Brussels, 26/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 26 November, the Education Council adopted conclusions on literacy (mastering reading and writing skills allowing for a critical analysis of various types of information), one of the priorities of the Cypriot Presidency. A low level of literacy is hindering and slowing economic growth. Moreover, according to a recent PISA study, one pupil in five in the OECD countries has problems with reading. This is also an urgent problem in adults, with one third of the labour force holding no or few qualifications. In these conclusions, the member states are called upon to improve the situation by incorporating the various existing strategies into more global skills strategies and by encouraging cooperation between the various stakeholders. They are also invited, together with the European Commission, to develop innovative approaches to improve literacy results by making use of the instruments made available by the existing programmes in the field of education and training, and under the European Social Fund.
The Education Council also adopted conclusions on the contribution of education and training to economic recovery and growth, in which it not only stresses the fundamental role played by education and training in the framework of the strategy EUROPE 2020, but also seeks to reinforce it. “Investing in people's skills is the best way for Europe to come out of crisis. These conclusions come in line perfectly with the 'Rethinking education' strategy” presented by the Commission the week before, said Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou. (IL/transl.fl)