High quality European Education for All
1. The Treaty on the functioning of the European Union provides that the Union shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity (Articles 165, 166 and 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). This should be achieved through action aiming at developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member States, encouraging mobility of students and teachers (by encouraging inter alia, the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study), promoting cooperation between educational establishments and developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education systems of the Member States.
2. Most of the five targets established in the Europe 2020 strategy, namely in the fields of Employment, Research, Development & Innovation, Education as well as Poverty & Social Exclusion, depend on a better education not only at university but also at primary and secondary levels. Although Europe has done a lot in the field of student and teacher exchanges as well as in the field of language learning, much remains to be done to achieve the «development of quality education» objective of the Treaty and of course the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy i.e. the achievement of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
3. The “Erasmus for All” programme, proposed by the European Commission in the fields of Education, Training, Youth and Sport for the period 2014-2020, continues the success story of the Life Long Learning programmes (Erasmus, Comenius, etc.), provides for greater institutional cooperation between educational institutions as well as for support of policy reform in Member States in the fields of education and training (Bologna and Copenhagen processes respectively). This support is especially needed for primary and secondary education in view of the negative trends established in several of the EU Member States on the basis of OECD’s PISA surveys of 15 year-old students’ reading knowledge and skills as well as their performance in mathematics and science.
4. Account should also be taken of the positive assessment expressed by the European Parliament in its Resolution on the “European schools system” which considered this system as «an excellent educational showcase based on a tried and tested teaching approach» which «should become an example of one of the best possible forms of schooling in Europe», and «would assist professional mobility and help to foster multilingualism and European integration». The main elements upon which the success of this system is based, lies in its unique multilingual educational approach i.e. mother tongue plus two foreign languages and subject matters delivered by seconded native speaking teachers. It also leads to the European Baccalaureate recognised in all EU Member States and beyond.
5. On the basis of the above, we, the undersigned European citizens, request that the European Commission:
- Establishes a multi-stakeholder discussion and collaboration platform where parents, teachers, students, social partners, scholars and decision-makers will propose, debate and finally formulate a European policy for a quality, pluralistic and «Europe 2020»-oriented educational model at primary and secondary level for all Europeans «fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity», possibly culminating in a European Baccalaureate.
- Establishes, in consultation with all the relevant stakeholders and respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, as well as the respective competences of the EU and the Member States, a roadmap to implement the above educational model in practice for the benefit of future generations of Europeans.
We, the undersigned, all European citizens, express our total commitment to the above and urge the EU Commission to take the necessary action.
Please sign the petition now, and then ask your friends to get involved too.
To make an informed decision you may want to read before signing, the following supporting documents:
1. Relevant Treaty articles – http://europa.eu/pol/pdf/qc3209190enc_002.pdf#page=121
2. Europe 2020 strategy – http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/index_en.htm
3. Erasmus for all programme – http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-for-all/
4. PISA 2009 results – learning trends (Changes in student performance since 2000), Volume V – http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/2/55/46752654.pdf
5. European Parliament Resolution on the European School System – http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P7-TA-2011-0402
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