Executive Summary - The European House

Universities
Peers
15,4
Schools
Teachers
Companies
α
30,6
32,3
Individual
γ
β
Technology
Society
31,8
Nonprofits
State
8,5
9,2
Media
The present research was carried out by The
European House - Ambrosetti on behalf of HP
Italy.
the research benefited from contributions from an advisory board comprising :
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Esko Aho (former Prime Minister of Finland; Senior Fellow, Harvard University)
Paolo Borzatta (Senior Partner, The European House - Ambrosetti)
Claudio Bassoli (Private & Public Sector VP Enterprise Group, HP Italy)
Sergio Colella (Vice President and General Manager Enterprise Services, HP Italy)
Valerio De Molli (Managing Partner, The European House - Ambrosetti)
Giacomo Frizzarin (Director, Public Administration, HP Italy)
Enrico Giovannini (Full Professor of Economic Statistics, "Tor Vergata University" of
Rome; former Italian Minister of Labor and Social Policy; former Chairman, ISTAT Italian National Institute of Statistics)
Francesco Profumo (Professor and former Dean, Turin Polytechnic; former Italian
Minister for Education, University and Research)
Stefano Venturi (Managing Director and Corporate Vice President, HP Italy)
the following people also contributed to the advisory board on behalf of hp italy:
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Mauro Colombo (Consulting Solution Manager, HP Italy)
Lorenzo Gonzales (EG Strategist EMEA, HP Italy)
Enrico Martines (Development and Training Director, HP Italy)
Antonio Menghini (Industry leader, Public Sector HP Enterprise Services, HP Italy)
Monica Vetrò (Consulting Sales Manager, HP Italy)
the working group for the european house
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- ambrosetti included :
Lorenzo Tavazzi (Director, Scenarios and Intelligence Department; Project Leader)
Pio Parma (Project Coordinator)
Rossana Bubbico
Vanessa Conti
Umberto Marengo
Michelangelo Quaglia
Simonetta Rotolo
2
we thank the following people for their external contribution and suggestions :
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Anna Maria Ajello (Chairman, INVALSI - Italy's National Institute for the Evaluation
of the Education System)
Valentina Aprea (Councillor for Education, Lombardy Region)
Anna Ascani (Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Member
of VII Commission "Culture, Science and Education" - Democratic Party)
Dianora Bardi (Vice President, “Impara Digitale” Association; teacher, Liceo
Scientifico "F. Lussana" in Bergamo)
Peter Baur (Deputy Head of Unit 'Higher Education and Innovation, Entrepreneurship,
EIT' at the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture)
Giovanni Biondi (Chairman, INDIRE - National Institute of Documentation,
Innovation and Educational Research)
Frieda Brioschi (President, “Impara Digitale” Association; Founder and former
President, Wikimedia Italy)
Ilaria Capua (Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament, Scelta
Civica, Vice-President of VII Commission "Culture, Science and Education")
Alessandra Cenerini (President, Association of Italian Teachers – ADI Scuola)
Daniele Checchi (Full Professor of Labor Economics, University of Milan)
Paolo Coppola (Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament
and Member of the IX Commission “Transport, Post and Telecommunications” Democratic Party)
Luca De Biase (Editor and Director of Nòva24, Il Sole 24 Ore; Chairman, AHREF
Foundation)
Rajeeb Dey (CEO & Founder, Enternship.com; co-Founder Startup Brit, UK)
Gianluca Dettori (Founder and Chairman, DPixel)
Paolo Donzelli (Manager - Studies and projects for digital innovation-Public
Administration Department digitization and technological innovation; Manager,
Italian Digital Agenda)
Fiona Fanning (Secretary General of CEPIS - Council of European Professional
Informatics Societies)
Ernesto Galli Della Loggia (Professor of Contemporary History, Italian Institute of
Human Sciences; Columnist, "Il Corriere della Sera”)
David Gann (Professor of Innovation and Technology Management and founder of
the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group, Imperial College London, UK)
Andrea Gavosto (Director, Giovanni Agnelli Foundation)
Salvatore Giuliano (Dean, ITIS “Majorana” in Brindisi; founder, "Book in Progress”
project)
Claudio Gentili (Director of Education, Confindustria) with Antonio Balsamo, Silvia
Matranga e Carmela Mazza (Confindustria Education)
Roberto Gulli (Chairman, Pearson Italy)
John Higgins (Director-General, DIGITALEUROPE)
Randall S. Jones (Head of Japan - South Korea Desk, OECD - Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development)
Maria Letizia Melina (Director General for studies, statistics and information
systems, Department for the planning and management of human resources,
financial and instrumental, Ministry of Education, University and Research)
Giovanni Menduni (Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano; former ICT and
environmental sustainability area manager, Municipality of Florence)
Alfonso Molina (Scientific Director, Mondo Digitale Foundation; President Delegate
of the group for the coordination of multi-sectoral Network on Educational Robotics
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in Italy)
Roberto Moriondo (Director of the "University, Research and Innovation"
Department, Piedmont Region)
Mauro Nori (Director-General, INPS - Italy's National Institute for Social Security)
Michele Pellizzari (Professor of Economics, University of Geneva, Switzerland;
former Economist, OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development)
Furio Pesci (Associate Professor of the History of Pedagogy, University "La Sapienza"
of Rome; Chairman of the Scientific Committee, Italian Montessori Foundation)
Federico Pizzarotti (Mayor, Municipality of Parma)
Xavier Prats Monné (Deputy Director-General for Education and Culture, European
Commission)
Giulio Occhini (Director-General, AICA - Italian Association for Informatics and
Automated Calculus)
Luigi Proserpio (Professor and chairman of BETA, Bocconi Education and Teaching
Alliance, Bocconi University of Milan)
Giovanni Puglisi (President, Italian National Commission for UNESCO; former Vice
Chairman, CRUI - Conference of Rectors of Italian Universities)
Agostino Quadrino (CEO and Editorial Director, Garamond)
Stefano Quintarelli (Member of the Chamber of Deputies, member of the XIV
Commission “EU Policies” and of the Committee for Communication and External
Information - Scelta Civica)
Agostino Ragosa (former Director General, Italian Agency for the Digital Agenda)
Gianfranco Rebora (Professor, University "Carlo Cattaneo - LIUC" of Castellanza)
Roberto Reggi (Under-Secretary of State for Education, Italian Ministry of Education,
University and Research; former Mayor, Municipality of Piacenza)
André Richier (Policy Officer at Key Enabling Technologies and Digital Economy Unit,
DG Enterprise and Industry, European Commission)
Gianfelice Rocca (President, Assolombarda; former Vice President for Education,
Confindustria)
Marco Rossi Doria (Senator, former Under-Secretary of State, Italian Ministry of
Education, University and Research)
Paolo Schgör (ECDL & EUCIP Certifications Manager, AICA - Italian Association for
Informatics and Automated Calculus)
Debora Serracchiani (President, Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region)
Lucilla Sioli (Head of "Knowledge Base" Unit, European Commission's DirectorateGeneral Communications Networks, Content and Technology)
Andrea Sironi (Rector and Full Professor of Finance, Bocconi University of Milan)
Marco Steinberg (Founder, Snowcome; former Director of Strategic Design, Finnish
Innovation Fund SITRA, Finland)
4
The European House - Ambrosetti takes full responsibility for the contents of this report.
The research does not necessarily reflect the views of the interviewees or the members
of the Advisory Board
© HP Italia and The European House - Ambrosetti – 2014
5
10 key points of the study
1.
Education aims at developing and teaching knowledge and mental, social and behavioral faculties of an individual. Economic theory and the information available recognize the fundamental role played by human capital in determining the
performance levels of a national economy: life-long learning for an individual is,
therefore, a key question in the development of every country.
2.
Modern societies are undergoing an epoch-making transitional phase from the
"industrial" societies of the 20th century to the "digital" societies of the 21st. This
transition calls for a profound transformation in the modalities, content and roles
the various players occupy within the education system.
3.
In light of the characteristics of our modern age, an effective educational system
must have as its priorities:
—— Providing individuals with the tools and ability to understand themselves, society and the context around them and - above all - be able to decide how to
manage their own lives;
—— Guaranteeing the "democratization of education" through minimizing distinctions on all levels (family context, social, physical or psychological conditions, etc.);
—— Creating the (cultural and operational) conditions to assure employability of
individuals throughout their entire lives;
—— Guaranteeing that competences, values and knowledge are internalized (and,
at the same time, that they are relevant to the current context);
—— Preparing citizens who are truly "aware";
—— Creating a broad-based culture of the value of education that promotes greater recognition of the importance of human capital.
4.
The educational model for the 21st century must provide for a substantial paradigm
shift aimed at fostering: a) elaboration of knowledge and transmission of competences ("experimental learning"); b) continuous learning capable of making the most of
all formal and informal experiences (ubiquitous learning); c) central role of the student in the learning process through multi-channel teaching which takes advantage of
peer-to-peer relationships; d) constant interactivity in lessons to promote enhanced
student interest and involvement; d) greater personalization of academic and study
programs, together with greater responsibility and independence.
6
5.
Technology is an enabling factor in the innovation of educational models. Widespread application of digital instruments can revolutionize teaching methods, the
way content is produced and shared, the time and places for learning and individual learning paths.
6.
On an international level, the most advanced societies are implementing integrated strategies to adopt technologies in the educational system - first and foremost in pre-university education that is the central nexus point - through: a) the
creation and upgrading of network infrastructures; b) the supply of digital equipment to those working in the schools; c) the application of tools and services for
the sharing and creating of teaching content; d) the creation of training programs
for teachers who adopt new learning models.
7.
The Italian education system has widespread problems, including: a) low results
in international tests (Italy is 22nd out of the 34 OECD countries taking part in the
OECD PISA test); b) low literacy rates (46% of the population between 25 and 64
years of age do not have a secondary school diploma); c) significant geographical differences in terms of management and performance of the school system
(strong divide between Central/Northern and Southern Italy); d) low skill levels of
university graduates (the average skill levels of Italian university graduates are
equivalent to Japanese and Finnish high school graduates); e) low levels of lifelong learning (in 2013, only 6.2% of Italians between 15 and 64 years of age took
part in life-long learning, compared with the EU28 average of 10.4%).
8.
The problems in the education system impact on the (economic and social) competitiveness of Italy, with the risk of progressive marginalization compared with
more dynamic situations on an international level. Some of the "indicators" include: high levels of youth unemployment and impoverishment of human capital;
low social mobility; lack of attractiveness of Italy and its economy; limited general
digital skills and low level of "digital citizenship"; low level of innovation and marginal role of the digital economy.
9.
Over the last decade, Italy has implemented a series of innovation and digitalization processes in the education system (e.g., the National Digital School Program
introduced in 2007). These processes encountered obstacles that have limited
their impact: lack of transparent tools for evaluating teacher and school performance; low level of innovation in teaching models and syllabuses, also because
of the high average age of teachers (more than 60% of tenured teachers are over
age 50); low investment in education; inadequacy of school buildings and hightech equipment (55% of the buildings are pre-1974 and over 50% of classrooms
do not have an Internet connection); lack of a long-term perspective regarding the
processes of change.
10.
The transition in the Italian education system, starting from pre-university level,
must be guided by a long-term vision that is supported in a consistent way by public
bodies and shared social commitment. Key elements for success are the presence of
strong pressure and awareness of education-related issues, introduction of more dynamic and incentive-based assessment systems, and investment into modernizing
school architecture.
7
Guidelines and proposals for Italy
guideline 1
Make education a process that extends throughout an individual's entire life
through the development of a national life-long learning system, creating incentives for
companies that offer professional training and institutionalizing a national account system
for life-long learning and use of schools as local centers for life-long learning.
guideline 2
Render the organization of the education system more efficient through: i)
increased autonomy for schools in recruiting teachers and experimenting with new
teaching models; ii) development of a national school assessment system; iii) creation of a
national educational network for sharing content; iv) establishment in schools (or groups
of schools) of a Chief Innovation Officer to promote introduction of new technologies and
teacher training.
guideline 3
Ensure upgrading and professional development of teachers and restore them
to a central role in society, while basing the teacher recruiting process on criteria of
competitiveness and merit to supersede the current system based on seniority (introduction
of new tools to assess knowledge, competences and psychological attitudes, including among the entry requirements - a good knowledge of English, computer basics, pedagogy,
etc.) and setting up wage-based incentive mechanisms.
guideline 4
Create student-focused learning environments, by remodeling school
environments to foster cooperative and interactive learning, promoting teaching methods
based on developing competences through inserting into the syllabus new subjects (e.g.,
computer sciences, coding, financial education, entrepreneurship) by involving outside
stakeholders and introducing student assessment systems utilizing peer-to-peer methods
and standardized tests.
guideline 5
Help families to have a more inclusive and informed role by offering more
transparent and accessible information to guide education choices, while at the same time
stimulating competition between schools (through voucher systems or subsidies) and
providing for fiscal incentives for donations to educational institutions ("education bonus").
8
proposal 1
Promote a new architectural approach for educational environments (both new
and remodeled schools) suitable for experimental learning, according to the following
criteria: i) adaptability and flexibility of learning spaces for formal and informal education
and inclusive of tools and infrastructure for the digital school; ii) sustainability (low
maintenance costs, energy efficiency, quality of location, etc.); iii) multi-function usage of
school spaces with "open" fruition throughout the day via integrating traditional school
activities with social ("civic center") and business activities (schools as collective learning
centers for adult education courses). In preparation, a coordinated system of governance
and management of financial resources must be established.
proposal 2
Test a concept - with the goal of using it as a reference model for the process
of modernizing Italian schools - that integrates modern teaching methods, technological
solutions (within the classroom, the school and between schools) and new architectures of
educational environments on the basis of the following guiding principles: i) integrability
of technological solutions with open standards (allowing the use and potential sharing of
equipment currently in-place in Italian schools); ii) continuous evaluation of the testing
with active and real-time feedback mechanisms for teachers and school administrators;
iii) management of the transition period using an open network model organized in "hubs"
with a "tutor" role for schools that are further along in testing; iv) forward thinking taking
advantage of modern Big Data analytic methods available today to understand future
employment and professional requirements in the society.
The "EduSTART" project ("School TArgeted to Reshape our Tomorrow") — starting
from a group of three pilot regions according to a scalable and flexible approach, is designed
to create a secure, open platform for sharing and gathering of content, the integration of
modern teaching methods with new technologies and new educational environments, and
the creation of a system to train teachers and assess the testing process.
proposal 3
Create a "National Education Prize" to be awarded annually by the President of the
Republic of Italy to the highest-performing schools, teachers and principals, through: i)
management and financing from (primarily) private sources; ii) selection by an independent,
non-partisan jury composed of preeminent individuals; iii) awarding on the basis of criteria
set in advance and which respond to priority themes regarding the improvement of
education in Italy; iv) creation of a prize of a substantial sum to a limited number of the
best schools (e.g., five) and teachers and principals (e.g., ten).
9
Education for the 21st century:
the driver of a new renaissance
and competitiveness for Italy
Executive Summary
The starting point: how Italy’s education system performs
in an international comparison
South Korea
Finland
540
Japan
Canada
520
The Netherlands
Belgium
New Zealand
Germany
Australia
United Kingdom
Sweden
France
500
United States
480
Italy
Norway
460
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Normalized test results (index number) of students in selected countries
(Source: Ripley A., “The smartest kids in the world and how they got that way”, 2013)
10
Modernizing the Italian educational system
is a strategic priority for the nation
1.
Economic theory recognizes the fundamental role played by human capital in determining the performance levels of a national economy. In fact, available evidence shows that
countries with better political and social systems also have high levels of human capital.
7%
GDP growth, average 2000-2013
Singapore
R = 0.5148
6%
5%
South Korea
4%
3%
United States
2%
1%
Finland
Japan
Denmark
0%
-1%
Canada
United Kingdom
Germany
France
Italy
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
540
550
560
PISA test score, average 2000-2012
Figure 1 – Correlation between PISA - OECD test (average 2000-2012) and economic growth (average
growth rate 2000-2013) (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti based on OECD and IMF data, 2014)
Therefore, life-long learning for an individual - and thus the quality and efficacy of the
educational system - is a key question for the economic and social development of every
country. Italy, in this, must undertake a delicate transition phase.
2.
As of today, 46% of Italians between 25 and 64 years of age do not have a secondary
school diploma, a percentage nearly double the OECD average (27%). For young adults
25 to 34 years old, this figure is also very high: 30%, compared with the OECD average
of 19%.
3.
This situation has direct impact on the qualification level of the workforce. Fewer than
two workers out of ten have a university degree (17.9% of the working population,
compared with 29.4% in Singapore, 33.7% in France or 38.2% in Finland).
46
25-64
30
24
14
14
16
18
19
OECD average
15
United Kingdom
United States
27
France
10
26
Denmark
8
12
Finland
South Korea
2
11
Canada
12
18
Germany
20
30
Italy
25-34
Figure 2 – Percentage of the population aged 25-34 and 25-64 that does not have a secondary school
diploma, 2013 (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti based on OECD data, 2014)
11
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4.
The school-leaving rate is one of the highest in Europe (especially in the south of Italy),
double, for example, that in France or Germany.
This is particularly evident—and an indication of a more general problem of real social
integration—when foreign residents are taken into consideration. Education of 18-yearold of non-Italian nationality resident in Italy is 57.8% (2012), over 21 percentage points
below those of Italian nationality of the same age.
5.
Italy manifests significant gaps—including major geographical variations—also in the
competences acquired by the population:
—— In the most recent PISA test (2012), Italy ranked 22nd out of 34 survey participants,
with a gap of over 15 points from the average.
—— The results of Italians with a secondary school diploma are in line with those of
Japanese or Finns with just a middle school education.
6.
Life-long learning is also lacking in Italy:
—— In 2013, 6.2% of Italians between the ages of 15 and 64 took part in learning
experiences, compared with an EU28 average of 10.4%;
—— Overall, in the last twelve years, life-long learning in Italy was more than 30% lower
than European levels.
7.
The problems in the educational system have direct impact on the (economic and
social) competitiveness of Italy, with the risk of progressive marginalization compared
with more dynamic situations on an international level. Some of the “indicators” include:
—— The phenomenon of youth unemployment has taken on alarming proportions: in
2013, 25% of Italians between the ages of 15 and 29 were not involved in school,
work or professional training activities (compared with 11% in Germany), with a
social cost estimated at 2% of GDP.
—— Education is struggling to be an effective social escalator. A proxy for this
phenomenon is intergenerational income elasticity. In Italy, 50% of the income of
children depends on that of their parents. In Denmark or Finland it is 15%.
—— The innovation rate is low. According to the latest (2014) European Commission
European Innovation Scoreboard, Italy ranks (as it has for over ten years) within the
“moderate innovator” group.
—— High-growth sectors of the knowledge economy, which require specific training and
constant updating of acquired competences, are penalized.
—— The importance of the “digital economy” is also low: less than 5.0% of GDP, two
points below the European average and significantly distant from the level (9%) of
France and the United Kingdom. In addition, the digital skills of approximately 50%
of the workforce are inadequate, 12 points above the EU28 average.
―
Similarly, the level of participation and digital citizenship (e-citizenship) is limited:
––
34% of Italians declare they have never used the Internet, 13 percentage
points higher than the European average (21%).
––
The extent of the population interacting electronically with the Public
Administration is 21%, half that of the European average.
Structural problems that slow modernization
8.
Italy has widespread problems on various levels of the educational system. In particular,
the national school system—the nexus of an individual’s learning experience—manifests
a series of structural problems, the main ones being:
Standards and incentive systems for teachers.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
—— The lack of an established mechanism providing for the entry of new teachers into
the system has created a situation in which Italian teachers are among the oldest
among OECD countries. More than 61% of the Italian teaching force is over 50 years
old, compared with the OECD average of 35.7%.
—— Teachers are selected through nationwide competitive exams which are
predominantly content-based and do not take into account sufficiently the
teaching aptitude of candidates.
—— There is no system which provides significant incentive for career advancement
among teachers who meet set performance levels or demonstrate marked
managerial ability.
—— There are no formal programs to guarantee opportunities for real on-going training
and refresher courses.
Lack of innovation in teaching models and out-dated curricula. An OECD survey
reports that over 50% of Italian teachers say they prefer traditional teaching models
based on classroom lectures and low level of student participation.
Low (and diminishing) level of investment. In Italy, total spending on education is 4.7%
of GDP, compared with an average of 6.3% in OECD countries, with a total impact on
public expenditure of 8.9%, compared with the OECD average of 13%.
61.9
OECD average
Finland
39.9
Italy
36.7
Germany
35.7
Denmark
33.6
United States
United Kingdom
31.8
France
27.5
30.7
Japan
26.4
South Korea
21.3
Canada
49.7
Figure 3 – Percentage of teachers over 50 years of age (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti based on
OECD data, 2014)
Inadequacy of school buildings and high-tech equipment.
—— Of the over 44,000 school buildings: 55% are over 30 years old and have not been
upgraded to new energy efficiency standards, 47% have not been declared building
code compliant and 36% require extraordinary maintenance work.
—— In terms of high-tech equipment, over 50% of Italian classrooms do not have an
Internet connection and there is one laptop with Internet connection for every 125
students, compared with the European average of 14.
Inefficient evaluation and orientation tools. Italy lacks a comprehensive and
transparent national system for assessing academic results, students and teachers
which could stimulate positive competition and differentiation of criteria for allocation of
funds, and allow families and students to make more informed choices.
9.
Over the last fifty years, the Italian educational system, in particular pre-tertiary
schooling, has undergone a series of structural reforms. A number of initiatives have also
been launched recently to update teaching content and models, restructure the system
13
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
on a more autonomous basis and stimulate the spread of digital technologies. These
processes encountered obstacles that have limited their impact:
—— Lack of a long-term view of change;
—— Self-referential nature of the school system;
—— Widespread resistance to transparent assessment;
—— Lack of effective incentive measures for teachers;
—— Gap in technological skills in the education sector;
—— Economic constraints;
—— Lack of involvement of stakeholders (families, workplace, etc.).
Our proposal for a vision of education in the 21 st century
10. Education aims at developing and teaching knowledge and mental, social and behavioral
faculties of an individual. Its goals and methods are closely tied to the historic and
cultural context.
11. It is a collaborative process which places the individual at the center and is fed by the
on-going interaction between numerous formal and informal players. Therefore, for the
best results to be obtained, existing relations must be optimized (in terms of quality
and intensity) among all the system’s players (“stakeholders”).
Family
School
Peers
Individual
University
Media/social
media
World of work
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Figure 4 – Players in the Italian educational system (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti, 2014)
12. Education must impact in a combined and organic manner—on the basis of timeframes
and modes differentiated according to the stage of life—on a series of elements that
permeate the individual on various levels:
—— allowing for the formation and sedimentation of knowledge and competences
14
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
with a view to the future and not the present;
—— communicating values and principles (such as responsibility, respect, integrity,
etc.);
—— promoting the development of individual attitudes;
—— shaping the behavior of the individual in a positive way.
13. In light of the characteristics of our modern age and the special aspects related to Italy,
an effective educational system must have as its priorities:
—— Providing individuals with the tools and ability to understand themselves, society
and the context around them and—above all—be able to decide how to manage
their own lives.
—— Guaranteeing the “democratization of education” by minimizing distinctions on all
levels (family context, social, physical or psychological conditions, etc.).
—— Creating the (cultural and operational) conditions to assure employability of
individuals throughout their entire lives.
—— Guaranteeing that competences, values and knowledge are internalized (and, at
the same time, that they are relevant to the current context).
—— Preparing citizens who are truly “aware”.
—— Creating a broad-based culture of the value of education that promotes greater
recognition of the importance of human capital.
Values
(principles)
Skills/aptitudes
(natural abilities)
Literacy
Problem solving
Responsibility
Creativity
Active citizenship
Numeracy
and math
Lateral thinking
Respect
Curiosity
Positive motivation
Entrepreneurship
Integrity
Sociability
Team working
Care
Flexibility
Intercultural
engagement
Communication
(also in foreign
languages)
Harmony
Adaptability
Sense of initiative
Digital interaction
Dignity
of labor
Self-regulation
(control,
confidence)
…
Leadership
Perseverance
…
…
Science and
technology
Logic
Foreign
languages
…
Learning to learn
Behaviors
…
Acquisition
Competences
Activation
Knowledge
Using
Country
social system
Family
background
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Figure 5 – Elements in the education of an individual (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti, 2014)
14. An ecosystem for continuous individual improvement must be created. This requires
an effective governance system:
—— at a central level, the infrastructures required, goals and guidelines must be defined
to orient the vision for education;
—— at a local level, an adequate level of autonomy (schools, local government, etc.)
must be guaranteed within the context of implementing the above-mentioned
guidelines.
15. The vision for education in the 21st century we propose is:
15
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Education must be a multichannel and interactive system which allows the individual to
exploit all formal and informal experiences (“ubiquitous learning”) that form the knowledge,
behaviors, skills and self-empowerment necessary to life, promoting continuous personalized
and experiential learning paths and actively connecting formal schooling with societal
stakeholders (family, peers, companies, media).
16. For this vision to be realized, a major contribution is offered by digital and information
technologies which represent an enabling factor for new teaching modes and new
models of interaction.
Five Guidelines for Italy
Guideline 1
Make education a process that extends
throughout an individual’s entire life
17. The learning process of each individual is not limited to the years spent within the system
of compulsory schooling and university.
Italy should develop and establish a national life-long learning system, also drawing
on the most successful experiences in other countries. Management of this system could
be entrusted to an “Institute for Life-Long Learning” which would implement synergic
activities, including:
—— Devising incentive mechanisms for companies to provide professional upgrading
and training on the basis of a shared worker development program.
—— Institutionalizing a national account system for life-long learning to centrally
manage individual learning records and provide compensation/contributions for
eligible learning expenses.
—— Utilizing available school spaces and capabilities as local centers for life-long
learning.
It is fundamental that these functions aim at putting individuals in the position of always
being able to “understand their own time” and not be limited only to providing training
on new tools (computers, techniques, etc.) for job retraining.
Guideline 2
Render the organization of the educational system more efficient
18. The organization—quality and functionality—of the educational system is something
absolutely key to any development initiative. Efficiency must be re-established by acting
on a number of integrated levels:
—— Full implementation of school autonomy must be granted, as already provided
by law involving administrative, educational organizational aspects, extending it to
the selection of teachers (including direct recruiting) and to experimentation of new
teaching methods with specific assessment.
—— A comprehensive and transparent national system for school assessment must
be developed with public rankings accessible to families and stakeholders. On a
technological level, this system should also take advantage of the opportunities
offered by Big Data analytics.
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—— A “national education network” should be created (including the necessary
technological platforms) to allow schools, teachers and students to share learning
content and best practices in a secure, protected environment.
—— To foster the gradual introduction of new technologies and create new generations
of “agents of change”, it is suggested that the role of Chief Innovation Officer be
introduced into the educational system. This role should be created on a district
level or for a network of schools, but selected on a nationwide basis (for example,
choosing candidates from among those with a research doctorate) and subject to a
series of pre-training activities and training throughout his/her professional career.
Guideline 3
Ensure upgrading and professional development of teachers and restore
them to a central role in society
19. Teachers are the central players in the educational system. It is necessary to guarantee
the conditions that allow them to carry out their sensitive role in the best possible way.
For this reason:
—— A competitive, merit-based recruiting process should be set up on the basis of
evaluation of knowledge, competences and psychological attitudes. Given the
high average age of teachers and future retirement of current teachers over the
next twenty years, it is fundamental that suitable tests for evaluating the capacity
levels of would-be teachers be drawn up, through detailed definition of new entry
requirements (e.g., knowledge of English, computer basics, pedagogical theory,
etc.).
—— It is recommended that pre-service training and professional updating programs
be made compulsory.
—— A more incentive-based pay system for teachers should be created allowing
substantial differentiation on the basis of responsibilities, management skills and
teaching performance (measured also through reputational mechanisms).
—— Italy should set as a goal enhancing the social prestige of the teaching profession.
One tool for this could be the promotion of open communities—both physical and
on the Net—in which high-skilled teachers can act as “mentors” of other teachers
and students. Further aid could come from the world of communications and
media with, for example, launching of reality shows and innovative formats which
communicate in a positive way the value of the profession and provide role models.
Guideline 4
Create student-focused learning environments
20. To more effectively respond to changes in society and its needs, innovations must be
made in the approach to education. For this:
—— Promoting student-centered teaching methods that are based on creating
competences and which allow for more personalized, interactive and cooperative
learning paths is crucial.
—— At the same time, there must be an analogous renewal of content, by updating
school curricula and including new subjects relevant to contemporary society
(computer sciences and coding, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, financial
education, etc.).
—— The dialogue between school and business must be strengthened not only
through teaching of subjects that prepare young people for the workplace, but
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also introduction in the last years of secondary school of job orientation activities
(training periods, apprenticeships, etc.).
—— More rigorous student evaluation systems should be introduced, balancing peerto-peer assessment and standardized tests.
—— The architecture of school environments (classrooms, common areas,
technologies utilized, etc.) must be reshaped on the basis of new learning models
and their potential use as venues for life-long learning courses.
Guideline 5
Assist families in having a role that is more inclusive and aware
21. Families play a primary role in education. It is essential that the school-parent
partnership be reinforced through:
—— Greater involvement of families in setting school programs.
—— Making information about school characteristics (curricula, extra-curricular
activities, teaching methods, etc.) easily available, thus allowing for more
informed choices.
—— Providing tools to access the best educational institutions, thus increasing
competition among schools, for example a voucher system or other educationrelated subsidies.
—— Introducing fiscal incentives for donations to educational institutions (“education
bonus”), including reviewing existing laws beforehand to make these instruments
actually possible.
Three operational proposals to stimulate change
Proposal 1
Promote a new architectural approach for educational environments
It is proposed to adopt, starting from new buildings or those under renovation, new
architecture for educational environments that is suitable for experimental learning, through
the development of new concepts based on the following criteria:
–– Adaptability and flexibility of learning spaces for formal and informal education and
inclusive of tools and infrastructure for the digital school.
–– Sustainability (low maintenance costs, energy efficiency, quality of location, etc.).
–– Multi-function usage of school spaces with “open” fruition throughout the day via integrating traditional school activities with social (“civic center”) and business activities (thus
attracting private investment). In particular, it is suggested that school buildings be made
places for collective learning, also open afternoons and evenings for adult education
classes (learning by doing).
To meet this goal, it is also proposed that a coordinated system of governance and management of resources be created, including through a dedicated fund with annual targets
for maintenance and new building, and a rigorous monitoring system, to guarantee that the
funds are earmarked and allocated on the basis of long-term priorities and to optimize all
channels (both public and private) from which resources can be obtained.
22. The reasoning behind this proposal is to:
—— Respond to the need to modernize the structure of educational environments
in Italy (while at the same time responding to the emergency of rendering them
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safe) that are not suitable for meeting the challenges of new teaching and learning
models.
—— Take advantage of the opportunities to rationalize and optimize public spending for
school construction, including in light of the local government reforms currently
underway.
Proposal 2
Launch experimentation in schools of an innovative comprehensive
education model (“EduSTART” project 1)
It is proposed to test a concept—with the goal of using it as a reference model for the
process of modernizing Italian schools—that integrates modern teaching methods,
technological solutions (within the classroom, the school and between schools) and
new architectures of educational environments on the basis of the following
guiding principles:
–– Integrability of technological solutions with open standards (allowing the use and potential sharing of equipment currently in-place in Italian schools).
–– Continuous evaluation of the testing with active and real-time feedback mechanisms
for teachers and school administrators.
–– Management of the transition period using an open network model organized in
“hubs” with a “tutor” role for schools that are further along in testing.
–– Forward thinking taking advantage of modern Big Data analytic methods available
today for data regarding current and future job market trends to understand employment
and professional requirements in the society.
23. The proposal aims to present—and test—a model for innovation of the Italian educational
system that makes it possible to go beyond the current problem areas, specifically:
—— In recent years, a number of experimental initiatives have been launched but
without a comprehensive vision of an innovation model and without any systematic
assessment of results;
—— Teachers are not sufficiently supported in their role with instruments and models
that are developed (and verified) according to a “bottom-up” logic (from periphery
to center);
—— The educational system remains self-referential and struggles to involve other
stakeholders (students, families, businesses, etc.).
Broad outlines of the “EduSTART” project
The project is based on the use of new, innovative “digital embedded” teaching models
and currently-available solutions and technologies that can be integrated with equipment
already in use in schools according to the principles of inter-operability and re-use of existing
resources.
The vision is to create a school that is “open and interconnected”. The key element
is the paradigm of a new education model based on the “network effect” in which the
“connected elements” are not just schools, but also teachers, students and families, and
whose value increases exponentially with each new element: a system that enables both the
democratization of education and a system of continuous improvement.
Testing has been designed according to a scalable and flexible approach, with continuous
assessment processes. The goal is to launch the test in academic year 2015-16 in three pilot
1
"START" stands for "School TArgeted to Reshape our Tomorrow".
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regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Piedmont have already declared their interest
in taking part.
Initially, the project will focus on middle and secondary schools, with a target of 12-15
scholastic institutions per region, this number increasing progressively. The perspective, in
general, is to integrate the entire “education supply chain”, including also elementary school
and university levels.
The EduSTART project aims at offering teachers, students, school administrators and
families innovative services and instruments with value added, in three main ways:
–– acceleration of the adoption of ICT solutions in schools through a technology that is lowcost and easy-to-use and -manage;
–– creation of a secure, open platform for sharing, communicating and gathering content
and services developed specifically, co-produced or acquired on-line;
–– ability to analyze so-called Big Data which aim at providing concrete decision-making
support to stakeholders in the educational system.
The technological architecture behind the EduSTART project calls for the connection to the
system of any type of device through the connection available at the moment, according to
the BYOD (“Bring Your Own Device”) principle.
As suggested in guideline 2, specialized professionals - Chief Innovation Officers - could
be introduced into schools (or groups of schools) to promote and follow this transition and
train school personnel.
The project is designed to be part of current initiatives of the Italian Ministry of Education,
Universities and Research for the development of digital content and platforms within the
educational system. Therefore, it will be possible to make use of synergies with alreadyexisting programs and initiatives on the digital front, or related to digital technologies in the
schools.
Proposal 3
Create a National Education Prize
It is proposed that a “National Education Prize” be created to be awarded annually in Italy to
the highest-performing schools, teachers and principals, according to the following criteria:
–– It should be run and financed (predominantly) by the private sector, including crowdfunding schemes and tax deductions for donations.
–– It should have an independent, non-partisan jury composed of preeminent individuals.
–– It should be awarded on the basis of criteria set in advance and which respond to priority
themes regarding the improvement of education in Italy.
–– It calls for the awarding of a prize of a substantial sum to a limited number of the best
schools (e.g., five) and teachers and principals (e.g., ten).
–– It will have the recognition of the President of the Republic of Italy.
24. The logic behind this proposal is based on two elements:
—— Stimulating change in the Italian educational system means promoting strong
social pressure;
—— One instrument for generating this pressure is the creation of “events” that have
high-visibility and -impact for public opinion that are able to catalyze debate and
trigger emulation.
Strategic goals for Italy regarding education
25. Modernization of the national educational system must include the definition of a
strong, long-term vision of education which, in turn, is connected to and coherent with
the broader vision of the future of Italy. This will serve to:
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—— Provide national control to guide and coordinate with clear-cut roles, functions and
powers.
—— Rationalize and optimize existing and future initiatives.
—— Define and implement shared rules, standards and priorities that are binding,
irrespective of changes in government.
—— Bring together the special interests of the public and private sector, both on a
national and local level.
—— Bring together the expertise from a range of sectors (legislative, technological,
etc.) required to successfully manage the transition.
26. This vision must be substantiated by quantitative goals, consistent with national
priorities, to be met over the medium/long-term (no less than a period of 5-7 years),
for example: inclusiveness, efficiency, life-long learning, competence acquisition and
“democratization” of education, and innovation.
These goals, detailed by area, must be shared with all stakeholders and communicated
to the general public.
Dimension
5/7-year target
Impact
Inclusiveness
Halve the drop out ratio and NEET
number
+360,000 young people
(18-20 y.o.) completing compulsory
education
Decrease in NEETs by 1.17 mln
Effectiveness
85% of population with at least
secondary or tertiary education
100% secondary school finalists
and pre-finalists involved in work
training initiative
+975,000 people (25-34 y.o.)
with at least secondary education
≈900,000 students taking part in
apprenticeships
Life long learning
Lining up with EU’s average
+1.6 mln people 25-64 y.o.
attending training activities each
year
Competence acquisition
and “democratization”
of education
Lining up with PISA and PIAAC
best performers
+28 points in the average PISA score
Innovation
100% interconnectivity of schools
+2,500 schools connect
to the internet
+42 points in the average PIAAC
score
Figure 6 – Examples of strategic goals for education in Italy. N.B.: the estimate of impacts is based on
figures from 2014 (Source: The European House - Ambrosetti, 2014)
FROM AN INDUSTRIAL TO A DIGITAL SOCIETY: AN OUTLINE
OF CHANGES IN THE EDUCATIONAL MODELS
27. Contemporary societies are undergoing profound change. New needs and expectations
are emerging which modern governments are called upon to meet, including through
structural and organizational innovations. The educational system has a priority role in
this process.
28. Today, digital and communications technologies represent an element of integration
for daily life. Continuous interaction with ICT technologies is sociologically and culturally
changing our way of living and interacting.
29. In the vanguard of social-cognitive change are digital natives, i.e., those generations
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born and raised in the mid-1990s in a context in which these technologies were already
diffuse. Their mode of learning, knowing and communicating is structurally different.
30. Alongside digital natives, two other phenomena—driven by globalization and
technological acceleration—are shaping the contemporary context:
—— The consolidation of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural societies which require
greater levels of flexibility and integration of national structures on all levels, not
least of which the educational system;
—— The development of the digital economy, with high-technology and highknowledge level sectors which, in an increasing and transversal way (commixing
with traditional sectors), contribute to creating the Gross Domestic Product,
thus transforming traditional value chains and requiring new competences and
specializations.
6.7% of population
in Italy – 4.1 mln
– New cognitive characteristics
– New modes of social relations
– Different ways of organizing life
Knowledge and
digital economy
Multiculturalism
and multiethnicity
786,000 foreign students
(x 3 over the last 10
years)
Technological advancements
Globalization
Digital natives
4.8% of Italy’s GDP
– Brain circulation
– Global values and beliefs
– Diversity as an asset
–
–
–
–
–
Brain- and creativity- intensive
Interdisciplinary competences
New skills for the job
New models of production and labor
High mobility of productive factors
Figure 7 - Digital natives, digital economy and multi-ethnicity in Italy (Source: The European House Ambrosetti based on a number of sources, 2014)
31. The traditional education model, especially in relation to the school environment, is
based on a number of fundamental principles:
—— Knowledge transfer is one-way, systematic and sequential, with long time frames.
—— Teachers have a central role as the primary channel and “authority” of teaching in
the classroom.
—— Teaching and learning content pre-set on the basis of formal systems.
—— Learning process comprised of sequential phases (lesson, individual study, practice
exercises, final verification).
32. This model, based on rigid, standardized characteristics, is no longer adequate for
satisfying the requests of a society and work environment which require greater
flexibility, autonomy, risk-taking and quick-response. A substantial paradigm shift is
needed:
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—— From the transmission of knowledge to the elaboration of knowledge and
transmission of competences.
—— From classroom learning to continuous learning capable of making the most of all
experiences and situations (“ubiquitous learning”).
—— From teacher-based to student-based.
—— From one-way, linear learning to a multi-channel network system in which peer
involvement is taken full advantage of.
—— From a model based on standardization to a model based on differentiation based
on responsibility and autonomy.
—— From rigid, formalized systems to immediately-accessible “plug-in” systems.
New demand for:
effectiveness, efficiency, inclusiveness,
sustainability
Industrial society
– Linear and formal
learning
– Single-channel
– Mono-culture
– “Standardized”
education
– Teacher as an
authority
– “On-site” learning
– Knowledge transfer
– Predefined contents
– Uniformity and
semiautonomy
– “Formalized” system
Digital society
– Participatory teaching
(collaborative learning)
– Multi-channel
– Multi-culture
– Customization
– Teacher as facilitator
– Ubiquitous learning
– Competences building
– Co-produced contents
– Responsibility
and autonomy
– “Plug-in” system
Innovation of:
– Pedagogical
approaches
– Educational models
and paradigms
– Didactics
– Teaching tools
– Organizational
methods
– Contents
Figure 8 - Characteristics of educational models in industrial and digital societies (Source: The European
House-Ambrosetti, 2014)
33. The knowledge and capabilities of the digital native generation (and new generations
in arrival) concretize the use of new digital instruments in educational and training
environments:
—— Spaces and time can be made more flexible, allowing for alternative solutions to
traditional teaching and learning activities.
—— Each student can pursue learning according to his/her own rhythm.
—— It makes study more collaborative since technologies allow for the creation of
learning communities and teacher-mediated peer-learning.
34. The evolution of the educational model—within the overall national perspective—
requires various levels of strategic objectives of increasing levels of importance:
—— Increase the efficacy and efficiency of education (its overall quality and use of
resources).
—— Satisfy the new needs of the 21st century society by enabling the transition
process underway.
—— Create competitive advantages through maximum usage of human capital and
economic and scientific supply chains along the education value chain.
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Create
competitive
advantages
Produce the best human capital to be exploited
for the advantage of country-systems
Satisfy the needs
of the 21st century
society
Reduce the digital gap
Develop and upgrade skills
Integrate
Create a “value chain” of the Education to be
exported (technologies, methods, etc.)
Improve the level of learning (quality and
quantity)
Generate
efficacy and
efficiency
Reduce differences (social class, gender, etc.)
Bring out the excellences
Figure 9 - Strategic goals connected with the modernization of the educational system (Source: The European
House - Ambrosetti, 2014)
The European vision for education in the future
35. As decreed in the 2000 Lisbon Treaty, education is one of the basic pillars of Europe
because it contributes to the building of European identity and represents a factor of
economic and social development.
36. Currently, the EC’s strategic goals are:
—— Make life-long learning and mobility a reality.
—— Improve the quality and efficacy of education and training.
—— Promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship.
—— Encourage creativity and innovation at all levels of education and training.
37. In line with these, the EU has provided Member States with series of recommendations:
—— Reform and modernize education and training systems to be able to better take on
the challenges of today and tomorrow.
—— Provide support for students, graduate students, trainees, teachers, instructors
and university professors so that they can study, teach or acquire an experience.
—— Facilitate adjustment to change and entry into the job market, especially through
professional training and education.
—— Promote collaboration between governments, universities, educational institutes,
training centers and business.
38. To take on the problems that prevent schools and universities from transmitting
adequate digital competences, the “Opening up Education”2 action plan was launched
with three priority goals:
—— Create innovation opportunities for organizations, teachers and students.
—— Promote use of open educational resources to guarantee that teaching materials
created using public funding are accessible to all.
—— Improve ICT infrastructures and connectivity in schools.
The action plan is divided into 24 initiatives and aims at obtaining:
2
The action plan was launched following a recent study by the European Commission which indicated there
are currently 900,000 vacancies in the technology sector due to a lack of digital competences.
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—— Open learning environments and the use of technologies in the classroom.
—— Cost savings and better learning results through greater use of Open Educational
Resources (OER).
—— Organizational changes in schools, universities and training institutes supported by
new technologies and high-quality OER.
—— Better ICT infrastructures and connectivity in schools.
—— Greater request for interactive content and learning tools in response to these
educational needs.
Lessons learned from educational innovation across the world
39. On a global level, the most dynamic countries have decided to invest in the educational
system, which is seen as a strategic driver for the future growth of the economy and
society.
40. From analysis of international cases (Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Singapore and the United States) what emerges
is that there is no single model of success, nor is there an organizational/functional
reference configuration. On the other hand, there are a number of “invariants” (in terms
of strategic choices and approaches) which link educational system modernization
processes.
41. First of all, the modernization of education is the result of an articulated process that
involves government, teachers, families, students and society as a whole:
—— The education ministry, local authorities and related institutional bodies (for
example, assessment and research institutes).
—— Teachers and their trade unions, especially bodies responsible for training.
—— Students and families who are actively informed and involved as part of a broadbased culture that recognizes education as a value.
—— Business, associations and the non-profit sector which have the ability to introduce
(and finance) innovation.
42. Another recurring element is the presence of a long-term (and in some cases very longterm) strategy that is pursued in a coherent, determined way by public bodies, while
bringing together a system of resources and best practices.
43. Within this context, all the countries examined as references are implementing—albeit
in ways that differ significantly from country to country—integrated programs for the
adoption of technologies in the educational system through:
—— the creation and upgrading of network infrastructures;
—— the supply of digital equipment to those working in the schools;
—— the application of tools and services for the sharing and creating of teaching
content;
—— the creation of training programs for teachers who adopt new learning models.
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Information design
Press
www.accurat.it
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