Brussels, 09/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - Investing in the education sector is one of the EUROPE 2020 strategy priorities. However, it is difficult to follow or discuss this subject, to identify the factors that explain budget changes or to analyse the recent reforms put in place by the countries in this area because of a lack of recent information on public spending on education in Europe.
Eurydice, the European network that specialises in education, has compiled the available information and produced national files on education budgets, published on Monday 8 December. In all 34 European education systems were studied. The national files provide the most recent information on education spending planned for 2014 in the European countries and national education budgets are presented by expenditure type and level of education. The publication allows changes in education budgets between 2013 and 2014 to be identified and the national files set out the reasons for these changes.
Two thirds of countries or regions increased their spending on education in 2014 by more than 1% in real terms compared with 2013. The countries which invested most are Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Malta, Turkey and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland). At the other end of the scale, seven countries or regions reduced their spending in this area by more than 1%: Austria, the German-speaking Community in Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Greece and Ireland). The cuts made to the German Community in Belgium education budget were particularly deep. Three other countries or regions (the French-speaking Community in Belgium, Slovakia and Spain) made very little change to their education budgets. (IL)