Brussels, 06/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - As we have previously indicated (see EUROPE of 3 March, p.6), the EU Education ad Research Ministers have dedicated their joint informal meeting in Uppsala to an in-depth discussion on the main challenges presented by an ageing population in the knowledge society. This thought process is both part of the follow-up to the Lisbon Summit and in the shadow of the next Stockholm European Council (23 and 24 March).
During a press conference, the Swedish Education Minister, Thomas Östros, underlined that significant number of problems that are likely to appear due to the ageing population in the context of the permanent development of knowledge and technologies: - adaptation to new technologies; - training deficit; - competence deficit for companies; - fall in the number of scientists and researchers. The Ministers hoped that the Stockholm European Council will take a decision over the measures in the education and research sectors, to tackle these challenges. This concerns, in particular, taking into account the possibilities of encouraging the younger generations to continue higher education and move towards teaching, the sciences and technology. Other than a revision of the education system, this concerns promoting the links between the education system, the working life and companies. Mobility should be encouraged and facilitated. Answering a question from a journalists, who asked him whether the ageing of the pollution does not cast doubt the aims of Lisbon concerning the knowledge society, Mr Östros answered no, but on condition that the Member States truly engage themselves and decide to immediately increase the resources available for education and research. In Sweden, we have doubled, in ten years, the annual number of doctorates. We must continue like this, he said. I am in politics as I am optimist, stated Commissioner Viviane Reding when asserting that the Lisbon objectives can be achieved if the means are there. She underlined the importance of citizen mobility (students, researchers, teachers, trainers and other professions) in order to answer the needs in terms of qualifications and competences in the new labour market. To encourage this mobility, it has become necessary to tackle numerous concrete problems (taxation, social security, pensions, recognition of diplomas, schooling, etc.) faced on a daily basis by border workers and people who move to a country other than there own. Mr Reding said she was confident in the ability of the Heads of State and Government to send a clear political message that will allow to resolve these problems.
On Saturday, the Education Ministers continued their discussion over the follow-up to Lisbon by placing emphasis on the importance of basic knowledge, the strategies to fight against schooling and social exclusions, the role of adult training and the introduction of new technologies. Mr Reding indicated that the report on "second chance schools" pilot projects, launched by the Commission in the context of its "Teaching and learning: towards a cognitive society" White Paper, has just been finalised and will soon be published. Recalling that the fight against failing in school is very important as a preventative measure for social exclusion, Mrs Reding insisted over the need for the Member States to establish strategies in view of respecting the objective, set in Lisbon, to reduce school failure rates by 50% before 2010.