For a country such as England, the central question is whether it can maintain the flexibility and capacity for transformation that has been built into the system while simultaneously improving student outcomes. For others, such as Bavaria, the dilemma is to create the necessary flexibility for the future while continuing to deliver high standards. The challenge for the 21st century is to make success for all a reality. This demands that educators believe in the possibility of high standards for every student and that policies are designed to deliver this outcome across entire education systems. For these needs to be met, teachers need to tailor their pedagogy.
Modern technology allows an individualisation that was previously unachievable.
Dell does not sell you a computer off the shelf,it builds precisely the computer you order to your specification. Only with this kind of thinking will education systems become responsive enough to remove the barriers to learning which prevent some young people from achieving high standards. But if schools are to meet such individual needs, teaching needs to adapt and that means a wholly new mindset for teachers. For a start, they will have to really believe that all students can achieve high standards. This is a matter of faith as much as hard evidence and no- one should underestimate the difficulty of achieving this shift, day to day, classroom to classroom across a country.