The three initiatives presented by the European Commission on Tuesday 30 May seek to ensure high-quality and inclusive education that is oriented towards the future.
Commissioner Jyrki Katainen, in charge of Competitiveness and Investment and Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, in charge of Education, presented three initiatives relating to education, one on schools and two on higher education.
Mr Katainen stated, “a quality education accessible to all is essential for the future of Europe and constitutes the spinal cord of open and flourishing societies… The raft of measures adopted today is based on the young people of Europe and the modernisation of education”. On the issues of schools and following the observations provided by the member states that have displayed certain educational requirements, the Commission is a eager to provide mutual learning and exchanges between states. The Commission is therefore proposing to develop school partnerships, mobility and electronic twinning as part of the Erasmus + programme.
In its communication on higher education, the European Commission identified four priority action areas in an effort to tackle the mismatch of skills on the labour market, build inclusive and connected education systems, contribute to innovation and support effective and efficient education systems. It is therefore looking at the possibility of supporting cooperation between governments and higher education establishments and developing exchanges abroad.
Finally, the Commissioners presented a draft recommendation from the Council of the EU on the follow-up of graduates. This will involve improving the quality and availability of information about the trajectory of graduates after they have left higher education. This will also be done to coordinate graduates’ skills and the demands of the labour market. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)