Brussels, 28/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - Education and training can break the cycle of disadvantage, but reforms undertaken must go hand in hand with economic and social reforms. Next year, the European Commission's DG Education will propose a new initiative to tackle disadvantage on all fronts, Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou announced at a conference organised by the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers in Ghent on 28-29 September. The aim of the conference is to highlight European, national and regional policies and examples of good practice with a view to promoting equality and inclusion at all levels of education from pre-school and compulsory to higher and adult education. Commissioner Vassiliou will use the Youth on the Move initiative to increase equality and inclusion. This initiative, Vassiliou said, provides a new dynamic to the quest for excellence and fairness in lifelong learning and ensures that people will have the basic skills. Vassiliou also announced two proposed Council recommendations which are on the agenda for the next Education Council. One is on reducing early school leaving (one of the two education objectives in the EUROPE 2020 strategy) and the other is on promoting non-formal and informal learning. The commissioner, with her colleague at Employment László Andor, will also propose a new Agenda for New Skills and Jobs in November. (I.L./transl.rt)