Brussels, 08/09/2008 (Agence Europe) - Member states unanimously recognise the essential role of teachers in improving the quality of teaching within the Lisbon process. The education information network, Eurydice, has published a new study on schools and teachers' autonomy in around 30 European countries. This accompanies the study on schools' autonomy in the management of financial and human resources (EUROPE 9608). The report also analyses teachers' working conditions.
The two last decades have been characterised by a marked development in teachers' responsibilities in most European countries. Eurydice points out that significant changes have generally led to an increased workload. In most educational establishments, even the most centralised of them, teachers already enjoyed a certain freedom of choice in choosing teaching methods and materials. Reforms linked to school autonomy, coupled with decentralisation measures, now enable them to become actively involved in devising their school curricula. Although schools are increasingly being requested to improve their academic performances and tackle general social issues, only a few countries (Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom) have created new posts at schools to meet this demand. On the question of teachers' status and working conditions, only a very small number such as the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom have entirely changed their systems or are in the midst of doing so (Czech Republic, Spain, France or Liechtenstein). Decentralisation and school autonomy have led to central governments, local authorities and schools sharing responsibility for education in new ways. In all European countries, totally centralised school programmes have disappeared in favour of curricular content at different levels among schools and teachers. Three main models are emerging. Firstly - in Nordic and Central European countries, the central authority works out a general framework defining the main characteristics of curricular content, which is filled out by local authorities and teachers. In the second model (Netherlands and Sweden), the state defines the specific goals for each main stage of education, leaving schools with substantial scope to determine curricular content. In the third model, curricula established by central government exist alongside curricular content devised by local players. Teachers, however, have little say in determining the content of the compulsory minimum curriculum, which in two thirds of the countries is drawn up at central level. In the great majority of countries, the working time of teachers is defined in terms of a number of hours spent teaching, often in combination with an overall amount of working time. 12 countries define working time as the number of hours of availability at school. In the United Kingdom, this is the only criterion. Teamwork is generally encouraged but the amount of time spent on it is not often formally defined. In addition to teaching, preparing lessons and marking, standing in for absences and providing support to prospective or new teachers are among specific duties more often than not assigned to teachers. Continuing professional development (CPD) is considered a professional duty for teachers in more than 20 countries. In Belgium, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malta, the United Kingdom and Iceland, schools are expected to establish a plan for continuing professional development as part of their school development plan. Non-participation, however, appears to be rarely penalised and most countries declare that the lack of replacements and the cost of these replacements are often a brake on this participation. Info: http://www.eurydice.org . (I.L./transl.rh)