Brussels, 18/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - The next session of the Education, Youth and Culture Council will be held on 21 February in Brussels and attended by European Commissioner Jan Figel. The Council's contribution to the mid-term review of the Lisbon strategy on education and youth will be the focus of the session.
The Education chapter will unfold during the morning under the chairmanship of Ms Delvaux-Stehres, Luxembourg Minister for National Education and Vocational Training. As announced, the ministers will adopt conclusions on the role of education in the knowledge society, to be forwarded to the European Council on 22 and 23 March, within the framework of mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy. The Council's contribution will cover progress accomplished in the context of the Education and Training 2010 work programme and will identify areas where the European Council should give impetus to life-long learning. Ministers will also hold an exchange of views on the effectiveness and equity of European education systems, two parameters judged essential for the “Education” dimension of the Lisbon Strategy. On this occasion, Messrs Demeuse and Wössman, experts at the Belgian university of Mons-Hainaut and at the German university of Munich respectively, will present the results of their studies on the matter. The presentation will be followed by a debate on the following themes: - structural factors that guarantee the effectiveness and equity of each educational system, evaluation of the way educational systems work when it comes to equity, quality guarantees likely to increase responsibility and improve effectiveness and fairness in schools. Ministers will also informally discuss over lunch the follow-up to the conference “Europe-Asia School Solidarity” held in Paris on 22 January, which was devoted to the possibility of supporting the resumption of schooling for children affected by the tsunami.
The afternoon will be devoted to the “Youth” chapter under the chairmanship of Ms Jacobs, Luxembourg Minister for the Family and Integration. The central point will be the adoption of conclusions on the role of young people in the context of the Lisbon strategy, to be forwarded to the Spring Summit. These conclusions refer to the proposal from the Heads of State and Government of France, Germany, Spain and Sweden to adopt a European Pact for Youth, presented during the European Council in November 2004 (EUROPE of 3 November, p.10, and 10 November, p.13). Ministers should above all identify the main areas of action targeting youth (modernisation of social protection systems, improved education and skill-learning, more investment in research and development) and present their ideas on implementation of the Pact for Youth at national level and on the role of ministers for youth in this process, at European level.