PURPOSE: to present
the draft 2012 Joint Report of the Council and the
Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for
European cooperation in education and training (ET2020).
BACKGROUND: in 2009, the Council drew up the Strategic
Framework for European Cooperation in education and training
(“ET 2020”).
Since then, the economic and political context has
changed, creating new uncertainties and constraints. The European
Union had to take further action to stem the worst financial and
economic crisis in its history and, in response, has agreed on a
strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth: Europe 2020.
Education and training play a crucial role in this
strategy.
The 2012 Annual Growth Survey (AGS) stresses that: the
focus of Europe 2020 needs to be simultaneously on: reform measures
having a short-term growth effect; and on setting the right growth
model for the medium-term. Education and training systems have
to be modernised to reinforce their efficiency and quality and
to equip people with the skills and competences they need to
succeed on the labour market.
A
key instrument to modernise education and training, ET 2020 can
make a major contribution to achieving Europe 2020’s
objectives. But to do this, ET 2020 must be adjusted by updating
its working priorities, tools and governance structure. Based on an
assessment of progress made in key policy areas in the last three
years, this draft Joint Report proposes new working priorities
for the period 2012 – 2014 geared to mobilise education
and training to support Europe 2020.
The draft Joint Report also sets out a number of
options to adjust the governance of ET 2020 to ensure that it
contributes to Europe 2020.
CONTENT: research suggests that improving educational
achievements can yield immense long-term returns and generate
growth and jobs in the European Union. Reaching the European
benchmark of less than 15% low achievers in basic skills by 2020,
for example, could generate enormous long-term aggregate economic
gains for the European Union.
This contrasts with the fact that — even before
the crisis — spending in some Member States was rather low,
close to or below 4% of GDP, while the European Union average stood
at almost 5% of GDP — below the level of 5.3% in the United
States.
Ne investments and reforms are needed:
- Early School Leaving (ESL): youth unemployment has
risen from 15.5 % in 2008 to 20.9 % in 2010, while the share of 15
to 24 year olds neither in education, employment or training rose
by two percentage points. 53 % of early school leavers were
unemployed. Against this backdrop, the Europe 2020 target to reduce
the share of 18 – 24 year olds having left education and
training prematurely to less than 10% by 2020 becomes
particularly critical. If current trends continue, this target will
not be reached. As Europe is not on track to achieve the headline
target, there is an urgent need to strengthen the policy approach.
In the next years, work on ESL needs to be one of the top
priorities under ET 2020;
- tertiary education attainment: to emerge stronger from
the crisis, Europe needs to generate economic growth based on
knowledge and innovation. Higher education can be a powerful driver
in this respect. It provides the highly-qualified scientific
workforce that Europe needs to advance research and development and
equips people with the skills and qualifications they need in the
knowledge-intensive economy. Europe 2020 set the Headline Target to
increase the share of 30-34 year olds with a tertiary or equivalent
degree to 40 % by 2020. In 2010, the average level of tertiary
education attainment of this age group was 33.6 %. To reach the
target, Member States should continue their reform efforts. Reforms
should address the challenge of increasing the number of successful
graduates, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of education
and research. Modernising higher education will contribute
significantly to achieving the objectives of Europe
2020;
- lifelong learning strategies: for the majority of
Europeans, lifelong learning (LLL) is not a reality. Recent data on
the number of adults aged 25 – 64 participation in LLL show a
slight downwards trend. The current level of 9.1 % (2010) is far
below the ET 2020 benchmark of 15% to be reached by 2020. This weak
performance is especially serious given the crisis. Unemployed
young people and low-skilled adults need to be able to rely on
education and training to give them a better chance in the labour
market. Member States must improve their systems as regards the
detection of obstacles to life long learning, putting in place
global strategies, etc;
- learning mobility:
mobility strengthens Europe's foundation for future knowledge-based
growth and ability to innovate and compete at international
level10. It strengthens peoples' employability and personal
development and is valued by employers. Education institutions,
education and training systems and businesses equally benefit from
the learning experience, personal contacts and networks that result
from mobility. Promoting transnational learning mobility is an
excellent example of European added value. However, current levels
of mobility do not reflect its value. Roughly 10% — 15% of
higher education graduates spend a proportion of their studies
abroad, where the added value of mobility is most widely
acknowledged; but only about 3% of graduates from initial VET do
so. European funding programmes have a key role to play. As part of
the new Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014 – 2020, the
Commission has proposed to nearly double the number of
beneficiaries in the future ‘Erasmus for all’
programme, from 400 000 to almost 700 000 per year. However,
financial programmes need to go hand in hand with policy
reforms;
- new skills and jobs: the
crisis has spurred changes in the demand for skills. Demand for
jobs requiring low qualifications is decreasing, and
tomorrow’s knowledge-based industries require increasing
levels of qualification. A recent forecast expects the share of
highly qualified jobs to increase by almost 16 million, from 29 %
(2010) to 35 % of all jobs in 2020. Conversely, the share of jobs
demanding a low level of skills is expected to fall by around 12
million, from 20 % to less than 15%. ET 2020 must support the
implementation of the Flagship Initiative ‘Agenda for new skills and
jobs’. The Commission will present in 2012 a
Communication on rethinking skills, proposing action to improve key
competences and to promote closer links between education and the
labour market.
- ET 2020’S contribution to Europe
2020: the communication
underscores the urgent need to invest in reformed education and
training so that it supports sustainable growth and jobs. On the
basis of the Commission’s assessment and the consultation of
Member States and European stakeholder organisations, the
Commission confirms that the four ET 2020 strategic objectives set
in 2009 remain valid. It proposes replacing the list of mid-term
priority areas agreed in 2009 by a new one that is geared to
mobilise education and training to support growth and jobs. In
addition, the Commission suggests reviewing the working
arrangements under ET 2020 that were devised before Europe 2020 and
the European Semester were agreed. To increase the contribution of
ET 2020 to Europe 2020, the governance of ET 2020 and its
working tools could be adjusted to coincide with the framework
established by the European Semester. Moreover, to strengthen the
link between Europe 2020 and ET 2020, the Commission could organise
every year an exchange of views between stakeholders in the field
of education and training. This new Education and Training Forum
could in early October discuss progress in modernising education
and training systems drawing on the discussion of education issues
in the European Semester. Lastly, all instruments need to be
mobilised to achieve the objectives set under Europe 2020 and ET
2020, including the Lifelong Learning Programme, the future Erasmus
for all Programme, structural funds and Horizon 2020.
Annex: it should be
noted that the Annex of the Communication proposes new priority
areas for European cooperation in education and training in
2012-14:
(1) Making lifelong learning and mobility a
reality: the main measures include: (i)improving European
reference tools; (ii) to promote learning mobility at all levels;
(iii) the development of comprehensive national lifelong learning
strategies.
(2) Improving the quality and efficiency of education
and training : (i) to improve
basic skills (literacy, Mathematics, Science and Technology),
languages; (ii) to modernise higher education and increasing
tertiary attainment levels ; (iii) to attract and promote the
relevance of VET; (iii) to provide efficient funding and
evaluation.
(3) Promoting equity, social cohesion and active
citizenship: (i) to prevent early
school leaving; (ii) to promote early childhood education and care
(ECEC) ; (iii) to reinforce mutual learning on effective ways
to raise educational achievement in an increasingly diverse
society.
(4) Enhancing creativity and innovation, including
entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and
training: (i) to promote partnerships
with business, research, civil society; (ii) to support
networks for schools, universities and other education and training
providers to promote new methods of organising learning (including
Open Educational Resources); (iii) to work together to promote the
acquisition of the key competences identified in the 2006
Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning, including
digital competences and how ICT and entrepreneurship can enhance
innovation in education and training.