Brussels, 06/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - During a visit to Tunisia from 1-4 March, Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, expressed her wish to see Tunisia join the European Digital e-Twinning Programme. She underlined the fact that this programme would help Tunisian students improve their knowledge of languages and would help academics and teachers exchange their professional experience. Vassiliou explained that “this programme is a very efficient way of encouraging communication and information technology and inter-cultural and linguistic skills at school”. She added that, in this context, teachers would be invited by several European Union countries to help contribute to setting up the e-Twinning programme in Tunisia, through training sessions in Europe. Due to the lack of specialised skills, almost 1 million job offers currently go unfilled in EU countries, and there is a need to create new diplomas that respond to the needs of the European labour market, she explained. During her visit she met Minister for Education Abdellatif Abid, Minister for Culture Mehdi Mabrouk, Minister for Labour Abdelwaheb Mâatar and Minister for Youth and Sport, Tarak Dhiab. Abid was particularly pleased with the boost in EU cooperation to the education field and called for greater diversification in this area and consolidation of the exchange of experience and expertise, whilst proposing that the teaching of Arabic be promoted in European universities.
The commissioner also underlined the crucial importance of education and culture in the consolidation of democracy in Tunisia, following the “Jasmine Revolution”. The revolution has given young people the opportunity to participate fully in the political and decision-making process of their respective countries. Nevertheless, it is necessary for Tunisian youth to be educated in schools with democratic values and those promoting human rights, added Vassiliou. The EU can help Tunisia in this process, particularly through the Erasmus exchange programme, which encourages the mobility of academics and teachers, and provides cultural organisations with the opportunity of developing partnerships with their European peers. As from 2014, Tunisians will be able to request European assistance for cultural projects developed in cooperation with the EU, as part of the new “Creative Europe” programme. The commissioner explained, however, that “we have no desire to impose a European identity on Tunisia. We respect the cultural diversity and identity of our member states, and we will do the same for Tunisia.” (IL/transl.fl)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *