OECD Education Podcast OECD Education & Skills

As artificial intelligence integrates into the world of education, how can we ensure it supports effective learning in the classroom? AI learning bots and other AI tools are increasingly being used by students and teachers, but not every agrees this is a good thing. While supporters champion AI as a transformative force that improves personalised learning and efficiency, sceptics are concerned about the erosion of critical thinking skills, the potential for algorithmic biases and privacy issues. In this episode of Top Class, Adeel Khan, Founder of MagicSchool AI, and Associate Professor at University College London, Wayne Holmes, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the potential benefits and risks of AI, and the balance between technological progress and educational integrity.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is a growing concern for many policymakers around the world. It affects approximately 5% to 10% of children globally and can influence how they learn and behave, including through hyperactive and impulsive behaviour. In this episode of Top Class, Sam Pittis, a British radio presenter who was diagnosed with ADHD and hosts the podcast “You're Wrong About ADHD”, discusses how to navigate ADHD in schools with OECD Editor Duncan Crawford, alongside OECD analyst Cecelia Mezzanotte, who has worked extensively on how to support children with ADHD.

Sola Mahfouz was pulled out of school in Afghanistan at the age of 11 after a group of men threatened her safety if she continued studying. After years with no education, she began to secretly teach herself through online classes. Against the odds, Sola later passed a college entry test, travelled to the US to study and is now a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University. Writing under a pseudonym, she is also co-author of her memoir Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for an Education. In this episode of Top Class, she tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford her remarkable story and reflects on life with the Taliban.

While some countries have maintained or improved performance in maths and reading, many countries across the globe have seen large drops in educational performance, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. Almost 700,000 15-year old students from 81 countries and economies took the PISA test in maths, reading and science in 2022. Why have there been such large drops in performance? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the findings and what they mean for global education

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a non-profit which aims to provide free, world-class education for everyone. His organisation has developed an AI tutor and teaching assistant that he believes will transform global education for the better. Is he right? In this edition of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford explores the far-reaching implications that thinking and learning machines pose for students, teachers and society as a whole.

On a daily basis, academic studies, reports and news tell us that the Earth’s ecosystem is in danger. But are schools doing enough to help raise awareness about climate change? OECD PISA test results show that schools play a central role in educating kids about environmental issues.

In 2018, about 90 percent of school principals across the OECD reported that climate change and global warming were covered in the school curriculum. However, Matthew Pye, a philosophy teacher and founder of
The Climate Academy, argues that schools and teachers need to be doing much more. In this episode of Top Class, he tells the OECD’s Duncan Crawford that schools should have a far greater focus on climate education.