An online collaborative platform to pool knowledge and facilitate exchange on education issues, called educationtoday was launched by the OECD last week. The organisation says the launch was part of its drive to help governments and other stakeholders respond to the global economic crisis.

In a release, the OECD said the so-called "education lighthouse" was designed to inform education professionals and other interested stakeholders on latest developments in the education sector. Its starting point was the fact that what began as a financial and economic crisis is now turning into a social crisis.

"The education sector is already feeling the impact of budget cuts and these are likely to deepen," said OECD Education Director Barbara Ischinger. "At the same time, however, education is part of the solution. Without continuing investments in education - from preschool to high school and beyond - sustainable economic recovery in a 21st century knowledge society will elude us.

Ischinger said that by launching the educationtoday portal, the OECD aimed to help policy-makers "leverage the collective intelligence of the global education community". The site provides information, evidence and analysis on the impact of the crisis on education, with examples of how governments and institutions are coping.

It also offers details on issues such as education budgets, education stimulus packages, how unemployment affects motivation and learning attitudes, along with opportunities for users to contribute and exchange views with other members of the fast-growing OECD social network.

Printable version
Email to a friend
Comment on this article

Disclaimer: All reader responses posted on this site are those of the reader ONLY and NOT those of University World News or Higher Education Web Publishing, their associated trademarks, websites and services. University World News or Higher Education Web Publishing does not necessarily endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify or agree with any comments, opinions or statements or other content provided by readers.