Brussels, 16/02/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU Education Ministers, meeting in Council, chaired by Annette Schavan, on Friday 16 February came to a broad consensus on the “key messages” in education and training to be sent to the European Council of 8-9 March. “We stated that for the Lisbon Strategy, education and training systems had to be better and better equipped,” said Ms Schavan, the German federal minister for education and research, in early afternoon, following discussion on the “Education” section of the meeting. Ministers also had a first exchange of views to identify the issues that required the attention of Council after 2010. The “Youth” section of the Council, chaired by Ursula von der Leyen, the federal minister for the family and young people, was due to begin in the course of the afternoon and finish in the evening.
After reviewing the progress made over the last 12 months in education and training, ministers adopted the “key messages” to send to the Spring Summit.
Pointing out that education and training were prerequisites for a properly-functioning knowledge triangle (education - research - innovation), the Council stressed that they played a key role in boosting growth and jobs, and ensuring equal opportunities and social cohesion for all citizens. National reform programmes indicated that “promising developments are either under way or being prepared in many member states,” ministers noted.
They consider, however, that a greater effort must be made to pursue reform and to fully implement the Education and Training 2010 programme of work, mainly by strengthening the exchange of good practice between member states. They also note that general education and lifelong learning strategies based on effectiveness and equity must be set in place by most member states. “To provide a broad skills base underpinning Europe's capacity for excellence and innovation, reforms need to be stepped up to further strengthen the different levels of education. In particular, efforts should be made to modernise higher education and to ensure high quality and attractive vocational education and training”, the ministers say. In parallel to the need for investment in education and training, the Council also notes that “educational policies and practices require a stronger evidence base”. Ministers also say full use must be made of the opportunities provided by the Structural Funds and the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013.
The Council held a first exchange of views aimed at identifying the problems that will be facing them after 2010 and the responses to be given. Annette Schavan told the press that ministers had identified a number of subjects that should be the “vital lead” in their work over coming months and years. It is above all a matter of “access for all to a system of education that is equal to the situation”, consideration of the link between culture and developments in education and training, pedagogical work to be carried out among teachers, strengthened mobility to create a European area of education, and the need to place emphasis on the importance of education and training from a very early age. Speaking along the same lines with emphasis on the link between the social and educational aspects, Ms Schavan said the “dynamic of the working world should be taken into account in education and training of the learning young”. (ol)