Brussels, 04/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - Overcrowding and lack of suitable infrastructure - these are highlighted in the European Commission's annual assessment report published on 1 October, which is highly critical of member states that host the European Schools. It expresses concern that a number of member states have failed to meet their obligations as host states for the European institutions and schools. This situation has the direct result that the conditions of schooling and the quality of everyday life for pupils and school staff are seriously affected, endangering the long-term prospects for the European Schools, the report explains. The Commission regrets the fact that some staff are seeking alternative education solutions for their children.
The total number of pupils attending the 13 European Schools in 2006 was 20,582. The schools are of crucial importance for temporary staff as their children are able to continue their education in their mother tongue until they return to their home country. Given the recent accessions, it is vital for these schools to adjust in order to meet the constantly increasing diversity and demands on the European School system. The Commission is particularly critical of Belgium whose capital, Brussels, hosts the seat of most European institutions and must therefore face a growing demand for school enrolments. The three existing schools in Brussels are filled to saturation. An additional school is to open in Laeken in 2009 and the Commission has called on the national authorities to provide a transitional site close to Laeken pending completion of the work. The transitional site of Berkendael was the only option proposed but has been ill received due to its difficult location. In Luxembourg, the school remains overcrowded and the Commission expresses concern about the delays in housing the pupils in a second school not due to open until 2011. For the other schools, the Commission's assessment is as follows for: Varese: overcrowding and the needs of the school have not been met in terms of additional infrastructure; Frankfurt: school population is constantly increasing owing to the presence of the European Central Bank. Improvements have been made but the maximum capacity of the school has now almost been reached; Alicante: slight increase in number of pupils in 2006 (36.8%) but remains far from the required 50%; Munich: work has begun to resolve the problems of overcrowding in the nursery classes, but there are still problems of space. The European Schools in Bergen, Culham, Mol and Karlsruhe have been the subject of an external study (Van Dijk Report). The report recommends the progressive closure of the school in Culham considering that it will no longer be needed with the move of the Joint European Torus to Cadarache in France in 2016. It sets out recommendations for more efficient management of the three other schools. In addition to the problems linked to the lack of infrastructure and overcrowding, the Commission also evokes the very worrying problem of the number of seconded teachers' posts not filled by some member states. (il)