The Education First initiative from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who attributes his successes to the transformative education he received in Korea, is refreshing for its recognition of the role of teachers.

A school in the United Kingdom that serves students with disabilities is distributing touch-screen devices to 120 students this year.

In South Korea, 64.9% of school teachers are women, and the imbalance is most evident in primary schools, where 76.2% of teachers are women. However, data show that high-ranking positions in education are dominated by men, with 15.5% of school-principal positions being held by women.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt vil reformere folkeskolen og skabe den dygtigste generation i danmarkshistorien. Kommunernes Landsforening jubler.

More officials in the Vista Unified School District in California are using social media to communicate with parents.

Some schools in Ohio are encouraging students to bring in their own technology -- such as cellphones, iPods and other electronic devices -- as long as they are used responsibly.

Teachers should take up leadership roles in the changed education system to earn the respect of the society as well as students, said Dr John Guy, senior education adviser of Cambridge international examinations (CIE), adding that the society no longer placed teachers on a high pedestal.

Statsministerens bud på en folkeskolereform er langt fra visionært nok, lyder reaktionen fra organisationen Danske Skoleelever.Foto: Liselotte Sabroe

School buildings don't need to be architectural masterpieces. But they need to be functional, pleasant environments for students to achieve in, says Ben Morse.

Skoledagen skal være længere. Til gengæld får landets skoleelever mere leg og læring i timerne, lyder et centralt budskab i statsministerens åbningstale. Venstre roser idéen.

Thinktank says government's traditional focus doesn't suit inactive children, who prefer informal, individual activities.

Despite negative headlines about education, high-school English and digital-storytelling teacher Paul Barnwell offers five reasons that teachers should celebrate their profession. Teaching, he writes, provides the opportunity to take pride in small victories daily, focus efforts on what matters and use technology.