EU: Modernising education and training systems : a vital contribution to prosperity and social cohesion in Europe
The European Commission has adopted its contribution towards the 2006 Joint Council/Commission progress report on the implementation of the “Education and Training 2010” work programme. The Commission’s Communication is based on national reports from the participating countries themselves. It takes stock of progress at national level towards modernising and adapting education and training systems in view of the Lisbon goals. The report notes that reforms are going in the right direction, and that there are positive developments such as lifelong learning increasingly becoming a key feature of national policies, and the early achievement of the EU 2010 benchmark on increasing the number of maths, science and technology graduates. The Commission identifies a lack of progress, however, against the other European benchmarks fixed by the Education Council in 2003, and which relate more specifically to the development of the knowledge-based society. In particular, the draft report warns that unless substantial progress is made in the coming years in ensuring that young people leave school with the qualifications and key competences they need, and that more adults take part in lifelong learning, increasing numbers of people will face social exclusion, at great cost to themselves, the economy and society as a whole. The reforms called for under Education and Training 2010 are therefore vital for the long-term sustainability of the European social model. In this context the Commission stresses that greater efficiency in education and training systems should not be sought at the expense of equitable outcomes for all.
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