OECD Education Podcast

About OECD Education Podcast

Everything you need to know about teaching and learning in one podcast. Top Class, the OECD Education Podcast, interviews leading educators, researchers and policy experts about the big issues facing education systems around the world. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed and arguments employed on the "TopClass" podcast and the recordings contained therein do not necessarily represent the official views of the OECD, its member countries, or non-members who have participated in any related work. This site may display third party videos or recordings. The inclusion of such videos or recordings does not imply any endorsement of, or responsibility for, the opinions, ideas, or information presented in these videos. The "TopClass" podcast is subject to the Disclaimers section of the General Terms and Conditions of the OECD website. http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/

Publisher

OECD Education & Skills

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Nov 2017

Latest episode

9 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

90 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Sept 2026

   PISA Insights: Falling scores, AI concerns and digital distractions

   Average student performance in reading and mathematics has sharply dropped in many countries, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), while science performance is relatively stable. More than 760,000 15-year-old students took the PISA test last year in 91 countries and economies. Why have there been such large drops performance? And how are digital technologies and artificial intelligence impacting the situation? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the findings and the state of global education.

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Lessons from second-career teachers

   Across many education systems, schools are facing recruitment challenges, evolving career expectations, and increasingly diverse student needs. In response, more systems are opening doors to people with outside experience. In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford explores the opportunities and challenges for second-career teachers. He is joined by Nicole Daley, a Biology Teacher at Boston’s John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics & Science, who previously worked as a public health worker for city and state level government, and Hilary Goldberg, Head of Theodor Herzl Primary School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, who left teaching for a career in sales and management before returning to education and school leadership. They discuss their experience of becoming second-career teachers and what can be done to support this growing share of the workforce. If you want to learn more about this subject check out the OECD paper: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/a-second-career-in-teaching_37722003-en.html

3. 

   22 Jul 2026

   Are exams still the fairest way of assessing students?

   What makes a fair exam? It’s a question that has grown in significance as upper secondary certificates play an ever more pivotal role in students’ lives. They are a passport to higher education, training and employment at a time when institutions and employers are often choosing from larger pools of candidates than ever before. In this episode of Top Class, the OECD’s Chris Moore is joined by Ruth Johnson, Director of Assessment at Cambridge OCR, one of the United Kingdom’s leading exam boards. She discusses how to keep exams inclusive, why she believes they remain the fairest way of testing students’ abilities - and the challenges facing assessors in the age of artificial intelligence. Find out more in the OECD’s report The Theory and Practice of Upper Secondary Certification: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-theory-and-practice-of-upper-secondary-certification_b3fea5ba-en.html

Who has been a guest on OECD Education Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Ukrainian policymakers
• Ukrainian teachers
• Ukrainian students
• Stefano Scarpetta
• Karin Kimbrough

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

2,273,918

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.4 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 68 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

62

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

89

Contact OECD Education Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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