Brussels, 16/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - Little by little, the European landscape of educational systems is changing. Schools are acquiring greater autonomy, the young are undergoing longer schooling, and the number of teachers and pupils is decreasing. This was what was revealed in the 2009 edition of “Key Data on Education in Europe” produced by the Eurydice network. The report gives a comprehensive picture of the latest trends regarding the organisation and functioning of the education systems of 31 European countries (the 27 member states of the European Union, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey) on the basis of 121 indicators. Although “this shows we are making progress”, said Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, “there are also some challenges for us to work on”. He cited above all the shortage of teachers in some regions and the fall in the number of children in compulsory schooling.
The Commission sees three general trends: 1) Fewer children in compulsory education and widespread retirement of teachers. Demographic forecasts in European countries point to a general decline in the population of school-age pupils. At the same time, since the age group of teachers closest to retirement is over-represented, many countries or regions will experience large scale teacher retirement in the near future. These demographic changes pose challenges for education systems, but they are also an opportunity to update, modernise and make them more effective and quality oriented, the Commission says. 2) Longer compulsory schooling and significant rise in participation in higher education. Although compulsory schooling lasts 9 or 10 years in most countries, a child aged five today is likely to spend 17 years on average in education, with the overall trend being clearly upward. Some countries have introduced reforms aimed at reducing school-leaving rates. In Italy and the Netherlands, for example, all pupils under the age of 18 must remain at school until they have obtained a certificate of basic education. The number of students in higher education has continued to rise since 1998, reaching over 18 million (a 25% increase in eight years). One third of all 20-22 year olds currently take part in a course of higher education, with there being more women in higher education than men (stable trend since 2002: 123 women for every 100 men). Significant imbalances remain, however, depending on the field of study. 3) Increased autonomy for schools combined with a rise in external evaluations, but varied policies on publication of results. The nearly universal trend in favour of increased school autonomy has been accompanied by a parallel development of measures to implement regular and systematic evaluation of education system, institutions and staff. The study reveals that positive developments are taking place regarding quality assurance, with many countries introducing standardised evaluations. Policies on the publication of results differ greatly, however, with only a minority routinely publishing reports.
Compared to the 2006 and 2007 figures, the study also provides answers to questions such as: To what extent can parents in different European countries decide which school their children may attend? Which countries spend most per pupil? Which countries pay their teachers best relative to GDP per capita? How many hours per week are teachers required to teach? Which countries charge university tuition fees and how much do they charge? How do schools deal with pupils who are not native speakers of the language of instruction?
Compared to the five reference criteria that member states set themselves for 2010, Eurydice reaches the same conclusions as the latest annual Commission assessment report (see EUROPE 9701): - member states have reached only one objective, namely the rise in the number of students qualified in maths, sciences and technology (objective 2010 - to increase the number of students in these fields by 15%). For three other criteria (reduce early drop out from the school system, increase adult participation in education and lifelong learning, and increase the completion rate for the second cycle of secondary education), progress is slow but continuous. Only the objective of enhancing reading skills is not being reached. And worse still - the situation has grown worse in recent years.
By way of conclusion, Eurydice experts urge European countries not to take the current economic crisis as a pretext for reducing financing for education. It would be a serious mistake for the economic and social future of Europe that must count on a well qualified and experienced human capital in order to face up to future challenges. The precarious balance that seems to be taking shape between the decline in numbers in compulsory education and the retirement of many teachers must not push leaders to take the real risk of teacher shortages in some regions lightly. On the contrary, greater value must be given to the teaching profession in order to give it fresh impetus. (I.L./transl.jl)