At a meeting in Brussels on Friday 17 February, European education ministers underscored how education and training contribute to social cohesion and the promotion of common European values.
The EU28 were asked by the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU to give their views on how to reduce the social and economic inequalities listed in the last PISA poll (see EUROPE 11683), on the idea of establishing national and EU objectives for improving education and training programmes and ways of supporting continual training for teachers, educators and other members of the teaching corps.
The ministers broadly expressed support for these objectives but did not make any tangible commitments. The meeting seems from the outside to have been rather different from earlier meetings. As Maltese education and jobs minister Evarist Bartolo explained, the ministers talked frankly about the new challenges highlighted in the PISA poll, recognising strengths and problems. He said education comes under the power of the member states and it is healthy to learn from one another rather than see Europe as interfering with a national policy.
To give an example, Finland noted the importance of training teachers, Germany the need to boost Erasmus+, Spain the importance of information technology and communication (ITC) and so on.
The European Commission announced a recommendation on inclusive education and fundamental value with the aim of highlighting European values and help member states promote them. It also confirmed its plan to reveal a plan in May to give the European Solidarity Corps a legal basis and its own budget.
The Council adopted two series of conclusions: - 'Investing in the Youth of Europe notably through the European Solidarity Corps', and 'Inclusion in diversity in order to ensure access to quality education for all' (see EUROPE 11727). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)