Lifelong Learning:

General Political Context

Current Framework, Policy Priorities and Main Innovation

Hélène Clark
European Commission DG Education and Culture
Brussels, 16 January 2009
 Overview of the presentation

1. The policy framework:

Policy priorities for education and training and
the link to the Lisbon strategy

2. Specific policies and programme priorities

in centralised actions

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Commission Package on Lisbon Strategy
adopted in December 2008
™ Report on the implementation and future priorities

™ Communication on "An updated strategic framework for

European cooperation in Education and Training"

™ Communication on "New skills for new jobs"

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Communication on "An updated strategic
framework for European cooperation in Education
and Training“ – strategic challenges…
™ Making lifelong learning a reality

™ Significantly improving quality and efficiency

™ Promoting equity and active citizenship

™ Enhancing innovation and creativity at all levels of

education and training

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… and some of the priorities for 2009-2010

™ Expanding learning mobility

™ Developing partnerships between education and training
providers and business, research, creative industries;
™ Promoting language learning
™ Expanding professional development of teachers and
trainers
™ Key competences: “New skills for new jobs”

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Policy Priority 2009: Implementation of the
Communication on "New skills for new jobs“

™ More and more jobs will require high and medium education levels
™ By 2020, almost three quarters of jobs in the EU-25 will be in
services
™ Transversal and generic skills will be increasingly valued on the
labour market
™ Skills upgrading is critically important for Europe’s short-term
recovery

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Policy Priority in 2009: European Year of
Creativity and Innovation

™ Promoting the core role of education for innovation

™ Promoting innovation and creativity in all sectors of

education and training and as early as possible

™ Stimulating policy debates and further research,

bringing about exchanges of good practices, as well as
information and promotion campaigns

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Policy Priority 2009: The European Institute of
Innovation and Technology (EIT)
Mission:
→ Stimulate world-leading innovation in Europe,
thereby acting as a key driver of sustainable economic growth and
competitiveness across Europe.
Concept:
→ pool together the very best scientific, business,
entrepreneurial and education resources Europe-wide,
thereby generating highly integrated partnerships that will facilitate
the free flow of knowledge between innovation actors.

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 2.

Specific policies and

programme priorities
in centralised actions

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School education – selected policy issues

™ Recommendation: Key Competences, December 2006

™ Communication: Improving Competences for the 21th

Century: an agenda on Cooperation on Schools, July 2008

™ Green Paper on Migration and Mobility: Challenges and

Opportunities for EU Education Systems, July 2008

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Comenius priorities in centralised actions

ƒ Motivation for learning and learning to learn skills

ƒ Teaching and learning transversal competences
ƒ School management
ƒ Language learning and linguistic diversity
ƒ Literacy skills
ƒ Key competences
ƒ Pre-primary and early learning provision
ƒ Entrepreneurship and links with world of work
ƒ Development of Special Needs Education (SEN) and inclusion of
disadvantaged people – NEW PRIORITY

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Policy priorities in Higher Education ….
the modernisation agenda for universities:
Curricula, governance and funding reform

… to support the Lisbon Strategy

and the Bologna process

Studies and papers

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The modernisation agenda for universities

™ Curricular reform: the three cycle system, competence

based learning, flexible learning paths, recognition.

™ Governance reform: autonomy, strategic partnerships,

cooperation with enterprises, quality assurance.

™ Funding reform: diversified income, promoting equity,

access and efficiency, role of tuition fees, grants and loans.

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Modernisation agenda and ERASMUS
Main activities in 2009

™ Studies:

9 Higher education mobility developments

9 Progress in higher education reforms

™ Green Paper on mobility

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The ERASMUS programme

Priorities for centralised actions

™ Multilateral Cooperation projects

9 curriculum development
9 cooperation between HE and enterprises
9 modernisation of universities
9 virtual campus

™ Academic and structural Networks

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Vocational Education and Training (VET) –
selected policy issues- Copenhagen Process
The 4 priorities of the Bordeaux Communiqué (2008)

ƒ Implement tools for VET cooperation and recognition of competences

ƒ Improve quality and attractiveness of VET systems

ƒ Improving links VET / labour market

ƒ Strengthen European cooperation, including with OECD, UNESCO,

ILO, etc.

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Leonardo da Vinci priorities in
centralised actions
1. Multilateral projects on development of innovation
ƒ Transparency and recognition of qualifications
ƒ Quality and attractiveness of VET systems and practices
ƒ Training of VET teachers, trainers and tutors
ƒ Meeting of vocational skills with the labour market needs
ƒ Raising competence levels of groups at risk
2. Networks
ƒ ECVET Networks
ƒ Stakeholder Networks

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Adult learning – selected policy issues

Adult Learning Action Plan – Sept 2007

ƒ Analyse impacts of reforms in other educational sectors on AE

ƒ Improve quality of provision

ƒ Better possibilities to achieve at least one higher level qualification

ƒ Recognition of non-formal & informal learning for disadvantaged

ƒ Better monitoring of AE sector

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Grundtvig priorities for centralised actions

ƒ Key competences
ƒ Quality of adult education
ƒ Attractiveness of and access to adult education – NEW PRIORITY
ƒ Validation of non-formal and informal learning
ƒ Adult education for marginalised and disadvantaged citizens and
migrants
ƒ Teaching and learning in later life; inter-generational and family
learning
ƒ Language learning in adult learning
ƒ Academic and stakeholder networking in adult education
ƒ Validation and Certification – NEW PRIORITY

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Transversal and Jean Monnet Programmes

Transversal Programme
4 Key Activities:
1. Policy cooperation and innovation
2. Language learning
3. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
4. Dissemination and exploitation of results

Jean Monnet Programme: European Integration Studies

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To find out more about
¾ the policy framework in education and training and
¾ the Lifelong Learning Programme

please visit:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.htm

Thank you for your attention!

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