EI invites European member organisations to submit their views on the Commission's Consultation on "Schools for the 21st Century"
The EI Pan-European Structure and the ETUCE invite member organisations to contribute actively to the Commission's consultation on "Schools for the 21st Century".
A circular has been sent out to all member organisations in the European Union by the ETUCE on 16 July, asking them for their contribution to the Commission's consultation.
The Consultation on School Education in the EU was launched under the theme "Schools for the 21st Century". It is addressed broadly to all those interested in the development of school education in Europe, but ETUCE and other organisations in the field of education at the EU level have been invited to be particularly closely involved in the consultation through representation on an ad hoc "Stakeholders Platform on School Education".
The aim of the Consultation is to address the issue of school education in a more comprehensive manner than what has hitherto been done at EU level, in order to enable the Commission to be in a better position to identify those areas where joint work and exchange of experiences would be most profitable at EU level within the context of the Education & Training 2010 process. Given its status as ground work for the future priorities at EU level, this Consultation is highly important.
The Consultation raises the following eight questions to respondents:
- How can schools be organised in such a way as to provide all students with the full range of key competences?
- How can schools equip young people with the competences and motivation to make learning a lifelong activity?
- How can school systems contribute to supporting long-term sustainable economic growth in Europe?
- How can school systems best respond to the need to promote equity, to respond to cultural diversity and to reduce early school leaving?
- If schools are to respond to each pupil's individual learning needs, what can be done as regards curricula, school organisation and the roles of teachers?
- How can school communities help to prepare young people to be responsible citizens, in line with fundamental values such as peace and tolerance of diversity?
- How can school staff be trained and supported to meet the challenges they face?
- How can school communities best receive the leadership and motivation they need to succeed? How can they be empowered to develop in response to changing needs and demands?
In relation to each of these questions, the Commission invites respondents to identify
- what actions they would favour within their national contexts, and
- to suggest how the European cooperation could be more effective in supporting Member States' actions on school education.
Please submit your views to the ETUCE Secretariat no later than 20th September 2007, by email to [email protected] or by fax to: +32 2 224 0694.
