Brussels, 01/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 1 September, the Commission and member states published a joint draft report examining education and training up to 2020. The report calls for a more inclusive vision of education and training and for greater cooperation between member states in these areas.
Tibor Navracsics, EU commissioner for education, culture, youth and sport, said, “Young Europeans are facing common challenges that need joint responses”. He added that “The threat of radicalisation shows how urgently we need to improve education prospects across all our communities”.
Marianne Thyssen, EU commissioner for employment and social affairs, explained “Relevant and high-quality skills are needed more than ever to find a job today”. She also said that “Better cooperation in education and training will help to raise skills and competence levels to tackle skills mismatches and thus support young Europeans to successfully enter the labour market”.
In a joint report, the experts emphasise the need to make European education and training systems more socially inclusive as part of the wider efforts to tackle radicalisation following the 2015 attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. The experts propose a sharper policy focus to better address the most pressing challenges facing European society. The six new priorities identified in the report are as follows: 1) Relevant and high-quality skills and competences, focusing on results, for employability, innovation and active citizenship 2) Inclusive education, equality, non-discrimination and promotion of civic competences; 3) Open and innovative education and training, including by fully embracing the digital era; 4) Strong support for educators; 5) Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications to facilitate learning and labour mobility; and 6) Sustainable investment, performance and efficiency of education and training systems.
Established in May 2009, Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) offers member states, the Commission and education institutions a forum to exchange best practices, information and advice for policy reforms. The Commission coordinates this tool of cooperation. The mid-term stocktaking exercise carried out in 2014 by the Commission and member states led to the publication of several national reports, including the conclusions included in the draft report. This report also proposes to set out new priorities for the next five years, which will replace the former three-year cycles, in an effort to sustain more long-term action. (Isabelle Lamberty)