Report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems
website: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/rep_fut_obj_en.pdf 
Date:  14 February 2001
Typology: policy initiative - survey-report
Institutions:
Education Council
Council of the European Union

Bruxelles

Address:
Council of the European Union
Rue de la Loi, 175
B-1048 Bruxelles
Tel.: (32-2) 281 61 11
Fax: (32-2) 281 69 34

 

Council of the European Union

Brussels, 14 February 2001
5980/01

Report from Education Council to the European Council 
on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems


"
Following the mandate given by the European Council at its Lisbon meeting in March 2000, the Education Council at its meeting of 12 February 2001 adopted the above mentioned report as set out in the Annex, for submission to the European Council in Stockholm (23 and 24 March)."

Main contents

Introduction
"
At its Lisbon meeting in March 2000, the European Council invited the Education Council “to undertake a general reflection on the 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 and presenting a broader report to the European Council in the Spring of 2001”. The Education Council at its June and November meetings in 2000 invited the Commission to draft a report on this question which provided input into the Council's own report. The Education Council adopted the report on 12 February, which is hereby submitted to the European Council in Stockholm as endorsed by the Santa Maria da Feira European Council on 19- 20 June 2000 and confirmed by the Nice European Council on 7-9 December 2000.
This report covers both education and training systems, as the Council considers that the mandate from the Lisbon European Council is not restricted to education in its traditional sense.
" (p. 4)

 

I. The Challenges
"
The world is characterised by rapid change, increasing globalisation and growing complexity in terms of economic and socio-cultural relations. The speed of these changes is reflected in the context within which any reflection on the future objectives of the education and training systems must be placed. New economic structures and societies are increasingly driven by information and knowledge." (p. 5)

 

II. The Objectives

2.1 OBJECTIVE 1:
INCREASING THE QUALITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

2.1.2 Developing skills for the knowledge society
Increasing literacy and numeracy
Updating the definition of basic skills for the knowledge society
Maintaining the ability to learn

2.1.3 Ensuring access to ICTs for everyone
Equipping schools and learning centres
Involving teachers and trainers
"...  Lisbon set a target that all teachers needed should be skilled in the use of the Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2002. The importance of providing good training for teachers is recognised by all Member States. Perhaps this has become more important now, as new pedagogical issues arise around ways to encourage people to develop the specific skills to use ICTs in the learning process - such as the selection of relevant information, its analysis and its subsequent transformation into knowledge and skill." (p. 9)
Using networks and resources

2.1.4 Increasing the recruitment to scientific and technical studies

2.1.5 Making the best use of resources

2.2. OBJECTIVE 2:
FACILITATING THE ACCESS OF ALL TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS

2.2.1 Open learning environment
"Facilitating access to lifelong learning is rightly seen as the most significant challenge by all Member States. All Member States recognise that changes in the nature of work and of the availability of information mean that a continuing appetite for learning and for information are crucial for individuals as well as for society and the economy." (p. 11)

2.2.2 Making learning more attractive

2.2.3 Supporting active citizenship, equal opportunities and social cohesion

2.3 OBJECTIVE 3:
OPENING UP EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEMS TO THE WIDER WORLD

2.3.1 Strengthening the links with working life and research, and society at large

2.3.2 Developing the spirit of enterprise

2.3.3 Improving foreign language learning

2.3.4 Increasing mobility and exchanges

2.3.5 Strengthening European co-operation

 

II. The Future Role of Education and Training in the Lisbon Follow-up

 

Keywords: policy document - EU report on education and training systems - EU educational objectives - EU educational strategies - EU educational challenges -  knowledge society - information society - knowledge-based economy - access to education - access to training - access to ICTs -  quality of EU education - quality of Eu training - new basic skills - literacy - numeracy - lifelong learning - access to lifelong learning - learning to learn - learning  skills  - active citizenship - social cohesion - training for teachers - new teaching methods - new pedagogical issues -  information skills - critical use of information - evaluation of information -  information processing - learning process - language skills - entrepreneurship skills -  ICT skills - Internet skills -  the Internet - multimedia resources - open learning environment - European cooperation -  future role of education - future role of training - Lisbon framework

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