Youth and MEPs change direction of EU Education policy-making

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 28 April 2010
Press contacts:  Letizia Gambini, European Youth Forum, + 32 491 04 13 78, press@youthforum.org.

Youth and MEPs change direction of EU Education policy-making

The Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament has adopted on April 27 the “Report on key competences for a changing world: implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme”. Important targets for the education work of the European Union have been set by the Members, including Global Education, Students' Rights, Non-Formal Education and Mobility.

The European Youth Forum welcomes the Report, that evaluates Education and Training 2010 programme and gives recommendations for further policy action to promote transversal key competences in the field of Education.

The report illustrates the crucial challenges for education and training in Europe, indicating that the direction to follow is “a reform of education towards a learner centred holistic education system which prepares young people for being happy, active global citizens which are ready to enter the labour market”.

“This is an important change from the technocratic approach used by the European Commission so far and clearly reaffirming the values of education,” said Tine Radinja, President of the European Youth Forum. “Giving increasing importance to Global Education, Students' rights and the recognition of Non-Formal Education as a complementary educational field in policy making,” he continued, “is key to ensure that young people are best equipped to respond to the challenges of a globalised world”.

The European Youth Forum worked closely with the Rapporteur of the Report, Maria Badia I Cutchet MEP (S&D, Spain) and with Malika Benarab-Attou MEP (GREENS, France) to improve the report.

Together with its member organisations European Students’ Union (ESU), the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), European Students’ Forum (AEGEE-Europe) and Erasmus Student Network (ESN), the European Youth Forum is the voice of all young learners and students in Europe and works constantly to actively involve young people in shaping education policies.

The Report will be now submitted to the coming Plenary Session of the European Parliament for its final adoption.

Attachments
0349-10_EN.pdf 0349-10_EN.pdf (119.13 KB)