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In this episode, we chat with Pasi Sahlberg, author, Professor of Education Policy and Deputy Director of the Gonski Institute at the University of New South Wales, about inequality in the Australian education system, some of the excellent things happening in the Finish education system and how we can help rebalance this inequality. 

👉  Pasi shares

• His journey that led him to where he is today
• The Gonski Institute of Australia and his work there
• Equitable Education Systems and what that looks like in Australia
• The Australian education funding system
• The discrepancy of compulsory instruction hours in schools around the globe
• Finnish education initiatives that would translate well into the Australian education system
• The importance of play in schools
• How to communicate the importance of play to principals

👉  Guest Details

Pasi is a Finnish educator who has worked as a schoolteacher, teacher-educator, researcher, and policy advisor in Finland and has studied education systems and advised education leaders around the world. He has written and spoken widely about teaching and learning in school, teachers' work and school improvement, educational change, international education issues, and the future of schools. His book “Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland” won the 2013 Grawemeyer Award for an idea that has potential to change the world. Pasi believes most kids know what interests them deeply when they are very young, whether it’s spiders, bicycles, guitar or drawing, and that schools should be able to adapt to help them learn as much as they can about their passions. 
After training as a teacher, Pasi began a life in education policy. After a number of years, Pasi became the Director General of Education in Finland. Finland regularly tops international academic rankings. The country’s teachers are highly valued and remunerated, and students have a shorter school day than most other countries, with a firm focus on the importance of play. Within a few years, Pasi’s educational philosophy saw him sought out by many governments around the world.

👉 Resources & References

pasisahlberg.com

"Let the Children Play: How more play will save our schools and help children thrive"

Forthcoming books

"Finnish Lessons 3.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland”

"In Teachers We Trust: The Finnish way to world-class schools"

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