Brussels, 15/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - These are serious times for the world of education and training in Europe: reforms are slow, resources limited and extra tight as a result of the economic crisis, yet Europe must succeed in rapidly creating a space for education, otherwise it will be outstripped by the other countries of the world, led by the United States and Japan. If the European Union, which is preparing a new EU 2020 strategy, does not place education and training at the heart of its priorities, it will not find its way back to the road to sustainable, well-balanced growth, and its efforts to promote growth and employment, together with equity and social cohesion, will be in vain. This was the message sent out by the EU27 education ministers this Monday 15 February, after an exchange of views presided by the Spanish minister, Ángel Gabilondo Pujol, ahead of the spring European Council, which is set to launch the strategy for the next five years. "We wish to get our strong position across to the heads of state and government. If we are to overcome the crisis, education and training must be at the centre of our economic considerations", said Gabilondo. "Education and training are pre-requisites for any future development", added Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. Given the current development on the employment market, where jobs calling for high levels of qualification are on the increase to the detriment of low-qualified jobs, the objective is to ensure that 40% of young people aged between 30 and 35 have a diploma at tertiary level by 2020, the commissioner stressed. The United States and Japan have already achieved this target, whereas Europe stands at just 31% currently, Vassiliou stressed.
The exchange of views pointed to a broad consensus regarding the objectives to be achieved and the resources to be implemented in order to create this European space for education. We must attain modernised and high-quality teaching throughout the European Union, not systems which are uniform, but systems which are comparable and compatible, the ministers agreed. In order to do this, we need more efficient and more targeted reforms and more investment, but not only this. If the money needs to be increased, at local and national level as well as at Community level, it must also be used more rationally and usefully. Teachers and directors of schools must be trained adequately, benefit from life-long learning and the view of the sector needs to be increased. Mobility, both of students and of teachers, needs to be promoted. As regards the pupils, they must receive education as early as possible, the key skills must be central to the school curricula from primary level and teaching must be targeted towards the real needs of the employment market. Lastly, universities must function more transparently, be more open to the outside world and university-employment world partnerships must become the rule rather than the exception.
"I have seen more ambition than resignation to seek standards, means and resources for more inclusive education which is accessible to all", said Gabilondo after the talks. Some countries, such as Portugal, have a very clear programme to target their reforms. Others, such as Germany, have decided to increase their investment in education and training despite the crisis (7% of GDP to education and 3% for research, to be precise). An ambitious and firm position will be the only solution to allow Europe to achieve its objectives. "I believe that there is much to be done on the road to permanent training, vocational training or developing entrepreneurship, to give Europe greater social cohesion. We have seen that in the fields of research, innovation and science, Europe has not yet created the frameworks it needs, despite the great impetus which has been given it", the Spanish minister concluded. (I.L./transl.fl)