An opinion piece by Thomas Friedman in the New York Times emphasizes the importance of teachers and includes two points that merit noting.

• On what to teach: “There are three basic skills that students need if they want to thrive in a knowledge economy: the ability to do critical thinking and problem-solving; the ability to communicate effectively; and the ability to collaborate.”
• On the teaching profession (speaking of Finland and Denmark): “They took teaching from an assembly-line job to a knowledge-worker’s job. They have invested massively in how they recruit, train and support teachers, to attract and retain the best.”

Read the complete article here.