European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning – EUCIS-LLL
Newsletter #54 – MARCH 2013
/// EUCIS-LLL NEWS ///
Registrations open! 14th of May EUCIS-LLL Annual Conference 2013, Vilnius
EUCIS-LLL is pleased to announce that registrations are now open for its next Annual Conference on “Rethinking Learning: Transversal competences in the spotlight” that will take place on 14 May in Vilnius, Lithuania and be followed by its General Assembly on 15 May. Come to gather with key education stakeholders and interact with high-level speakers on the concept and role of transversal competences in the framework of the European strategy on “Rethinking Education”. During the conference participants will work more specifically on four topics: civic education in the framework of the European Year 2013 on Citizens, digital competences, entrepreneurship skills and learning to learn. Do not miss the early-bird registration before 1st April and find all details on our website.
Erasmus for all/YES Europe trialogue: EUCIS-LLL and the European Youth Forum calling Doris Pack to secure our main concerns
While trialogue discussions have started on the next funding programme for education, training, youth and sport, EUCIS-LLL together with the European Youth Forum sent a joint letter to MEP Doris Pack, Chairman of the CULT Committee, main rapporteur and negotiations leader on the future programme for the Parliament. A similar letter has also been sent to shadow rapporteurs and Julie Anderson, Irish Education Attachée and representing the Council in the negotiations. The letter calls to endorse key amendments reflecting our main concerns such as operational support for civil society organisations in education, training and youth, a specific chapter for the youth sector, more civil society involvement in the future programme and the recognition of volunteer time contribution as source of co-funding (recognised in Article 127 of the new EU’s Financial Regulation). Julie Anderson declared during the last CULT Committee (20 February) that the Council’s modified Partial General Approach was including one third of the Parliament’s amendments. Next trialogue meeting is foreseen to take place on 19 March, if not earlier.
/// NEWS FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ///
EAEA’s new project ARALE: Collecting awareness raising and advocacy activities for adult education in Europe
The European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) has just launched its new project ARALE for “Awareness Raising for Adult Learning and Education”. Its objective is to analyse common patterns between different awareness raising activities organised by civil society and targeting several groups (including policy-makers), in order to identify successful good practices. If you have organised awareness-raising activities in the past, you can fill in EAEA’s questionnaire.
LLWings project event at the European Parliament on teacher competences
MENON, the European research and innovation network, is participating in the LLWings project aimed to promote a new vision of school as the bridge to lifelong learning and active citizenship, through a focus on learning to learn competence and joy to learn. In particular, LLWings aims to support teachers as the leading actors of bottom-up school innovation. In this framework, LLWings is organising an event on 18th March in the European Parliament on “Teachers as leverages for lifelong learning: a European Qualification for Teachers Competences in inspiring Lifelong Learning”. You can register before 8 March and find more information on the project website.
EUCEN’s 45th Conference on University Lifelong Learning in Geneva, Switzerland on 29-31 May 2013
The European Universities Continuing Education Network (EUCEN) is holding its 45thConference in the University of Geneva, Switzerland from 29 to 31 May 2013 on the theme“Transferring Knowledge in a Globalised World: a ULLL Responsibility”. Participants will reflect upon the internationalisation of universities and ICT knowledge transfer in the light of university lifelong learning (see detailed programme). Early-bird registrations can be done until 15th March. You can also contribute by sending good practices on how your university shares knowledge until 5th April.
DARE Network’s Spring Academy in Maribor, Slovenia on 4-5 April 2013
The DARE Network (Democracy and Human Rights Education in Europe) organises its Spring Academy on 4-5 April 2013 in Maribor, Slovenia on the theme “Innovative approaches in HRE/EDC to overcome discrimination of vulnerable groups in Europe”. Human Rights Education and Education for Democratic Citizenship will be the central themes of the event focusing primarily on integration, social inclusion and cohesion. The Spring Academy also occurs in the framework of a EU Grundtvig project on “Adult Education Strategies to overcome group-focused hostility in Europe” partnering the Slovenian Center for Citizenship Education that will host the Academy. Find out more about registration and event details on DARE website.
/// INSTITUTIONAL NEWS ///
Council reacts on the “Rethinking Education” Communication
During the last Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, Member States reacted to the new Commission’s Communication on “Rethinking Education” while adopting Council Conclusions on investing in education and training. In line with the recommendations made in the 2013 Annual Growth Survey, Ministers acknowledged the central role of education, training and lifelong learning in the EU’s growth and employment strategy (especially to tackle youth unemployment). The Council notably invited Member States to strengthen links and ensure better coherence between the new Communication, the Education and Training 2020 Strategic Framework (ET2020) priorities, the Europe 2020 Strategy, the Annual Growth Survey and European Semester’s Country-Specific Recommendations. Read soon EUCIS-LLL position on “Rethinking Education”.
Council reaches political agreement on Youth Guarantee
The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council has reached an agreement on 28 February to make Member States set up a youth guarantee scheme that ensures that all young people under 25 years old should be given opportunities for education, traineeship, apprenticeship or employment within four months after leaving formal education or their job. This decision reflects a strong political commitment of Member States to tackle youth unemployment and is part of the Commission’s Youth Employment Package including several other key measures to ensure better transitions between education and work for young people. Read the Proposal for a Council Recommendation on establishing a Youth Guarantee.
Lifelong learning, a key measure of the Commission’s Social Investment Package
In the framework of its Social Investment Package, a set of policy reforms to make EU citizens more adaptable to social and employment changes and challenges and reinforce social protection, the Commission released on 20 February a Communication named “Towards Social Investment for Growth and Cohesion – including implementing the European Social Fund 2014-2020”. As social investment strategies include measures such as preventing early-school leaving or enhancing lifelong learning, the Communication recommends allocating cohesion policy resources to lifelong learning and especially for young unemployed people, complementarily to the Youth Employment Package and the new Erasmus for all/YES Europe funding programme.
/// RESEARCH & INNOVATION ///
MOOCs: innovative trends in distance learning
A new item of the European Universities Association (EUA)’s Occasional Papers has been published on the MOOCs, the Massive Open Online Courses. MOOCs are free online courses initially made available by prestigious American universities such as Stanford, representing a giant leap in the field of e-learning and distance education. The EUA paper proposes a reflection on the long-term consequences of this type of learning on higher education. Read also the EUA report on “Financially Sustainable Universities. Full Costing: Progress and Practice” developing on universities financial sustainability.
Official launch of the generations@school contest
In the framework of the upcoming European Day of Solidarity between Generations on 29 April, the 2013 edition of the generations@school contest invites all European schools to organise activities around intergenerational gathering and learning and document it with photos or videos in order to win a camera and a class trip to Brussels. This year’s contest is also linked to the 2013 European Year of Citizens and invites teachers to reflect with students on European citizenship, EU rights or tomorrow’s Europe. To participate in the contest, visit the new generations@school website and register before 30 June.
Eurydice new report on compulsory education taught times
The European Commission’s Eurydice network providing information on European education systems just released a new publication on “Recommended Annual Taught Time in Full-time Compulsory Education 2012/13”. Eurydice provides there a valuable data collection on the recommended compulsory curriculum by grades for full time compulsory education. The study not only compares the time spent by a student in classes traditionally included into curricula but also includes optional lessons, homework periods or tutoring activities in a holistic approach of the time devoted to school of a regular European student.
Salto-Youth new publication for youth work with fewer-opportunity young people
Salto-Youth, the resource center for European priority areas in the youth sector, has just updated its booklet “YouthPass for all: Recognition of learning, focusing on inclusion groups” specifically addressing youth workers that organise activities with fewer-opportunity young people. The booklet contains testimonies from youth workers that have used YouthPass and reflects a competence-based approach to youth work. Download the publication on the Salto-Youth website.
/// EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ///
Call for Proposals – Tempus IV —- EACEA/35/12
TEMPUS supports the reform of higher education through international university cooperation in the EU’s surrounding area. Deadline 26 March 2013. See call EACEA/35/12here.
Call for proposals — Erasmus Mundus Partnerships and promotion of European Higher Education
Deadline 15 April 2013. See call EACEA/38/12 here
Call for proposals for joint mobility and degree projects
The 2012 ICI (Industrialised Countries Instrument)-ECP Call for Proposals supports co-operation with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Republic of Korea by means of Joint Degree projects (JDP) and Joint Mobility projects (JMP). Deadline for application is 15th May 2013.
Youth in Action Programme
Application forms for permanent calls for proposals 2013
Call for proposals – Intra-ACP academic mobility scheme
Projects under this call for proposals should be aimed at increasing cooperation between higher education institutions in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to improve access to quality education in those regions and the attractiveness of those institutions. The broader objective is to promote sustainable development and combat poverty through skills upgrade and human capital investment. Deadline for application is 10 June 2013.
/// PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ///
Survey on the performance of the PROGRESS programme
PROGRESS is the EU employment and social solidarity programme established to support the implementation of EU objectives in the fields of employment, social affairs and equality and to contribute to the Europe 2020 Strategy. Its each the European Commission launches an internet-based survey designed to collect data on the performance of the programme. You are invited to participate in the survey by filling out the questionnaire which should take approximately 15 minutes.
/// AGENDA ///
14-15 May 2013: EUCIS-LLL General Assembly and Annual Conference, Vilnius (Lithuania)
More events on our website!
