Brussels, 06/06/2000 (Agence Europe) - The future challenges and objectives of education systems in the Information Society will be the focus of deliberations by EU Education Ministers meeting in Council on Thursday, 8 June, in Luxembourg. They will be holding a public debate on this item of the agenda. Chaired by Portuguese Education Minister Guilherme de Oliveira Martins, this session will include a presentation by European Commissioner Viviane Reding on the "e-learning" initiative. She will also present the European report on quality in education. The Presidency will brief ministers on the progress of work on European co-operation on assessment of the quality of education, student mobiliby, persons in training, youth volunteers, teachers and trainers. Ministers will also have an exchange of views on the role of education and training in the Knowledge Society. All these subjects follow on from the Lisbon Summit conclusions on education. Language learning will also be discussed at this session (under the miscellaneous item), the Presidency considering it very important to raise public awareness of the cultural wealth of languages and thus to encoruage multilingualism.
Following are details on the agenda of this session.
1. Future challenges and objectives of education systems in the Information Society: Ministers will hold a public debate on this subject, on the basis of the Lisbon Summit Conclusions. Those conclusions invited the Education Council to contribute to attainment of the new strategic objective for the coming decade, namely to make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic Information Society economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth matched with quantitative and qualitative improvement in employment and greater social cohesion". The Education Ministers were invited by the Heads of Government to "undertake general study on the future concrete objectives of education systems, based on common concerns and priorities while respecting national diversity, with a view to contributing to the Luxembourg and Cardiff processes, and to present a more complete report to the European Council in the spring of 2001". To facilitate debate, the Presidency asked Ministers to answer a single question: "How can education and training policies contribute to achievement of the new strategic objectives set by the Lisbon European Council?" Ministers were asked to take the following points into account: - the challenges, objectives and priorities of education systems; - education and training policies and the players in the Information Society; - concrete policies to promote lifelong learning; - systematic "mainstreaming" of the promotion of social integration.
2. Education and training for living and working in the Information Society: follow-up to the Lisbon European Council. Ministers will exchange views on this issue. This point is linked to the above, but the objective here is to hold a specific discussion on actual implementation of the Lisbon Conclusions, in particular concerning timing and task-sharing between Member States, the Council and the Commission.
3. The "e-learning" initiative - reflection on the education of tomorrow: Mrs Reding will present this initiative to Ministers (see details in EUROPE of 10 March, p. 8). Its goal is to give effect to and complement the "e-Europe" initiative (dissemination of digital technologies) in the areas of education and training.
4. Report on quality of education (up to university level): 16 quality indicators. Mrs Reding will present this report, drawn up under her responsibility by a committee of experts from 26 European countries, of which 15 EU Member States and most of the associated countries (Cyprus, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovenia). The report identifies 16 indicators covering areas as varied as foreign languages, school failure rate and the education and training of teachers. It should be considered a starting point for stimulating cooperation in the area of education (excluding higher education). It will be submitted to the Conference of Ministers of Education to be held from 18 to 20 June in Bucharest.