I think it's well known that there is a teacher retention crisis as well as a recruitment crisis -- not just in the UK but across the world. So this summit is very timely, as is focused on bringing together knowledge about strategies, tools and processes which support a self-improving profession and improving teacher retention and quality. The implementation of the 'marginal gains' strategy outlined in the report from the first Summit provides one key focus.

The summit also addresses UNESCO's sustainable goals for education, and will look at issues such as teacher motivation, professional development and education as a self-improving profession, to name just three.

The format is interesting, in that the bulk of the conference will take place in three 'panels:

1. Setting the scene: National and international challenges and solutions: for education as a self-improving profession and for improving recruitment and retention
2. Global Knowledge Management: issues, management, finance
3. Strategies and Tools for a self improving profession

Discussions will take place on round tables, with people giving 5 minute presentations followed by an exchange of views. That means that attendees won't spend the whole day being talked at, which means in turn that their views and knowledge counts!

After the Plenary, delegates will repair to the House of Lords for tea at 3:30 -- so English, and so civilised! That will be hosted by Lord Jim Knight, a long-time advocate of education technology, and patron of ITTE (Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education), one of the organisations involved in the event. The discussion in the House of Lords will focus on 'Meeting global challenges: maximising the impact of aid and investment in education'.

I've had tea and lunch at the House of Lords before, and apart from anything else the views from the terrace are lovely -- see the photo I took back in the dark days of winter.

If you like the idea of the conference, but can't get there in person, there is always the option to tune in via Google Hangout. 

This looks like a great conference, and I suppose in the interests of transparency I should mention that I'm a member of the ITTE committee, and will be playing an active role in the round table discussions (either chairing or recording, I'm not sure which just yet). However, if I did not think the conference was going to be much good I'd keep quiet about it!

The bad news is that it's very soon, 4th May. There's only a limited number of tickets, the price is affordable, the topics under discussion are important -- and you get to have tea and cake in the House of Lords.

What are you waiting for?

Event and Registration