Teachers have the power to transform the lives of children and young people, according to education Secretary Nicky Morgan. Speaking at the Education World Forum in London recently, she said that no matter where you are in the world, the importance of teachers is paramount.

She explained that children should receive – and their parents expect – schools to deliver the best education possible, to ensure that they not only have the best possible start to life but that they also have the skills and knowledge needed in the modern world.

Ms Morgan stated that it is vital all stakeholders do everything in their power to boost the standard of education and, moreover, "unlock the potential" of all youngsters. In doing so, inequalities will be reduced, poverty will be diminished and the "wider development goals" of the nation will be more achievable.

She told delegates at the forum – which is the largest gathering of education and skills ministers in the world – that the reforms made to the education system in England have been largely inspired by the success systems in other countries. The MP added that in turn, she hoped England would inspire other nations.

Looking back to 2010, when the coalition entered government, Ms Morgan recollected the sombre mood – while she and her colleagues were confident that many schools were performing well, with excellent teaching taking place on a daily basis, it was evident that the "education system needed to raise its game".

For example, far too many children from disadvantaged backgrounds have, for many, many years, been failed by consecutive governments. Consequently, in terms of attainment levels, this demographic has continued to fall behind, further entrenching the gulf between rich and poor families.

So, in response, the Department for Education looked beyond the UK's shores. What were the key attributes of countries that demonstrate, time after time, quality, inclusive and differentiated education systems that deliver exceptional results for all? In short, there was a pattern of "high levels of autonomy, accountability and aspiration", and, of course, a strong focus on teacher quality.

Additionally, in countries like Germany and Poland, quality in education had been improved through a renewed emphasis on core academic subjects, irrespective of whether they pursued academic or vocational pathways later on down the line. In Singapore and Massachusetts, she continued, the investment in world-class curricula was also underscored.

However, most important of all, and this is evident in countries like South Korea, what underpins quality education is quality teaching. By attracting the brightest talent to the profession, you are doing well to set a high level of expectation, which, in turn, is delivering consistently quality results.

"So in developing our plan for education in England, we were keen to learn these lessons and ensure that our reforms were based on what was proven to work," Ms Morgan elaborated.

"Hence our push to give teachers in England more autonomy - balanced by robust accountability - through our highly successful academies programme. And our focus on raising aspirations and standards through a new, more ambitious national curriculum and the English Baccalaureate, so that all children leave school with the knowledge, skills and values to compete in the global economy."

She concluded: "At the heart of our reforms - at the heart of all great education systems - are great teachers and great teaching."