Bulgaria honors OECD education chief
The Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Andreas Schleicher, was awarded the honorary title Doctor Honoris Causa of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski on Tuesday.
The proposal to award Schleicher with the honorary degree is from the Faculty of Pedagogy of Sofia University and is on the occasion of his contribution to the development of international comparative studies in education and for his role as an important international partner for the development of the Bulgarian education system, CE Report quotes BTA.
"This distinction is an expression of the highest recognition for the exceptional contribution to education and to the affirmation of the values that our university upholds", said the Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy of Sofia University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vanya Bozhilova.
She noted that for more than 20 years, Schleicher has been working with ministers and education leaders around the world to improve the quality and equity of education. As one of the leading methodologists of the International PISA study, Schleicher participated in the creation of a toolkit for reliable international comparison of educational achievements.
Under the leadership of Schleicher, Bulgaria is including its research teams in international studies such as the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), which provide a more reliable picture of the state of the teaching profession. It is also planned to participate in specialized studies such as the International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study (IELS), the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and the PISA module for Vocational Education and Training (VET PISA), which support more informed formulation of educational policies."
It is a great pleasure and an honor for me to participate in the ceremony of this celebration, where we honor a distinguished scientist in the field of physics and with a great contribution to the advocacy and creation of educational policies in Europe. I congratulate Andreas Schleicher for what he has achieved and for his cooperation with Sofia University, with colleagues from the Faculty of Pedagogy", said the Vice-Rector of Sofia University, Academician Prof. Dr. Toni Spassov.
"Artificial intelligence (AI) cannot replace teachers, it is like an add-on, an assistant that can help teachers. Parents who read more books to their children contribute to these children having better results", said Schleicher.
He also spoke about the use of artificial intelligence, noting that there are people who fear that artificial intelligence will become human, but he added that this will not happen. According to Andreas Schleicher, artificial intelligence crosses cultures and geographical areas, but AI will never be as good as people. Digitalization can facilitate learning, and is also part of communication. In Bulgaria, teachers can do much more to improve the way of teaching, Schleicher noted.
Among those present at the ceremony were the Minister of Education and Science, Prof. Georgi Valchev, the Deputy Minister of Education and Science, Academician Nikolay Vitanov, the Head of the Regional Department of Education in Sofia City, Dr. Eleonara Lilova, experts from the Ministry of Education and Science, former education ministers, teachers and students.
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