The%20development%20of%20education%20and%20the%20structural%20policy%20of%20the%20European%20Union%20%20Budapest%20-%202004%20October%2025

1
The development of education and the structural
policy of the European Union Budapest - 2004
October 25
Halász Gábor National Institute for Public
Education Budapesrt
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Questions to be treated

• Structural policy and educational development in
  the EU the background
• The emergence of a European lifelong learning
  (LLL) policy in the nineties
• The increasing importance of learning in
  employment and structural policies
• Perspectives for new and old member countries

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Structural policy and educational development
the background

• The origins limited possibilities for using
  structural funds for educational development
• Examples of structural funds being used
  successfully for educational development in a few
  countries (e.g. Ireland, Portugal) in the
  nineties
• the condition of success connecting educational
  development strongly to social, economic and
  territorial development
• The emergence of the European LLL policy changes
  the scene

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The emergence of the European LLL policy and the
European Employment Strategy/1

• Global trends shaping EU policies on learning
• The great breakthrough the 1993 Delors report
  on growth, employment and competitiveness
• The emergence of a new European LLL policy
• The 1995 White Book on Teaching and Learning
  and the European LLL year (1996)
• The LLL Memorandum (2000) and the communication
  on Making a European area of lifelong learning a
  reality (2001)

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Learning in employment asnd structural policy/1

• The late nineties
• The emergence of the new European Employment
  Strategy (EES)
• A key feture of EES improving the adaptability
  of working force through LLL
• Employment becomes increasingly linked with
  structural policy (ESF becomes the instrument of
  the new EES)
• The implications for the education sector
  education increasingly connected with structural
  policy through EES

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Learning in employment asnd structural policy/2

• Valorising learning in the European Employment
  Strategy
• Defining common LLL goals the guidelines
• Reporting on national LLL policies LLL policy
  evaluation in the the NAPs and the Joint reports
• Related education sector measures
• Growing impact on structural policy and on the
  regulation of structural funds

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Learning in employment asnd structural policy /3

• The objectives of structural policy in the
  2000-2006 period the three objectives
• The new (2000-2006) third objective developing
  education and training and investing into human
  resources
• Education and training in structural policy after
  2006 possible scenarios
• Lisbon process as a strong common political
  priority
• The outcome of policy coordination between member
  states (OMC)
• The improvement of inter-sectoral cooperation
• Expectations and attitudes of new member countries

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Perspectives

• A question to be answered by the education
  sector How to harness structural policy for
  educational development?
• New opportunities (new resources) but also new
  challenges (greater) interdependence with other
  sectors)
• What should the education sector do
• Exploring better linkages between national
  education policy priorities and those of EU
  structural policy
• Strengthening cooperation between education and
  other sectors (employment, social affaires,
  territorial development, public management
  reform)
• Sharing successful practices between countries

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Thank you for your attention!
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The European Employment Strategy

• The first initiatives to harmonise employment
  policies after Maastricht(1994 Essen)
• Employment becomes an area of common policy in
  1997 (The Amsterdam Treaty)
• The EES and the new instruments of policy
  coordination
• Guidelines
• NAPs
• Joint reports

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Global tendencies valorising learning

• ECONOMY Growth and competitiveness
  increasingly depending on knowledge creation and
  adaptability based on learning (the new
  economy)
• THE SOCIAL AREA The fight against unemployment
  and social exclusion increasingly depending on
  learning and adaptability
• GOVERANCE Learning, communication and mutual
  adaptability increasingly becoming instruments of
  governing societies

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The 1995 White Book on Teaching and Learning

• Linking education with economic competitiveness
  and social cohesion
• Five priorities
• Encourage the acquisition of new knowledge
• Bring schools and business closer together
• Combat exclusion
• Proficiency in three community languages
• Treat capital investment and investment in
  training on a equal basis

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Making a European area of lifelong learning a
reality

• The strategic document for the develoment of LLL
  in the EU (including the European Employment
  Strategy - EES)
• Six priorities
• Valuing learning
• Information, guidance and counselling
• Investing time and money in learning
• Bringing together learners and learning
  opportunities
• Basic skills
• Innovative pedagogy

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Employment policy guidelines and LLL/1

• 1998-2001
• Active measures based on four priorities all of
  them involving learning
• 2002
• LLL as horizontal goal
• National LLL strategy demanded
• All education levels included

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Employment policy guidelines and LLL/2

• 2003
• three new goals - LLL needed for all of
  them(full employment quality and productivity
  at work social cohesion and inclusion)
• Developing human capital and lifelong learning
  one of the ten horizontal objectives
• A broad meaning of LLL
• Policy coherence - linking relevant policies
• Proposal for 2004
• Reinforcing the 2003 guidelines (stress on
  enhancing the implementation of the Lisbon
  process)
• Four recommendations one of them on human
  capital development

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The priorities of the first employment guidelines
(1998)

• Improving Employability
• Developing Entrepreneurship
• Encouraging Adaptability in Business and their
  Employees
• Strengthening the Policies for Equal
  Opportunities
• The 1998 Employment Guidelines Council
  Resolution of 15 December 1997

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LLL in the 2002 Guidelines a strong horizontal
goal

• MEMBER COUNTRIES INVITED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY
  OF EDUCATION
• Effective and well-functioning educational and
  training systems responsive to labour market
  needs are key to the development of the
  knowledge-based economy and to the improvement of
  the level and quality of employment () Member
  States are therefore called upon to improve the
  quality of their education and training systems
  Council Decision of 18 February 2002 on
  guidelines for Member States employment policies
  for the year 2002

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LLL in the 2002 Guidelines a national strategies

• NATIONAL LLL STRATEGIES ARE NEEDED
• Member States shall develop comprehensive and
  coherent strategies for lifelong learning, in
  order to help people acquire and update the
  skills needed to cope with economic and social
  changes throughout the entire life cycle.
  Council Decision of 18 February 2002 on
  guidelines for Member States employment policies
  for the year 2002

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LLL in the 2002 Guidelines all levels

• LLL INCLUDES ALL EDUCATION LEVELS
• In particular, the strategies should cover the
  development of systems for initial, secondary and
  tertiary education, further education and
  vocational training for young people and adults
  to improve their employability, adaptability and
  skills, as well as their participation in the
  knowledge-based society. Council Decision of
  18 February 2002 on guidelines for Member States
  employment policies for the year 2002

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LLL in the 2003 Guidelines the importance of LLL

• LLL IS NEEDED FOR ALL THE THRE KEY GOALS
• The implementation of coherent and
  comprehensive lifelong learning strategies is
  critical in delivering full employment, improved
  quality and productivity at work, and better
  social cohesion. Council Decision of 22 July
  2003 on guidelines for the employment policies if
  the Member States (2003/578/EC)

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LLL in the 2003 Guidelines HRD AND LLL are
horizontal objectives

• THE 4TH HORIZONTAL OBJECTIVE PROMOTE
  DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND LIFELONG
  LEARNING
• Policies will aim in particular to achieve an
  increase in investment in human resources ()
  Efficient investment in human capital by
  employers and individuals will be facilitated. .
  Council Decision of 22 July 2003 on
  guidelines for the employment policies if the
  Member States (2003/578/EC)

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LLL in the 2003 Guidelines Broad meaning of LLL
policies

• LLL POLICY IS MEANT IN A BROAD SENSE IT INCLUDES
  QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY REFORMS
• Member States will implement lifelong learning
  strategies, including through improving the
  quality and efficiency of education and training
  systems Council Decision of 22 July 2003 on
  guidelines for the employment policies if the
  Member States (2003/578/EC)

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LLL in the 2003 Guidelines connecting various
sectoral policies

• POLICY COHERENCE HAS TO BE ESTABLISHED THROUGH
  LINKING EXISTING POLICIES
• Commission communication Making a European area
  of lifelong learning which spelt out the
  essential building blocks of lifelong learning
  strategies
• The ongoing process on concrete future
  objectives for education systems
• benchmarks adopted by the Council on 5-6 May
  2003 of European average performance in
  education and trainingCouncil Decision of 22
  July 2003 on guidelines for the employment
  policies if the Member States (2003/578/EC)

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LLL in the 2004 proposals stress on
implementation

• KEEP THE GOALS AND IMPROVE THE IMPLEMENTATION
  THROUGH BETTER GOVERNANCE
• The Employment Guidelines should be fully
  reviewed only every three years, while in the
  intermediate years their updating should remain
  strictly limited () Governance will be brought
  more to the fore of the European Employment
  Strategy. Strengthening the implementation
  of the European employment strategy (Proposal for
  a Council decision on guidelines for the
  employment policies of the member states)
  Recommendation for a council recommendation on
  the implementation of member states' employment
  policies (Communication from the commission -
  Brussels, 7.4.2004

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LLL in the 2004 proposals efficient investment
into human capital

• MORE INVESTMENT INTO HUMAN CAPITAL IS NEEDED AND
  THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD PLAY A STRONGER ROLE
• Set out ambitious policies for raising levels of
  human capital and RD and for promoting
  entrepreneurial attitudes and skills through
  education at all levels. Share costs and
  responsibilities between public authorities,
  companies and individuals Strengthening the
  implementation of the European employment
  strategy (Proposal for a Council decision on
  guidelines for the employment policies of the
  member states) Recommendation for a council
  recommendation on the implementation of member
  states' employment policies (Communication from
  the commission - Brussels, 7.4.2004

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LLL in the the NAPs and the Joint reports

• The NAPs and the Joint Reports
• devote, from year to year, more space to LLL
• and cover broader education policy areas (e.g..
  ICT in schools, SEN, early childhood education)
• Special LLL reports
• European report on education and training in
  employment policies (2000)
• Implementing lifelong learning strategies in
  Europe Progress report on the follow-up to the
  Council resolution of 2002 (2003)

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EES and LLL related education sector measures

• 2001 - Council resolution on the role of
  education and training in employment related
  policies
• 2002 - Council resolution on lifelong learning
• 2003 - Two (employment and education) Council
  decisions on human (and social) capital
• 2004 - Draft Council Resolution on Strengthening
  Policies, Systems and Practices in the field of
  Guidance throughout life

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Employment ministers on a HSC (2003 July)

• The Council CALLS on Member States () to
  consider the social and human capital elements in
  the planning, development and implementation of
  their policies and initiatives
• to foster the skills necessary in the knowledge
  society, including not only basic ICTs skills but
  also more general capabilities such as cognitive
  skills, learning to learn, teamwork and problem
  solving
• strengthening complementarity between education,
  training and employment policies, as a basis for
  boosting () growth in the context of the Lisbon
  strategy Council Resolution of 15 July 2003 on
  Social and Human Capital Building social and
  human capital in the knowledge society learning,
  work, social cohesion and gender (2003/C 175/02)

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Education ministers on HC (2003 November)

• The Council is aware that the Conclusions of
  the October 2003 European Council confirm that
  investing in human capital () and a better
  integration with labour and social policies, is
  crucial for Europe's growth potential
• the necessary resources for human capital
  development should be made available ()
  including the Structural Funds
• coherence and complementarity should be further
  promoted between education and training policies
  and social and labour policies Council
  Conclusions of 25 November 2003 on the
  Development of human capital for social cohesion
  and competitiveness in the knowledge society
  (2003/C 295/05)

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Structural policy objectives 2000-2006

• - Objective 1 promoting the development and
  structural adjustment of regions whose
  development is lagging behind (2/3 of resources)
  
• - Objective 2 supporting the economic and
  social conversion of areas facing structural
  difficulties
• - Objective 3 supporting the adaptation and
  modernisation of policies and systems of
  education, training and employment

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The new objective 3 (2000-2006)

• The goal linking structural policy better to the
  new EU policy for LLL and human resource
  development
• LLL development under Objective 3
• Although countries/regions getting resources
  under Objective 1 cannot use structural funds
  under Objective 3 developments,
• Objective 3 is an overall policy frame for all
  human resource development program in all
  countries/regions

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LLL development under objective 3

• Actions under Objectives 3 promote
  employability, skills and mobility through
  life-long learning, including
• to broaden access to the acquisition of skills
• to support the diversification and reinforcement
  of training opportunities
• to improve the quality of education and training
  systems Source 1999/C 267/02) SF Guidelines
  - Commission Communication

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Objective 3 as overall policy frame

• Objective 3 aims at supporting the adaptation
  and modernisation of policies and systems of
  education, training and employment ()
• This objective shall provide financial assistance
  outside the regions covered by Objective 1
• and provide a policy frame of reference for all
  measures to promote human resources in a national
  territory without prejudice to the specific
  features of each region. Council Regulation
  (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down
  general provisions on the Structural Funds

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Improving the quality of education and training
systems under objective 3

• Education and training systems should be better
  equipped to give people the ability to adapt and
  to integrate into the labour market, and notably
  to provide every individual with the minimum
  basic skills required
• Particular attention should be given to young
  people with learning difficulties
• The improvement of skills through basic
  education and training may be supported where
  there is a clear link with improving the
  functioning of the labour market and/or the
  employability of the individual
• Source 1999/C 267/02) SF Guidelines -
  Commission Communication

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2001 Council resolution

• CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES
  to ensure that the follow-up to the Report
  on the concrete future objectives of the
  education and training systems () places
  education and training in the centre of Community
  cooperation in employment and related policy
  areas to ensure that the Council (Education)
  is actively involved in the examination of the
  Commission's proposal for the employment
  guidelinesCouncil Resolution of 13 July 2001
  on the role of education and training in
  employment related policies (2001/C 204/01)