This month, we take a closer look at global competencies and the tools and tactics you can employ to drive sustainable change and improvement in your school. Global competencies not only play an important role in helping young people cultivate harmonious local and global communities, but they can improve employability and enable opportunities after school. 

Last month the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) released their latest report entitled 'Global competency for an inclusive world.' The report introduced the framework through which PISA aims to assess global competencies in education systems from 2018. 

Teaching and learning global competence requires a whole of school and cross-curriculum approach that comprises a much broader range of learning activities than factual knowledge of global issues. For Australian students, meaningful engagement with our international neighbours in Asia will be of most relevance to their future.

What Works: a template for action

Asia Education Foundation (AEF) Executive Director, Kurt Mullane, explores the seven interrelated improvement levers identified through AEF research that can progress languages learning and improve student ability to engage with Australia’s place in the world and develop intercultural understanding.