Innovate or perish

Stimulating meeting with David Albury, Director of the Innovation Unit, this morning in the unlikely venue of the Borough Market on Southbank. Amid the smells and sights of seafood and cheeses, bubbling paella pans of creamy fish and vegetables, discussions were wide ranging around David's work on transforming Education systems worldwide. The Innovation Unit commenced life as a unit within the government department of Education, broke free of government control and government subsidy and is now a well respected not for profit contributing to Education and broader service delivery, and reform processes worldwide. David has worked in Brazil, British Columbia, Korea and Australia and says there is something to learn from every system. We traversed the merits of international testing as policy levers, competition and marketisation of schooling, curriculum design for the knowledge economy and characters-at-large in the world of education reform, including the many pollies David has worked closely with. Can't wait till David visits my workplace in February and engages with our staff and council.