When, in March 2000, the Lisbon European Council adopted the strategic goal of the EU becoming “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”, it emphasised that education and training systems needed to adapt both to the demands of a knowledge-based society and to the need for an improved level and quality of employment.
The Lisbon Council asked the Education Council “to undertake a general reflection on concrete future objectives of education systems, focusing on common concerns and priorities while respecting national diversity with a view to contributing to the Luxembourg and Cardiff processes” The Report on the concrete future objectives of the education and training systems adopted by the Education Council of 12 February 2001, took into account a Commission proposal and included three concrete strategic objectives together with 13 associated objectives. It takes account of the general aims which society attributes to education and training. The March 2001 Stockholm European Council mandated the Council and the Commission to “present a report to the Spring European Council in 2002 containing a detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems including an assessment of their achievement in the framework of the open method for coordination and in a worldwide perspective” The Commission published a detailed draft work programme in September 2001 and this formed the basis of a series of Council Conclusions which were adopted on 14 February 2002. These Conclusions will be submitted to the Barcelona European Council meeting.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1
IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
1.1 IMPROVING EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND TRAINERS
1. Providing the conditions which adequately support teachers and trainers as they respond to the challenges of the knowledge society, including through initial and in-service training in the perspective of lifelong learning
2. Identifying the skills, that teachers and trainers should have, given their changing roles in knowledge society
3. Securing a sufficient level of entry to the teaching profession, across all subjects and levels, as well as providing for the long-term needs of the profession by making teaching and training even more attractive
4. Attracting recruits to teaching and training who have professional experience in other fields.
1.2 DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR THE KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
1. Identifying new basic skills, and how these skills together with the traditional basic skills can be better integrated in the curricula, learned and maintained
2. Making attainment of basic skills genuinely available to everyone, including those less advantaged, those with special needs, school drop-outs and to adult learners
3. Promoting official validation of basic skills
1.3 ENSURING ACCESS TO ICT FOR EVERYONE
1. Providing adequate equipment and educational software so that ICT and e-Learning processes can be best applied in teaching and training practices
2. Encouraging the best use of innovative teaching and learning techniques based on ICT
1.4 INCREASING THE RECRUITMENT TO SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL STUDIES
1. Increasing the interest in mathematics, science and technology from an early age
2. Motivating more young people to choose studies and careers in the fields of mathematics, science and technology in particular research careers and scientific disciplines where there are shortages of qualified personnel, in a short and medium term perspective
3. Improving gender balance among people learning mathematics, science and technology
4. Securing a sufficient numbers of qualified teachers in mathematics and scientific and technical subjects
1.5 MAKING THE BEST USE OF RESOURCES
1. Increasing investment in human resources while ensuring an equitable and effective distribution of available means in order to facilitate general access to, and enhance the quality of, education and training
2. Supporting the development of compatible quality assurance systems respecting diversity across Europe
3. Developing the potential of public/private partnerships
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2
FACILITATING ACCESS OF ALL TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS
2.1 OPEN LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
1. Broadening access to lifelong learning by providing information, advice and guidance, on the full range of learning opportunities available
2. Delivering education and training so that adults can effectively participate and combine their participation in learning with other responsibilities and activities
3. Ensuring that learning is accessible for all, in order to better respond to the challenges of the knowledge society
4. Promoting flexible learning paths for all
2.2 MAKING LEARNING MORE ATTRACTIVE
1. Encouraging young people to remain in education or training after the end of compulsory education; and motivating and enabling adults to participate in learning through later life
2. Developing ways for the official validation of non-formal learning experiences
3. Finding ways of making learning more attractive, both within the formal education and training systems and outside them
2.3 SUPPORTING ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP, EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SOCIAL COHESION
1. Ensuring that the learning of democratic values and democratic participation by all school partners is effectively promoted in order to prepare people for active citizenship
2. Integrating fully equal opportunity considerations in the objectives and functioning of education and training
3. Ensuring fair access to acquisition of skills for the less privileged or those currently less well served and motivating them to participate in learning
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3
OPENING UP EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS TO THE WIDER WORLD
3.1 STRENGTHENING THE LINKS WITH WORKING LIFE AND RESEARCH, AND SOCIETY AT LARGE
1. Promoting close cooperation between education and training systems and society at large
2. Establishing partnerships between all types of education and training institutions, firms and research facilities for their mutual benefit
3.2 DEVELOPING THE SPIRIT OF ENTERPRISE
1. Promoting the sense of initiative and creativity throughout the education and training system in order to develop the spirit of enterprise (entrepreneurship)
2. Facilitating the acquisition of skills needed to set up and run a business
3.3 IMPROVING FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING
1. Encouraging everyone to learn two, or where appropriate, more languages in addition to their mother tongues, and increasing awareness of the importance of foreign language learning at all ages
2. Encouraging schools and training institutions in using efficient teaching and training methods and motivating continuation of language learning at a later stage of life
3.4 INCREASING MOBILITY AND EXCHANGE
1. Providing the widest access to mobility to individuals and to education and training organisations, including those serving a less privileged public and reducing the remaining obstacles to mobility
2. Monitoring the volume, direction, participation rates as well as qualitative aspects of mobility flows across Europe
3. Facilitating validation and recognition of competencies acquired during mobility
3.5 STRENGTHENING EUROPEAN CO-OPERATION
1. Enhancing the effectiveness and timeliness of recognition processes for the purpose of further study, training and employment throughout Europe
2. Promoting cooperation between responsible organisations and authorities in view of more compatibility in quality assurance and accreditation
3. Promoting transparency of information on education and training opportunities and structures in view of the creation of an open European area for education
TIMETABLE TO START FOLLOW-UP WORK FOR ASSOCIATED OBJECTIVES
Stage 1 (starting: second half of 2001)
Objective 1.2. Developing skills for the knowledge society
Objective 1.3. Ensuring access to ICT for everyone
Objective 1.4. Increasing the recruitment to scientific and technical studies
Stage 2 (starting: during 2002)
Objective 1.1. Improving education and training for teachers and trainers
Objective 1.5. Making the best use of resources
Objective 2.3. Supporting active citizenship, equal opportunities and social cohesion
Objective 3.4. Increasing mobility and exchange
Objective 3.5. Strengthening European cooperation
Stage 3 (starting: between second half of 2002 and end of 2003)
Objective 2.1. Open learning environment
Objective 2.2. Making learning more attractive
Objective 3.1. Strengthening the links with working life, research, and society at large.
Objective 3.2. Developing the spirit of enterprise
Objective 3.3. Improving foreign language learning
WEB LINKS
Full Text of Council Conclusions (Official Journal C 58, 2002)
Download “The concrete future objectives of education and training systems”
DG Education and Training Website
Lisbon & Stockholm European Council Conclusions
Eleonora Panto
Dario Zucchini