Education ministers from the OECD countries met this afternoon at Dublin Castle, in an event hosted by the Irish EU presidency.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, which continues tomorrow, the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Noel Dempsey, called on education policy-makers to be open to change.
"The never-ending search for competitive advantage in the global knowledge economy has led all public policy-makers to focus on education as a key factor in strengthening competitiveness, employment and social cohesion," he said.
"For education policy-makers, the challenge is to rise above the tendency to compartmentalise policy.
"We must fully recognise the connections that bind together the various public policies, which have an impact on learners of all ages, and we must be externally focused and alert to positive initiatives and developments which take place in other policy areas. In short, we cannot and must not seek to stand apart from change."
Mr Dempsey said one of the most significant challenges facing education policy-makers over the next 10 years is getting the balance right between the needs of the economy and the wider social aims of education systems."
The keynote speaker at an informal forum taking place alongside the ministers' meeting was Professor Robert D. Puttnam of Harvard University. The theme of the event is Raising the Quality of Learning for All.
Prof Puttnam highlighted the importance of building "social capital" in society in order to improve child welfare and to improve "educational outcomes" and economic performance.
The event attracted several hundred delegates from all over the world, including ministers, ambassadors and foreign media.
Security was tight for the conference, with gardai monitoring every gate at the large Dublin Castle complex and members of the media escorted to and from a high-tech media centre.