Since assuming office as minister of education, science and technology in 2012, Jerome K. Fitzgerald embarked on an initiative to participate in study visits to countries renowned for prominent education systems. Leading senior education officials on the last fact finding and observation trip of countries considered to have the top education systems, the delegation traveled to the other side of the world to New Zealand and Australia to meet with education officials of those neighboring countries.

Countries previously visited include Finland, Canada, and Singapore, all considered global education super powers. Minister Fitzgerald touted that one of the most comforting take-aways from all of the trips is the fact that we have more right than wrong.

"When we observed many of the components of the different countries, in terms of curriculum, teachers, resources, etc. we resemble many of these countries. I think the biggest difference is cultural and the national emphasis that is placed on the value of education. After one of my trips, I think to Singapore, I coined the phrase education must become a core value, not just a priority. As a country, we must place greater emphasis on the value of education and its multiple benefits; our citizens must come to realize that everything begins and ends with education, particularly the growth and development of our economy and country."

During the trip to Australia, one of the many topics discussed was the structures that make for a successful school system. There were five areas identified as critical for an overarching effective education system. Among them are teacher capacity, leadership capacity, a focus on closing the achievement gaps, a focus on capacity building and multiple pathways for student success.

The Australian education system believes that teacher capacity is paramount. The most successful school systems recognize that school systems cannot exceed the capacity of its teachers and are therefore focused on developing a highly skilled teaching force. Skilled teaching has many facets, but three dominate the discussion: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and interpersonal/cultural skills.'

To compliment the capacity of teachers, another key enabling factor is leadership capacity. No school deemed high performing has ever achieved its status without high quality leadership. School principals are highly autonomous, hiring their own staff, managing their own budgets, truly acting as CEOs of their schools.

This highly evolved role of on-site school leadership creates a highly accountable structure -- removing the ability for schools to hide behind bureaucracy. It is suggested that high levels of devolution can only be successful where there are corresponding high levels of professional capacity. It is also noted that a high quality of leadership cannot be deemed to exist where there is not a corresponding high level of student achievement.'

Around the world, there is a renewed focus on closing the achievement gaps. Successful school systems focus on closing the achievement gaps. This focus works best when there is a systemic expectation that all students can achieve rigorous standards. Achievement gaps typically exist among key student groups: marginalized students (immigrants, English Language learners, students with disabilities, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds) to name a few examples. While programs may exist to support these students in their homes and communities, successful school systems never lose a concomitant focus on high levels of engagement and student achievement.'

Another pillar in building a strong school system is focusing on capacity building. Building capacity is a multi faceted undertaking. It works best when it happens in both traditional and non-traditional ways. There are any number of opportunities for teachers to engage in professional courses and training programs. This is underpinned by a strong teacher training program which is focused on reducing the shock of new entrant teachers into active teaching roles.

Additionally, there are other well-researched mechanisms at play which bolster collegiality and the sharing of best practice, for example, professional learning communities, as well as learning networks - which when implemented well should reduce both inter and intra-school variability.

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