uLead 2017

In recent years many countries have adopted top-down neoliberal approaches to education and school improvement. Threats to quality education are found in narrow outcomes, standardised testing, privatisation, educational fads- both progressive as traditional, a false reliance on educational technology, and evidence driven instead of evidence informed. Which has lead to a trend of deprofessionalisation, deskilling and commodification of teachers. A taste of what's to come is already to be found in the global south. In their recent book Flip the System the Dutch teachers Jelmer Evers and René Kneyber detail a new paradigm for policy making that places the professionality of teachers central to improvement processes and system change. This emancipation of teachers requires a new attitude for both teachers and school leaders. In this interactive session Jelmer will go into this new Dutch approach, going into the role of school leaders and teachers at the school, system and international level. And explore where the future of the teaching profession lies.