About
About ISTP
Welcome to the International Summit on the teaching profession
The International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) brings together education ministers, union leaders and other teacher leaders from high-performing and rapidly improving education systems to identify best practices and engage in open conversations on how best to strengthen the teaching profession and raise student achievement.
Welcome to Iceland
The overall theme of the summit is Quality Education: The Key to Prosperity and Well-being and it will explore the following sub-themes in three plenary sessions:
- Building a Foundation for Equitable and Inclusive Education:
The role of high-quality early childhood education and care. - Supporting Educators to Foster Equity and Well-being:
How well-established services enable educators to promote inclusive, supportive learning environments. - The Educator’s Role in Child-Centred Education Systems:
Empowering young people to actively participate in shaping their futures.
The 15th ISTP presents an invaluable opportunity for ministers, teacher union leaders, and education experts to exchange views on the pressing challenges faced by our education systems and the teaching profession. Together, we will explore how to develop and implement effective education policies and reforms through collaboration and shared expertise.
Like previous summits, each country’s official delegation includes a Minister as head of delegation, up to two teacher union leaders and one teaching professional. Each delegation may also be accompanied by up to two additional observers. Iceland will provide complimentary accommodation for two delegates for three nights from 23-26 March 2025.
Your teacher union leaders will receive a copy of this letter to facilitate registration of your delegation.
In addition to ISTP thematic sessions, pre-summit optional activities have been scheduled for the participants on 24 March 2025 aimed to provide opportunities to learn more about the Icelandic education system and visit schools.
The inspiration for the ISTP 2025 logo, background and branding comes from the magnificent nature that surrounds the Icelandic people every day. Surrounded by active volcanoes, magnificent glaciers and the Atlantic Ocean, the Icelandic people are used to having the forces of nature as a part of their daily life. Resilience characterizes the Icelandic people who have made a life for themselves in a beautiful but harsh environment. Welcome to Iceland 🇮🇸
Ministry of Education and Children
The Ministry of Education and Children is responsible for education (preschool, primary and secondary school), children and sports and aims to ensure quality education, educational facilities, accessible sports, and children’s rights.
The Ministry implements legislation pertaining to school levels from pre-primary and compulsory education through the upper secondary levels, as well as continuing and adult education. This includes creating curriculum guides for pre-primary, compulsory and upper secondary schools, issuing regulations and planning educational reforms.
It is responsible for youth affairs, supports youth organisations and conducts youth research.
The Ministry is also responsible for sports affairs, promoting opportunities for all citizens to practice sports under the most favourable conditions. It works with the sports movement to enhance sports participation in schools and the value of sports in pedagogical and preventive action.
Icelandic Teachers’ Union
The Icelandic Teachers’ Union was founded on 1 January 2000. It is a joint organization for all teachers, headteachers, deputy headteachers, and student counsellors, in preschools, primary schools, secondary schools, and music schools – with the exception of headteachers in secondary schools. With more than 11.700 members, the Icelandic Teachers’ Union is among the largest professional organizations in Iceland.
The individual teachers’ associations that make up the Icelandic Teachers’ Union work independently, negotiating wage contracts for their own members. The Icelandic Teachers’ Union is concerned with rights and interests that are common to all members, such as pensions, sick leave and parental leave. The Icelandic Teachers’ Union also monitors general developments in wages and working conditions on the Icelandic labor market.
Education International
Education International (EI) is a Global Union Federation that brings together organisations of teachers and other education employees from across the world. Through our 383 member organisations, EI represents more than 32 million teachers and education support personnel in 178 countries and territories. As the global voice of teachers and education support personnel EI champions free, quality, publicly funded education for every student and promote the interests of teachers and education support personnel at the international level. All of EI’s policies, programmes and advocacy efforts aim to advance social justice.
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives. It shapes policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all. Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, the OECD works on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, the OECD provides a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.
Ásmundur Einar Daðason
Minister of Education and Children
Ásmundur Einar Daðason was appointed Minister of Education and Children following the 2021 elections. Before that Ásmundur Einar served as Minister of Social Affairs and Children from 2017 to 2021. During his time as a minister, his mind has been set on furthering children’s rights and opportunities. With a strong commitment to education and child welfare, Ásmundur Einar, has been instrumental in shaping policies and initiatives to promote quality education and ensure the well-being of all children in Iceland.
One major step on this path was the Prosperity act that came into effect in 2021. With this act, all child services shall be integrated, accessible and in the best interest of the child. Service providers shall respect the rights and obligations of parents or other caretakers in the upbringing of their children and children’s independent rights, taking into consideration children’s views in policymaking.
As Minister of Education and Children, Ásmundur Einar, focuses on improving educational outcomes, fostering inclusive education, and supporting the overall development of children. He has been in the forefront of education policy and reforms in Iceland, with emphasis on increasing vocational studies, diverse teaching materials and assessment methods, and coordinated central support for teachers and schools. He advocates for equal access to education and strives to create a nurturing environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential.
Dr. Mugwena Maluleke
President of Education International
Dr. Mugwena Maluleke has passionately and compassionately served the trade union movement for more than 25 years in various positions. He was, this year, elected as President of Education International at its 10th World Congress and re-elected as General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union for a fourth term of office at their 10th National Congress.
As part of serving humanity, Mugwena has occupied the following positions:
Besides previously serving as EI Vice President in the African Region since 2015, he serves public servants as a trustee of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF) board and as non-executive director of the board of the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).
His previous roles include Deputy Chairperson of the Global Campaign for
Education (GCE), Convenor of the Commonwealth Teacher Grouping (CTG) and the Convenor of the South African Public Service Trade Unions on collective bargaining.
He recently obtained his doctoral studies in Labour Law (LLD).
He has facilitated several domestic and international round table webinars in defense of democracy, anti-racism, trade, and human rights and has co-published more than six peer reviewed articles / papers in education.
Go Public! Fund Education!!
Andreas Schleicher
Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices.
He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve quality and equity in education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth” (The Atlantic, July 11). UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France.
Before joining the OECD, he was Director for Analysis at the International Association for Educational Achievement (IEA). He studied Physics in Germany and received a degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Australia. He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.