1/26/2014

MEET for “An ECI that works!”



MEET - Movement towards a European Education Trust - is the 8th European Citizens Initiative for a “High Quality European Education for All”. MEET believes that Europe’s future depends on Education, how to educate citizens, how they learn. Common education goals reflecting European basic values opening the minds of the future Europeans children growing up with tolerance for languages and cultures, celebrating diversity should be at the heart of a solution to today’s challenges. MEET called the creation of a multi-stakeholder platform on Education - not so much to discuss more about education but rather bring existing recommendations together and see how best to implement them by creating a European educational model, accessible to all children and teachers in all Member States.

MEET’s intention was to use the European Citizen’s Initiative to raise awareness about a quality, pluralistic educational model for all Europeans. Also about European schooling leading to the European Baccalaureate, a system of European Education started in 1953 by parents and teachers and which has produced already syllabi created by teacher from all over Europe and approved by the Ministries of education of all member states and their inspectors.

1/17/2014

Opening Up Education: mainstreaming digital access in education and training - EUCIS-LLL policy paper

Disruptive innovation”, “tsunami”, “first genuine revolution since Gutenberg”… a lot of hopes and fears have emerged in the past years on Open Educational Resources (OERs), making more vivid than ever the debate on harnessing the potential of ICT for education and training. While the 2013 Commission’s Communication on “Opening Up Education” strives for a new learning ecosystem enriched with digital environments and contents, we see that in reality not everyone benefits from these new possibilities. In 2010 only 39% of Europeans used the Internet for any training and education related activity with huge disparities across countries. We know that the main barriers to access to ICT are technological but also linked to attitudes, interests and abilities. In this context there is a huge potential for progress, and there are more open questions than solid answers and reliable solutions in the field; therefore a critical and responsible approach is recommended. While the European Council recently discussed the digital economy, innovation and services, it is timely for European decision-makers to reflect on what digital learning can really do to modernise our education and training systems, unveiling its expected impact in terms of both growth and social cohesion. EUCIS-LLL thus supports the plea made by the European Commission for an integrated and collective approach to the digital agenda seen both as a challenge and a great opportunity especially to support a cultural shift in the way we teach and learn in Europe.
More:
Source: EUCIS-LLL website

1/13/2014

Challenges and Opportunities for Organised Parents in the Future of Europe


EPA held its second General Assembly and Conference in Brussels. The topic was the role and possibilities of parents in the next budgetary and parliamentary period of the EU both starting in 2014. Our Slovenian member, ZASSS collected lots of useful links based on the conference programme that all parents' associations in Europe can use to broaden parents' information on Europe as well as for planning new projects.

Opening and welcome words

Parenting Support in Europe, Daniel Molinuevo, Eurofund

European Platforms and Initiatives for EU2020

European NGO’s for EU2020

Workshop

1/10/2014

Education priorities of the Greek EU Presidency

Education's 'crucial role' in the efforts to overcome the crisis Europe and its citizens are facing today is stressed by the current EU Presidency.
In its programme, the Greek EU Presidency, which was launched officially on 8 January, states that 'given the current economic environment and the consequent curtailment and tight control of public spending' it will 'focus considerable attention' on the contribution of education 'to economic growth, jobs and social cohesion'.
The document stresses that 'high quality, efficient and equitable education and training systems are crucial for the enhancement of the employability of Europe's workforce.'
Among other initiatives, Greece will hold a conference on vocational education and training, focusing on skills mismatch.
Read more about the Presidency's plans on education (pp 54-55):
http://gr2014.eu/sites/default/files/gr%20pres%20programme_teliko_7.1.2014_0.pdf

Source: Cedefop