Report highlights successes and failures of education and training in Europe
Much remains to be done in the areas of lifelong-learning policies and coherent policy-evaluation and monitoring procedures if education and training are to make their full contribution to the Lisbon goals of making Europe dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.
Modernising Education and Training: A Vital Contribution to Prosperity and Social Cohesion in Europe, a draft joint progress report of the European Council and Commission on the implementation of the education and training 2010 work programme, also claims that more sustained funding of education and training is needed. The report outlines key areas of work at national as well as European level for the next two years.
The authors consider that education and training are key factors in promoting innovation and competitiveness in Europe and in improving the long-term sustainability of Europe’s social-welfare systems. The key findings at national level are:
All European Union (EU) member states consider the Lisbon strategy as a factor in national education and training policy development. Many have national targets related to the education and training benchmarks.
Education spending, which varies between 4 and 8 per cent of national wealth(gross domestic product), is increasing in almost all EU countries, but many governments recognise that reforms cannot take place within current patterns and levels of investment.
Most of the increase has come from the students and trainees themselves, in the form of fees for courses, rather than from employers.
A lot of effort has been put into improving the quality and standards of education and training, widening participation, enhancing the attractiveness of vocational education and training and improving access to information and communication technology.
More countries and institutions are explicitly marketing across the world the education and training they offer, and so are attracting more students from abroad.
Better links are needed between higher-education institutions and industry and commerce. Few EU member states incorporate technology transfer in their national higher-education strategies.
Improving the quality and attractiveness of vocational education and training is a priority, but much work remains to be done on this.
More effort is also needed to increase the number of students remaining in further or higher education beyond compulsory school-leaving age.
The authors highlight the need for better co-ordination between all the major organisations and institutions involved in education and training,including government ministries and private-sector providers. European education benchmarks should play a greater role in helping to define national education and training targets.
At European level, the authors urge the development of a well-focused and relevant programme of peer-learning activities in the framework of the new Integrated Programme for Lifelong Learning. They say that more systematic monitoring of the implementation of lifelong-learning strategies is needed in all member states. The EU needs to agree a European qualifications framework(EQF), and to define the key competences for lifelong learning. Better information exchanges are needed regarding use of structural funds and the European Investment Bank to support education and training development, with a view to exploiting these resources more effectively in the future.
The report analyses the progress made in key areas of education and training in Europe. The EU benchmark for the number of graduates in mathematics, science and technology has been met; there has been some progress towards meeting the lifelong-learning participation and early-school-leaver benchmarks; but there has been no improvement in secondary-school completion rates or literacy levels.
