Final Week
A warm welcome to the International Creative Thinking in Schools Week
Interview with Andreas Schleicher
What do you think of the idea of an annual week’s focus on creative thinking in schools?
If creativity is one of the most central resources in the 21st century, we need space for its development and to build synergies among activities that are often scattered across subjects and throughout the school year. An annual week where we focus on this provides a good answer to this. Also, at the international level, a lot is happening in this space. At the OECD we have several projects that try to help governments to make creative thinking a reality in school – our PISA Creative Thinking assessment, our Learning Compass as well as specific work on fostering creativity and critical thinking in teaching and learning. Not least, this year’s PISA assessment gave a lot of space to assessing creative thinking.
What simple things can principals, headteachers and teachers do to promote creative thinking in schools today?
I think there are lots of good resources available. At the OECD, too, we have been working on this. For example, we have developed a bank of pedagogical resources to support teachers in promoting creative and critical thinking when they teach. We have developed rubrics to make it both simple and tangible and relate these big ideas to their core: inquiring and questioning, imagining, doing and reflecting. We have also showcased what this could look like in a science or visual art lesson with multiple examples. That’s a start to get some inspiration. But headteachers could simply ask teachers in their school to try to design or redesign a lesson so that it allows students to exercise their creativity while they do science, literature or music. Ultimately, the hope is that this will just be one dimension of teaching and learning in every subject. At the school level, headteachers could also organise whole-of-school projects focused on solving a community problem creatively, making students work together and with their teachers, and then showcase and reflect on their solution.
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the Secretary-General at OECD
For a number of years, you have argued that creativity and critical thinking are important for young people. What are the most powerful reasons for this?
There are strong economic, societal and individual reasons for that. One of the goals of education is to empower young people to live an independent life, and there is significant evidence that innovation skills such as complex problem-solving and creative and critical thinking is and will remain crucial in the labour market. Our societies face challenges for which creative thinking is essential. How to deal with climate change or the rise of generative AI are obvious examples. Critical thinking will also become ever more important as reality and fakes become increasingly difficult to distinguish. This is crucial for our democratic values. Finally, and especially in the case of creativity, we know this is something that makes people happy at the individual level: being creative is a contribution to one’s well-being and should be encouraged.
How can the PISA Creative Thinking assessment help schools?
Well, it’s hard to improve what you cannot see, and an assessment can make creativity visible and tangible. It can empower schools to embed creative thinking in students’ education by showing it can be assessed and learnt, and that it is a worthwhile educational objective. Our PISA team is also developing a formative assessment platform for teachers (PILA) and there will be some resources for assessing creative thinking in school.
About International Creative Thinking in Schools Week 2023
Nurturing Tomorrow’s Innovators Today
“Empowering every learner to think creatively, act innovatively, and shape a future where every imagination is not just valued but essential.”
In the inaugural Creative Thinking in Schools Week 2023, we invite educators, school leaders, policymakers, and changemakers from across the globe to explore the trans-formative power of creativity in education. In an era where innovation and adaptability are not just valued but essential, we underscore the imperative of weaving creative thinking into the very fabric of our educational systems.
Join US to
Explore & Engage
Dive into enriching sessions showcasing the relationship between creativity and economy and its crucial generative AI.
Connect & Collaborate
Network with international peers, exchange insights and envision a future where creativity is a foundational pillar of education.
Learn & Lead
Discover how to become a national coordinators for the Framework, steering the evolution of educational landscapes.
Inspire & Innovate
Celebrate and draw inspiration from exemplary practices worldwide, sparking a movement of creative empowerment.
Introducing the Professional Learning Framework for Fostering and Assessing Creativity & Critical Thinking
Together, we unlock a world where every student’s creative and critical thinking skills are not just encouraged but are integral to their learning journey.
Developed through an extensive international collaboration, a new framework will be introduced and discussed to support teachers as a cornerstone of this transformation. Co-developing an evidence-based, flexible and adaptable blueprint, we work together to embed creativity in diverse learning environments, empowering educators globally.
The Creative Thinking in Schools Week aims to unleash the power of imagination and innovation in every student with the OECD Professional Learning Framework for Fostering and Assessing Creativity and Critical Thinking. Be part of a movement that transcends borders, instilling skills that are as universal as they are essential, turning today’s learners into tomorrow’s visionaries.
2023 Programme
23 – 24 November 2023 | Creativity in Education Summit
23 November Thursday
2023 Programme
23 – 24 November 2023 | Creativity in Education Summit
24 November Friday
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Date : 27th November
Integrated Curriculum Creativity Education Achievement Exhibition Conference
Venue: Shanghai, China | Host: Jiading District, Shanghai
Pudong and Jiading District in Shanghai initiated a joint student creativity development project in 2019. This initiative aims to develop a regional alliance and a collaborative promotion model involving regional associations, schools, and students.
Over four years, Pudong New Area has focused on constructing a curriculum system that revolves around regional shipping, financial, and scientific innovation. Termed “Creative Education,” this system embodies unique aspects such as “Integrated Creativity,” “Navigational Creativity,” “Scientific Creativity,” and “Cultural Creativity.” Its goal is to equip students with future job market skills and to fuel innovation and creativity within the region.
Jiading District also developed a curriculum system targeting the challenges in creativity education, specifically addressing the fragmented nature of creative courses, the scarcity of creativity cultivation, and the opacity in creativity assessment. Through implementation plans, study guides, and evaluation schemes for school creativity courses, the district aims to enhance creativity learning and transform creativity education.
Both districts foster a collaborative guidance model between creativity course teachers and students. Teachers act as guides, organisers, learning companions, and admirers, while students interchangeably take on roles as audience members, apprentices, and experts. This dynamic exchange continually evolves the learning and teaching processes. Additionally, schools explore a community evaluation framework integrating guidance and assessment, offering a more precise reflection of students’ creativity levels.
BEIJING, CHINA
Date : 28th November
Integrated Curriculum Creativity Education Achievement Exhibition Conference
Venue: Beijing, China | Host: Institute of Education, Tsinghua University
At the seminars hosted by the Tsinghua University Institute of Education, Chinese and international experts will discuss global trends and Chinese values in creativity cultivation, paving the way for more extensive and enriching creativity thinking education nationwide.
This collaborative effort to promote creativity in students is a significant step toward shaping the future. By providing students with the necessary skills to thrive in the future job market and promoting innovation and creativity in the region, this initiative is paving the way toward a brighter future.
ENGLAND , UK
Date : 27 – 30 November
Creative Thinking in Schools
Venues: Cornwall, Newcastle, Liverpool, London and beyond
The Creativity Collaboratives is a major programme to build networks of schools to test innovative practices in teaching for creativity and share the results of these practices widely. The Programme is supported by Arts Council England and the Freelands Foundation and was a recommendation of the Durham Commission on Creativity and Education. It aims to facilitate system-wide change in England. The Creativity Collaboratives are actively embedding creativity and creative thinking across clusters of schools this week and throughout the whole school year. Some are also presenting their innovative practices in Paris at the Creativity in Education Summit on 24th November.
2024 International Events
Creativity Around the World
In 2024, we hope to bring creativity to more countries and regions worldwide. In the following pages, find a preview of Creativity Around the World beginning in March 2024.
Save the dates to join us at the events or get involved as a host in your country or region!
2024 EVENTS
Get Involved for 2024
It's your time to shine! We are excited to extend a golden opportunity to organisations and individuals worldwide! Share your innovative activities, groundbreaking projects, and insightful events, either in-person or online and become a celebrated part of the International Creative Thinking in Schools Week – and beyond.
Elevate Your Profile
Gain international visibility and recognition.
Join the Movement
Be part of a global community dedicated to fostering creativity.
Showcase Excellence
Highlight your research, projects, or creative endeavours.
Global Outreach
Feature your event on the GIoCT Website, reaching a worldwide audience.
• Feature Your Event
– It’s Easy!
International Creative Thinking in Schools Week 2023 is not just an event but a global platform. Whether you are hosting debates, workshops, or any skills-related activities, make them known to an international audience gathering in Paris and worldwide, virtually and in person.
• How to Join
Simply fill in this application and incorporate the International Creative Thinking in Schools Week 2023 logo to align your event with this global celebration of creativity.
Criteria for Participation
- Ensure your activity resonates with the OECD Professional Learning Framework, emphasising the fostering and assessment of creativity and critical thinking. Proudly feature the International Creative Thinking in Schools Week 2023 logo as a mark of quality and alignment with global standards
