also relatively low (compared with private international schools) and that increases accessibility to international education in our country.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I hope that this conference inspires you to take up the challenge in your home country and apply the good ideas you have encountered here. Perhaps over the days to come you will be able to discuss how you plan to accomplish this. For example, how you, as school head, can appeal to your teaching team concerning enthusiasm, commitment and ambition. And how you can interest talented young people in a career in front of the classroom. How you, as a teacher, can impart knowledge to pupils and help shape them as people – so that all pupils are given the opportunity, at their own level, to blossom. And how you can successfully continue to grow in your profession via lifelong learning.

These are all important questions because people together set the heartbeat of education. Your quality as school heads and teachers is crucial to this. Together, you make up the inspiring school environment. You are the world citizen that is working from the ideal of making the world a better place. And thus you are the role model for your pupils, for their future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that this conference will inspire you to give shape to the IBO mission in your home country:
“to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”.

And I wish the employees of the International Baccalaureate Organisation every success in building up their work. If my ministry can be of any help to you in meeting this challenge, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I hope that this conference inspires you to take up the challenge in your home country and apply the good ideas you have encountered here. Perhaps over the days to come you will be able to discuss how you plan to accomplish this. For example, how you, as school head, can appeal to your teaching team concerning enthusiasm, commitment and ambition. And how you can interest talented young people in a career in front of the classroom. How you, as a teacher, can impart knowledge to pupils and help shape them as people – so that all pupils are given the opportunity, at their own level, to blossom. And how you can successfully continue to grow in your profession via lifelong learning.

These are all important questions because people together set the heartbeat of education. Your quality as school heads and teachers is crucial to this. Together, you make up the inspiring school environment. You are the world citizen that is working from the ideal of making the world a better place. And thus you are the role model for your pupils, for their future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that this conference will inspire you to give shape to the IBO mission in your home country:
“to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”.

And I wish the employees of the International Baccalaureate Organisation every success in building up their work. If my ministry can be of any help to you in meeting this challenge, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you very much for your attention.