The European Parliament adopted, by 551 votes to 31 with 11 abstentions, a resolution on delivering lifelong learning for knowledge, creativity and innovation - implementation of the 'Education & Training 2010 work programme'.

The own-initiative report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Ljudmila NOVAK (EPP-ED, SL) on behalf of the Committee on Culture and Education.

The Parliament welcomes the Commission’s proposals and improvements that it proposes in its communication on the implementation of the work programme. However, it states that action in the field of education and training should be consistently supported with complementary measures of a socio-economic nature to improve the overall standard of living of European citizens. It emphasises the crucial role of families and the social environment in every aspect of education and training.

Women in the education system : Parliament deplores the fact that educational systems discourage women from entering traditionally male-dominated fields of employment and vocational training. Member States are called upon to launch programmes aimed at giving women the most diversified professional guidance possible and subsequent assistance in the employment market. It also highlights that the existing inequality of opportunity between women and men as regards high quality lifelong teaching and education are all the more marked in island regions and geographically and socially disadvantaged regions. Therefore, it calls for greater promotion of educational initiatives in the framework of regional policy. Parliament observes that students with interrupted study patterns, especially young mothers, can suffer discrimination, and calls for the adoption of more flexible approaches in order to facilitate the resumption of studies or training after the birth of a child and the combining of studies with professional and family life.

Education and Roma people : Parliament stresses the need to integrate these groups, as well as those with special needs (primarily women and disabled and elderly people), at all levels and in all areas of education. It considers that additional support should be provided to migrants, whilst ethnic minorities and Roma people should be assisted by trained staff who belong to the same minority or at least speak their native language.

ICT training : Parliament observes that the quality of curricula and teaching must be improved across the board and that teachers’ social security must be improved as well as their training and mobility. It emphasises that media literacy and ICT knowledge should be strongly promoted and recommends both that media education should form an integral part of the curriculum at all levels of schooling.

Sport in education : the importance of sport at all levels of education is highlighted in the report and Parliament calls for at least three teaching periods per week to be set aside for sport in the curriculum and for support to be made available for schools to go beyond this prescribed minimum where possible.

The Council is urged to monitor the practical implementation of European education and learning policies by every Member State. MEPs considers that national governments should set national goals in this field in a transparent manner, and should introduce appropriate legislation and relevant measures to ensure the achievement of European standards, and, in particular, to ensure that tools adopted at EU level, such as the recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning, the European Qualifications Framework and Europass, are implemented.

The Parliament also focuses on different levels of education as follows:

Pre-primary education : Parliament calls on all Member States to make pre-primary education compulsory . It stresses the need for increased resources for improving material and space conditions and for ongoing staff training to raise the quality of pre-primary education and provide increased resources for investment. Universal access to high-quality pre-primary education is an effective way to open up access to lifelong learning for all children, but particularly children from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities. It insists on the importance of children's developing basic skills, learning their mother tongue or the language of their country of residence, and acquiring reading and writing skills as early as possible. Learning of a second language should begin at this early stage . Primary and secondary education : Parliament stresses that primary and secondary education should equip children for autonomous, creative and innovative thinking and make them into media-critical and self-reflecting citizens. It emphasises the need to pay special attention to individuals who might otherwise drop out of education at a later stage. As for the curricula, it states that they must be continually updated in order to remain relevant. Member States must attach greater importance to teacher training and provide more resources for it if they are to make significant progress in achieving the Lisbon Strategy targets in the work programme 'Education and training 2010' and promote lifelong learning within the European Union. Parliament strongly encourages the learning of foreign languages from an early age and the inclusion of foreign-language teaching in all primary school curricula. It proposes that European citizenship programmes that will educate a new generation in the spirit of European values in areas such as human rights, multiculturalism, tolerance, the environment, climate change should be introduced into curricula as soon as possible. Vocational education and training (VET) : Parliament points out that VET ought to be better linked and more coherently integrated into both European and national economies in order to tailor better the educational process to the labour market. It insists that mobility (not only geographical but also mobility between VET and higher education) of students and teachers be significantly enhanced. Higher education : Parliament considers that university curricula should be modernised in order to meet current and future socio-economic needs. Higher education institutions should, as a matter of priority, develop interdisciplinary programmes on the borders between sciences in order to train specialists capable of solving the most complex problems facing the world today. Member States are called upon to boost partnerships between universities and businesses, and, in addition, between universities and the many other national, regional and local stakeholders. Cooperation between European higher education institutions must be significantly enhanced and that, furthermore, qualifications should be made as easily transferable as possible. Parliament strongly recommends that Member States improve students' and teachers' mobility, including mobility between countries, programmes and disciplines. It stresses, in this context, the importance of implementing the European Quality Charter for Mobility in order to create a genuine European area for lifelong education and training and promote economic, social and regional cooperation. Life-long learning : Parliament considers that employers should be encouraged consistently to arrange education and training for their employees, as well as being provided with incentives to enable low-skilled workers to take part in lifelong learning programmes. Long-term unemployed people from a disadvantaged social background, people with special needs, young people who have been in re-education institutions and former prisoners should especially be taken into consideration. Parliament also considers that more funding for measures to promote mobility should be provided by both European and national authorities at all stages of lifelong learning.

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the own-initiative report drafted by Ljudmila NOVAK (EPP-ED, SL) on delivering lifelong learning for knowledge, creativity and innovation - implementation of the 'Education & Training 2010 work programme'.

The committee notes that action in the field of education and training should be consistently supported with complementary measures of a socio-economic nature to improve the overall standard of living of European citizens. The crucial role which families play, in this context, is emphasised by the MEPs and they stress that education is essential for the social and personal development of both women and men and a way of promoting equality.

On the other hand, the committee deplores the fact that educational systems discourage women from entering traditionally male-dominated fields of employment and vocational training. Member States are called upon to launch programmes aimed at giving women the most diversified professional guidance possible and subsequent assistance in the employment market. It also highlights that the existing inequality of opportunity between women and men as regards high quality lifelong teaching and education are all the more marked in island regions and geographically and socially disadvantaged regions. Therefore, it calls for greater promotion of educational initiatives in the framework of regional policy.

On the issue of migrants and minorities (especially Roma people), MEPs stress the need to integrate these groups, as well as those with special needs (primarily women and disabled and elderly people), at all levels and in all areas of education. They consider that additional support should be provided to migrants, whilst ethnic minorities and Roma people should be assisted by trained staff who belong to the same minority or at least speak their native language.

The report states that students with interrupted study patterns, especially young mothers, can suffer discrimination, and it calls for the adoption of more flexible approaches in order to facilitate the resumption of studies or training after the birth of a child and the combining of studies with professional and family life.

MEPs observe that the quality of curricula and teaching must be improved across the board and that teachers’ social security must be improved as well as their training and mobility. They emphasise that media literacy and ICT knowledge should be strongly promoted and recommends both that media education should form an integral part of the curriculum at all levels of schooling.

The importance of sport at all levels of education is highlighted in the report and MEPs call for at least three teaching periods per week to be set aside for sport in the curriculum and for support to be made available for schools to go beyond this prescribed minimum where possible.

The Council is urged to monitor the practical implementation of European education and learning policies by every Member State. MEPs considers that national governments should set national goals in this field in a transparent manner, and should introduce appropriate legislation and relevant measures to ensure the achievement of European standards, and, in particular, to ensure that tools adopted at EU level, such as the recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning, the European Qualifications Framework and Europass, are implemented.

Pre-primary education : MEPs call on all Member States to make pre-primary education compulsory . They stress the need for increased resources for improving material and space conditions and for ongoing staff training to raise the quality of pre-primary education and provide increased resources for investment. Universal access to high-quality pre-primary education is an effective way to open up access to lifelong learning for all children, but particularly children from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities. They insist on the importance of children's developing basic skills, learning their mother tongue or the language of their country of residence, and acquiring reading and writing skills as early as possible. Learning of a second language should begin at this early stage.

Primary and secondary education : MEPs stress that primary and secondary education should equip children for autonomous, creative and innovative thinking and make them into media-critical and self-reflecting citizens. They emphasise the need to pay special attention to individuals who might otherwise drop out of education at a later stage.

As for the curricula , MEPs state they must be continually updated in order to remain relevant. Member States must attach greater importance to teacher training and provide more resources for it if they are to make significant progress in achieving the Lisbon Strategy targets in the work programme 'Education and training 2010' and promote lifelong learning within the European Union.

They strongly encourage the learning of foreign languages from an early age and the inclusion of foreign-language teaching in all primary school curricula.

MEPs propose that European citizenship programmes that will educate a new generation in the spirit of European values in areas such as human rights, multiculturalism, tolerance, the environment, climate change should be introduced into curricula as soon as possible.

Vocational education and training (VET) : MEPs points out that VET ought to be better linked and more coherently integrated into both European and national economies in order to tailor better the educational process to the labour market. They insist that mobility (not only geographical but also mobility between VET and higher education) of students and teachers be significantly enhanced.

Higher education : the report states that university curricula should be modernised in order to meet current and future socio-economic needs. Higher education institutions should, as a matter of priority, develop interdisciplinary programmes on the borders between sciences in order to train specialists capable of solving the most complex problems facing the world today. Member States are called upon to boost partnerships between universities and businesses , and, in addition, between universities and the many other national, regional and local stakeholders. Cooperation between European higher education institutions must be significantly enhanced and that, furthermore, qualifications should be made as easily transferable as possible.

MEPs strongly recommend that Member States improve students' and teachers' mobility, including mobility between countries, programmes and disciplines. They stress, in this context, the importance of implementing the European Quality Charter for Mobility in order to create a genuine European area for lifelong education and training and promote economic, social and regional cooperation.

Lifelong learning : MEPs consider that employers should be encouraged consistently to arrange education and training for their employees, as well as being provided with incentives to enable low-skilled workers to take part in lifelong learning programmes. Long-term unemployed people from a disadvantaged social background, people with special needs, young people who have been in re-education institutions and former prisoners should especially be taken into consideration.

MEPs consider that more funding for measures to promote mobility should be provided by both European and national authorities at all stages of lifelong learning.

MEPs call for the advantages of the European Quality Charter for Mobility to be recognised and exploited and for them to be put into practice by the Member States, and for the Commission to carry out a review of implementation in the Member States.

Lastly, they stress that lifelong learning programmes must support entrepreneurship, enabling citizens to establish SMEs and to meet the needs of both society and the economy.

The Council adopted a series of conclusions on the topic of lifelong learning.

Overall, the Council welcomes the October 2006 Commission communication ‘It is never too late to learn’ and the September 2007 Commission Action Plan ‘It is always a good time to learn’, both of which highlight the importance of adult learning as a key component of lifelong learning. In this context, the Council calls on Member States to remove barriers to participation and to increase overall quality and efficiency in adult learning. They also recognise the key role which adult learning can play in meeting the goals of the Lisbon Strategy.

To further improve this awareness, the Council considers it necessary to:

raise the skills levels of a still significant number of low-skilled workers, with a view to enabling all citizens to adapt to technological change; address the problem of the persistently high number of early school leavers by offering a second chance to those who enter adult age without a qualification; combat social exclusion due to circumstances such as low levels of initial education, unemployment and rural isolation; ensure the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of adult learning.

Adult learning should also be given stronger emphasis and more effective support at national level, including through the following measures:

concentrating not only on increased learning opportunities but also ensuring broader access to and greater participation in adult learning; ensuring complementarity and coherence between the follow-up given to any such measures and implementation of the Bologna and Copenhagen processes, insofar as these relate to adult learners; using existing research structures for the needs of adult education; intensifying cooperation with the international organisations and relevant non-governmental bodies working in this field, including outside of the EU.

The Council then proposes a series of specific measures for the period 2008-2010, varied according to the responsibility for implementation.

As for the Commission, with the cooperation of the Member States: it is proposed to:

analyse reforms in education and training at national level, especially the development of national qualifications systems in relation to the European Qualifications Framework and credit transfer systems relating to both formal, non-formal and informal learning, with a view to improving adult access to qualifications systems; analyse the impact of national education and training reforms in terms of the distribution of funding resources across the various age groups; support the development of career opportunities, conditions and resources - based on existing good practice in the Member States - for those working in the field of adult learning, in order to enhance the visibility and status of the profession; carry out further research on the development of quality criteria for adult learning providers; draw up a common inventory of good practice and projects aimed at motivating those groups which are particularly hard to reach, identifying key factors for their reintegration into the labour market and society, and enhancing their self-esteem; identify good practice in the assessment of learning outcomes, particularly those of low-skilled and older workers and of migrants; produce a glossary of agreed definitions used in adult learning and establish a set of European level comparable core data; support measures to strengthen the place of adult learning within the context of national lifelong learning strategies; support campaigns aimed at raising awareness and motivation among potential learners and thereby increasing overall participation in adult learning.

In terms of the responsibility of the Member States, with the support of the commission, it is proposed to:

support the exchange of good practice, mutual learning and the development of joint projects in the adult education field; closely cooperate in identifying and removing barriers to adult learning, and in establishing demand-driven, high quality provision and facilities for the adult learning field; encourage both higher education and vocational education institutions to reach out more to adult learners, as well as develop partnerships with the business community; work towards the objective of facilitating access to and increasing participation in adult learning by all citizens, in particular those who leave initial education and training early and would like a ‘second chance’; ensure effective and efficient use of the Lifelong Learning Programme, the European Structural Funds and other similar sources of funding, in order to improve the delivery of learning opportunities for adults; promote the development and use of lifelong guidance systems which can provide adults with independent information and advice, individual skills analysis and personalised careers guidance; consider the contribution of adult learning to social cohesion and economic development; facilitate the development of methodologies and tools needed to assess key skills and competencies - including those acquired mainly outside the formal learning system - and have them validated and defined in terms of learning outcomes; endeavour to ensure an adequate share for adult learning when allocating financial resources across the various educational sectors; promote the active involvement of the social partners and other stakeholders, including NGOs, in securing high quality learning provision tailored to the needs of the various categories of learners. Special emphasis should be placed on ICT learning approaches and the development of ICT skills; reinforce cooperation with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning.

Based on the results obtained after implementation of these measures, consider further possible action beyond 2010 in accordance with the follow up to the ‘Education and Training 2010" work programme.’

PURPOSE: to present the third Joint Report on the “Education & Training 2010 work programme”.

BACKGROUND: lifelong learning supports creativity and innovation. That is why the Council sets itself ambitious objectives in the Education and Training 2010 work programme. Indeed, the Council and the Commission prepare a joint report every second year in order to identify achievements and to direct efforts in field that are proving more difficult

CONTENT: this Communication is a contribution to the 3 rd Joint Report on the “Education & Training 2010” work programme. It points to significant progress and challenges in education and training reforms. The report finds that although progress has been achieved in a number of areas, this does not mean that progress is uniform or that efforts can be relaxed. Those areas in which progress has been made include: Lifelong learning strategies and qualifications; pre-primary education; higher education; education and training in the broader EU policy context. Nevertheless, a number of hurdles still need to be over come. They include:

Implementing lifelong learning strategies:

Implementation of lifelong learning strategies requires institutional commitment, coordination and partnership with relevant stakeholders. Positive trends in public spending on education between 2000 and 2003 appear to have come to a halt. For example, total public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP increased in the EU between 2000 (4.7%) and 2003 (5.2%) but then decreased to 5.1% in 2004. Levels of expenditure continue to show huge variations between countries (3.3% in Romania compared to 8.5% in Denmark). Private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP has increased slightly since 2000 but progress slowed down in 2004.

Basic skills for all:

Major challenges remain vis-à-vis early school leavers, upper secondary attainment and key competences. Some progress has been made since 2000 but not enough to reach the 2010 EU benchmarks. In some countries performance has worsened with several countries still having very high levels of early school leavers. For example, every sixth young person (15.3%) aged 18 to 24 in the EU-27 still leaves school with no more than lower secondary education and does not participate in any kind of education or training after this. In the case of upper secondary attainment, there has been slow but steady progress. It has picked up slightly in recent years, but is not sufficient to achieve the 2010 objective (at least 85% of 22 year olds to complete at least upper secondary education).

Higher education: excellence, partnership and funding:

Countries are beginning to pay more attention to the role of universities in research and innovation and university-business partnerships are becoming more common. While they remain strongest in the Nordic countries and the UK, many countries still have much to do in this respect. Increasing investment from private sources remains a challenge. Several government have instruments to stimulate private investment such as tax incentives, public-private partnerships or sponsoring schemes and some have introduced or are increasing tuition/registration fees. Public spending on tertiary education in the EU remains far below that of the United States. Private funding in the United States is more than seven times higher than in the EU.

Adult participation in lifelong learning:

Adult participation in lifelong learning is no longer on track to achieve the EU benchmark. Greater effort needs to be made to raise skills in the population and to achieve flexibility and security across the labour market.

Attractiveness and relevance of vocational education and training (VET):

Further work must be done to improve the quality and attractiveness of VET. On occasion VET can suffer from being poorly integrated with the rest of the education system. It can contribute to retaining potential drop-outs in education and training where earlier levels of school provide a key requirement to enter VET. Further progress must be made.

In order to address these challenges the paper sets out a number of suggestions including implementing lifelong learning by improving the knowledge base, offering sustainable funding, raising the level of people’s skills, addressing socio-economic disadvantage, using the potential of migrants and offering high quality teaching. In addition innovation and creativity remain a core component of the knowledge triangle. The paper also advocates improved governance.

To conclude, significant progress has been achieved since the programme was launched in 2002. Major challenges, nevertheless, persist and new challenges have emerged. Given the crucial role of education and training to the Strategy for Jobs and Growth, the main priority in future must be associated with the Lisbon process.

PURPOSE: a staff working document to accompany the Commission Communication setting out the 2008 Joint Report on progress under the “Education and Training 2010” work programme.

CONTENT: every two years the Council and the Commission adopt a Joint Report on the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme.

The main aim of this paper is:

to describe progress made since 2004/05 in the implementation of the Educational and Training 2010 work programme at national and European level and to illustrate this with examples of recent developments; to compare the state of progress of national lifelong learning strategies; and to comment on the influence of the Education and Training 2010 work programme on national lifelong learning strategies and other key policy areas.

The report, is a synthesis of the 2007 national reports and is based upon their structure. Thus, the report analyses and reports on:

national lifelong learning strategies; transversal policy objectives; schools; higher education; vocational education and training and adult education; and implementation of the education and training 2010 work programme at EU level

PURPOSE: to present the third Joint Report on the “Education & Training 2010 work programme”.

BACKGROUND: lifelong learning supports creativity and innovation. That is why the Council sets itself ambitious objectives in the Education and Training 2010 work programme. Indeed, the Council and the Commission prepare a joint report every second year in order to identify achievements and to direct efforts in field that are proving more difficult

CONTENT: this Communication is a contribution to the 3 rd Joint Report on the “Education & Training 2010” work programme. It points to significant progress and challenges in education and training reforms. The report finds that although progress has been achieved in a number of areas, this does not mean that progress is uniform or that efforts can be relaxed. Those areas in which progress has been made include: Lifelong learning strategies and qualifications; pre-primary education; higher education; education and training in the broader EU policy context. Nevertheless, a number of hurdles still need to be over come. They include:

Implementing lifelong learning strategies:

Implementation of lifelong learning strategies requires institutional commitment, coordination and partnership with relevant stakeholders. Positive trends in public spending on education between 2000 and 2003 appear to have come to a halt. For example, total public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP increased in the EU between 2000 (4.7%) and 2003 (5.2%) but then decreased to 5.1% in 2004. Levels of expenditure continue to show huge variations between countries (3.3% in Romania compared to 8.5% in Denmark). Private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP has increased slightly since 2000 but progress slowed down in 2004.

Basic skills for all:

Major challenges remain vis-à-vis early school leavers, upper secondary attainment and key competences. Some progress has been made since 2000 but not enough to reach the 2010 EU benchmarks. In some countries performance has worsened with several countries still having very high levels of early school leavers. For example, every sixth young person (15.3%) aged 18 to 24 in the EU-27 still leaves school with no more than lower secondary education and does not participate in any kind of education or training after this. In the case of upper secondary attainment, there has been slow but steady progress. It has picked up slightly in recent years, but is not sufficient to achieve the 2010 objective (at least 85% of 22 year olds to complete at least upper secondary education).

Higher education: excellence, partnership and funding:

Countries are beginning to pay more attention to the role of universities in research and innovation and university-business partnerships are becoming more common. While they remain strongest in the Nordic countries and the UK, many countries still have much to do in this respect. Increasing investment from private sources remains a challenge. Several government have instruments to stimulate private investment such as tax incentives, public-private partnerships or sponsoring schemes and some have introduced or are increasing tuition/registration fees. Public spending on tertiary education in the EU remains far below that of the United States. Private funding in the United States is more than seven times higher than in the EU.

Adult participation in lifelong learning:

Adult participation in lifelong learning is no longer on track to achieve the EU benchmark. Greater effort needs to be made to raise skills in the population and to achieve flexibility and security across the labour market.

Attractiveness and relevance of vocational education and training (VET):

Further work must be done to improve the quality and attractiveness of VET. On occasion VET can suffer from being poorly integrated with the rest of the education system. It can contribute to retaining potential drop-outs in education and training where earlier levels of school provide a key requirement to enter VET. Further progress must be made.

In order to address these challenges the paper sets out a number of suggestions including implementing lifelong learning by improving the knowledge base, offering sustainable funding, raising the level of people’s skills, addressing socio-economic disadvantage, using the potential of migrants and offering high quality teaching. In addition innovation and creativity remain a core component of the knowledge triangle. The paper also advocates improved governance.

To conclude, significant progress has been achieved since the programme was launched in 2002. Major challenges, nevertheless, persist and new challenges have emerged. Given the crucial role of education and training to the Strategy for Jobs and Growth, the main priority in future must be associated with the Lisbon process.