International

Education news, analysis, and opinion about education internationally and comparisons between the U.S. and other countries
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Federal Opinion School Reform Is Tough All Over, Not Just in the U.S.
Even though some reforms produce evidence of student success, that often isn't enough to overcome political hurdles.
Rick Hess, June 23, 2023
6 min read
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten prepares to cross the border into Ukraine on Oct. 10.
Randi Weingarten visited Ukraine on Oct. 10—the day Russian missiles slammed into Lviv, Kyiv, and other cities.
Courtesy of AFT
Federal In Their Own Words What a Teachers' Union Leader Saw in Ukraine
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was in the country just after widespread air strikes from Russia.
Madeline Will, October 12, 2022
4 min read
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten passes out books to Ukrainian refugees at a makeshift school in a hostel in Warsaw, Poland, on April 4, 2022.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten passes out books to Ukrainian refugees at a makeshift school in a hostel in Warsaw, Poland, on April 4.
Courtesy of Asher Huey
Federal Q&A 'Tell American Students to Be Grateful': What Ukrainian Refugees Told AFT's President
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten traveled to Poland to meet with Ukrainian students and teachers.
Madeline Will, April 5, 2022
4 min read
Image of high school students working together in a school setting.
E+/Getty
Federal What the Research Says How Nations Can Repair Pandemic Damage to Students' Well-Being, Trust in Government
International data suggest the pandemic has marginalized young people in many countries.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 22, 2022
3 min read
Children attend a lesson in a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has lifted the restrictions on schools in Russia's capital, students of all grades will to return for face-to-face education after months studying remotely.
Children attend a lesson in a school in Moscow last January. Russian schools had relatively shorter periods of academic disruptions than other countries, a new study finds.
Pavel Golovkin/AP
Federal What the Research Says Schooling in a Pandemic: How Other Countries Are Doing It
A new study highlights how instruction in 11 countries has changed following pandemic closures and outbreaks.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 24, 2022
3 min read
A student climbs stacks of books to reach the top
Tatyana Pivovarova/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Federal Opinion Why Other Countries Keep Outperforming Us in Education (and How to Catch Up)
Money from the American Rescue Plan could be our last chance to build the school system we need, writes Marc Tucker.
Marc Tucker, May 13, 2021
5 min read
Image of data.
iStock/Getty
Federal Global Test Finds Digital Divide Reflected in Math, Science Scores
New data from the 2019 Trends in International Math and Science Study show teachers and students lack digital access and support.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 21, 2021
3 min read
Federal Pre-COVID Learning Inequities Were Already Large Around the World
A new international benchmarking highlights gaps in training for digital learning and other supports that could deepen the challenge for low-income schools during the pandemic.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 29, 2020
4 min read
Federal Part of Global Trend, 1 in 3 U.S. High Schoolers Felt Disconnected From School Before Pandemic
UNESCO's annual report on global education progress finds countries need to make more effort to include marginalized students, particularly in the United States.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 22, 2020
4 min read
Students at the Taipei American School in Taipei, Taiwan, perform The Little Mermaid in full costume and masks.
Students at the Taipei American School in Taipei, Taiwan, perform The Little Mermaid in full costume and masks.
Photo courtesy of Dustin Rhoades/Taipei American School
Federal How Schools in Other Countries Have Reopened
Ideas from Australia, Denmark, and Taiwan can help American district and school leaders as they shape their reopening plans.
Madeline Will, June 10, 2020
11 min read
School children play football at their school sports facilities in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, April 20, 2020. Schools reopened Monday in Belarus following an extended spring break, but authorities allowed parents to keep their children at home even though the country specifically steered clear of closures and restrictions on public movement during the coronavirus pandemic.
School children play football at their school sports facilities in Minsk, Belarus, Monday, April 20, 2020. Schools reopened Monday in Belarus following an extended spring break, but authorities allowed parents to keep their children at home even though the country specifically steered clear of closures and restrictions on public movement during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sergei Grits/AP
Federal Photos What School Reopening Looks Like Around the World
Here’s a look at how countries around the world have addressed the challenges of opening schools during COVID-19.
Jaclyn Borowski, May 7, 2020
1 min read
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, speaks to students during the April 15 reopening of Lykkebo School in Copenhagen.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, right, speaks to students during the April 15 reopening of Lykkebo School in Copenhagen.
Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
Federal Photos In Denmark, Students Go Back to School, 6 Feet Apart
Denmark was the first European country to allow daycare and primary schools to open since the COVID-19 lockdown.
Emma Patti Harris, April 20, 2020
1 min read
Federal Coronavirus School Closures: What U.S. Schools Can Learn From Other Countries
A new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds key differences in how 89 countries are trying to support students in the face of disruptions from the novel coronavirus.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 8, 2020
4 min read
Federal U.S. Students Gain Ground Against Global Peers. But That's Not Saying Much
The latest results from the Program for International Student Assessment show American teenagers gaining ground against other nations in reading, math, and science, but it’s not because their performance is improving.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 3, 2019
4 min read