Newsletter #67 – October 2013

European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning – EUCIS-LLL
Newsletter #67 – October 2013

/// EUCIS-LLL NEWS ///

EUCIS-LLL to present stakeholders’ views at the European Education, Training and Youth Forum
This week the second edition of the European Education, Training and Youth Forum will take place. Entitled “Working together for reforms”, the Forum aims to emphasise the need for policy makers and key stakeholders to work in partnership for the successful implementation of reforms at national and regional level, in particular through the opportunities offered by the new EU education, training and youth programme “Erasmus+”. EUCIS-LLL has led an extensive consultation with more than 700 respondents that were able to convey their ideas of how they could contribute to reforms through the programme. The survey results will be presented during the Forum by David Lopez, EUCIS-LLL President.

EUCIS-LLL reaction to PIAAC survey: adult education, the smart investment
Last week were released the results of the OECD’s Programme for theInternational Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Aimed to collect and analyse data that assist governments in assessing, monitoring and analysing the level, distribution and utilisation of skills among their adult populations, it surveyed 166 000 adults aged 16-65 in 24 countries and regions from August 2011 to March 2012. EUCIS-LLL calls on EU decision-makers to use this opportunity to give a strong impetus on the need to strengthen cooperation in the field of lifelong learning. See EAEA statement too.

EUCIS-LLL contest “Picture the Future of Learning”
EUCIS-LLL has just launched a picture competition on the “Future of Learning”. The three categories are: learning environments, learning diversity and learning in Europe. Submit a picture before 10 November and get a chance to win an InterRail pass. The 10 best pictures will be exhibited at the European Parliament during the Lifelong Learning Week 2013 (2-6 December). Participants can take part in the competition through our website or through Facebook.

/// NEWS FROM MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ///

Education, we have a problem! New OBESSU’s campaign on social inclusion
OBESSU, the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions, is launching a campaign on social inclusion in education, how it can be reached and where lacks in education systems in Europe are today. In parallel to the campaign a research on hidden costs in education will be conducted and the results will be presented in spring 2014. The launch of the campaign will take place the 16th of October at 18:00 in Brussels. Registrations are open until 14th of October at secretariat@obessu.org

8th European Quality Assurance Forum: early-bird registration open until 18 October
The 8th edition of the European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF), jointly organised by EURASHE, ESU, EUA and ENQA and entitled “Working together to take quality forward”, will take place at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, from 21 to 23 November 2013. More details on the programme, registration, as well as abstracts of papers and workshops to be presented at the Forum, are now available on the EQAF website.

Last days to register to the Open and Flexible Higher Education Conference 2013
EADTU, the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, organises its annual conference 2013 in Paris on 24-25 October. Following the latest developments in policy-making and university strategies, with the recent launch of Opening Up Education by the European Commission, this year’s conference scope is about “Transition to open and on-line education in European universities”. Registrations are open until 19th of October.Unite for Quality Education!
On the 4 October 2013, Education International (EI) launched a year of action, an initiative for quality education around the world that will culminate on a World Day of Action in October 2014. EI and ETUCE invite everybody who cares about the education of our children to join forces with us in our call for a ‘Better Quality Education for a Better World’.

/// INSTITUTIONAL NEWS ///

Opening Up Education
On 25 September, the Commission released the Communication “Opening Up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new technologies and open educational resources” and its Staff Working Document, aiming at enhancing teaching and learning thanks to digital technologies and contents (see Memo). An online portal called “Open Education Europa” gathering open educational resources from all over Europe have also been launched. You can notably find there the GREAT International Conference, counting among its associate partners ETDF and MENON. See also the outcomes of the NETHER,EADTU and Confrontations Europe conferences on the topic.

MFF 2014-2020 and Rethinking Education at the EP October 2ndplenary session
The Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) saga could come to an end at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 21-24 October. On 8 October a Contact Group headed by President Schultz debriefed on the state of negotiations. Cohesion policy (i.e. macroeconomic conditionalities) and 2013 EU budget remain the main obstacles to solve for the Parliament as sine qua none conditions for the MFF to be examined in plenary session on 23 October. If Member States accept EP conditions in the ECOFIN Council of 15 October, there are good chances that the interinstitutional negotiations finally come to an end this month; then programmes such as Erasmus+ can finally be adopted. See the full report of on-going discussions of Mr Lamassoure in the Committee of Budgets on 9 October. To be noted: the EP report on the Commission’s Communication on “Rethinking Education” will also be adopted in Strasbourg next week (see agenda).

A new NEET indicator coming up for the European Semester
On 2 October was launched a Commission’s Communication on “Strengthening the social dimension of the economic and monetary union” focused on reinforcing policy coordination under the European Semester and social dialogue, as well as enhancing solidarity and job mobility. The document proposes to establish a new scoreboard of indicators to better identify major employment and social challenges; among those are the NEET (not in education, employment or training) rate and youth (18-24) unemployment rate, that would contribute to measure for instance skills relevance or performance of education and labour market institutions. According to the latest EU Employment and Social Situation Quarterly review (June 2013), 13,2% of young people fell in the NEET category in the fourth quarter of 2012. The scoreboard should be functional for the 2014 European Semester, feeding in the spring European Council and the preparation of Country-Specific Recommendations (see MEMO). See also SOLIDAR Conference on Decent Work and Quality Employment for NEETs on 15 October at the Parliament.

Sakharov Prize 2013 rewards Malala Yousafzai for defending the right to girls’ education
Malala Yousafzai will receive the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2013at a ceremony held in Strasbourg on 20 November during the European Parliament plenary session. The Prize honours individuals or organisations that acted as a defender of human rights and freedom. Malala is a 16 years old Pakistani student known to have survived an assassination attempt for having protested against the Taliban regime that banned girls from attending school in her town.

/// RESEARCH & INNOVATION ///

Mobility, Migration & Lifelong Learning
Migrants voluntarily working in another country, temporary foreign workers and refugees: those are the three types of migrants analysed by the last issue of the LLinE journal (Lifelong Learning in Europe) in cooperation with the InfoNet adult education correspondents’ network, dedicated to mobility and migration. Learning is a must for the migrants – and also their strongest asset; that is the challenge ahead on adult educators and that is what LLinE tries to bring fresh perspectives on.

How much do teachers make? How much do students pay?
Eurydice has recently published their annually updated reports on Teachers’ and School Head’s Salaries and Allowances and National Student Fee and Support Systems 2012/13 in Europe. Reports show, among other findings, that the teaching profession remains poorly remunerated, and that in Europe England charges the highest amount of student fees, while a number of countries – mainly Nordic – apply a ‘no fee’ regime for all students.

OECD launches Education GPS
OECD has launched the Education GPS, the source for internationally comparable data on education policies and practices, opportunities and outcomes. Accessible any time, in real time, this platform gives you the latest data and analysis of countries’ performance in providing high-quality education for all. OECD has also just published a report on innovative learning environments.

Education Transforms
Education plays a vital role in improving people’s lives around the world, from increasing tolerance and employment to empowering women and keeping hunger away. The impact of education reaches out to almost every aspect of one’s life, shows the infographics published by UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report.

Support & Quality in Adult education in Europe
Two reports have been released recently on adult education. The first one, entitled “Adult and continuing education in Europe: Using public policy to secure a growth in skills”, proposes a number of policy priorities to support the growth of adult and continuing education and exploit the wealth of research and research tools available. The second one is the final report on “Quality in the adult learning sector” analyses the scope, content and implementation of quality approaches, standards and other relevant recent developments such as the development and implementation of accreditation systems and institutions, in the adult learning sector.

/// EU FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ///

Open call for tender EAC/10/2013 – The changing pedagogical landscape: new ways of teaching and learning and their implications for higher education policy.
Deadline: 22 October 2013

/// PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ///

Join the online debate on the Single Market
The EU is organising the Single Market Month from 23 September to 23 October 2013 – a month of online debates between individuals, businesses, organisations, policy-makers and EU leaders to discuss ideas to improve the EU’s Single Market. You can already submit, comment and vote on ideas on jobs and qualifications, social rights, banks and e-commerce.

/// AGENDA ///

EUCIS-LLL Europe 2020 Working Group, 16 October
European Education, Training and Youth Forum 2013, 17-18 October
EUCIS-LLL Lifelong Learning week, 2-6 December

Find more education and training events in Europe on our website

 

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