policy-making
Erasmus for All: 5 million in line for EU funding
Up to 5 million people, almost twice as many as now, could get the chance to study or train abroad with a grant from Erasmus for All, the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport proposed by the European Commission today. Among them would be nearly 3 million higher education and vocational students. Master's degree students would also benefit from a new loan guarantee scheme set up with the European Investment Bank Group. The seven-year Erasmus for All programme, which would have a total budget of €19 billion, is due to start in 2014.
"Investing in education and training is the best investment we can make for Europe's future. Studying abroad boosts people's skills, personal development and adaptability, and makes them more employable. We want to ensure that many more people benefit from EU support for these opportunities. We also need to invest more to improve the quality of education and training at all levels so we are a match for the best in the world and so that we can deliver more jobs and higher growth," said Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
The Commission's Erasmus for All proposal would allow:
2.2 million higher education students to receive grants to spend part of their education and training abroad (compared to 1.5 million under current programmes);
This figure includes 135 000 students getting support to study in a non-EU country, as well as non-EU students coming to study in the Union;
735 000 vocational students would be able to spend part of their education and training abroad (compared to 350 000 under the current programme);
1 million teachers, trainers and youth workers would receive funding to teach or train abroad (compared to 600 000 under current programmes);
700 000 young people would go on traineeships in companies abroad (compared to 600 000 under the current programme);
330 000 Master's degree students would benefit from loan guarantees to help finance studies abroad under a brand-new scheme;
540 000 young people would be able to volunteer abroad or participate in youth exchanges (compared to 374 000 under the current programme);
34 000 students would receive grants for a 'joint degree', which involves studying in at least two higher education institutions abroad (this compares to 17 600 supported under the current programme);
115 000 institutions/organisations involved in education, training and/or youth activities or other bodies would get funding to set up more than 20 000 'strategic partnerships' to implement joint initiatives and promote exchange of experience and know-how;
4 000 education institutions and enterprises would form 400 'knowledge alliances' and 'sector skills alliances' to boost employability, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Background
Erasmus for All would bring together all the current EU and international schemes for education, training, youth and sport, replacing seven existing programmes 1 with one. This will increase efficiency, make it easier to apply for grants, as well as reducing duplication and fragmentation.
The Commission is proposing an increase of approximately 70% compared to the current seven-year budget, which would allocate €19 billion to the new programme in 2014-2020. The figure takes account of future estimates for inflation and includes expenditure foreseen for international cooperation.
The new programme will focus on EU added value and systemic impact, with support for three types of action: learning opportunities for individuals, both within the EU and beyond; institutional cooperation between educational institutions, youth organisations, businesses, local and regional authorities and NGOs; and support for reforms in Member States to modernise education and training systems and promote innovation, entrepreneurship and employability.
Two-thirds of the funding would be spent on mobility grants to enhance knowledge and skills.
The streamlined structure of the new programme – together with its significantly increased investment – means the EU will be able to deliver many more opportunities for students, trainees, young people, teachers, youth workers and others to improve their skills, personal development and job prospects. Erasmus for All will also promote research and teaching on European integration, and support grassroots sport.
Since 2007, an average of 400 000 people per year have received EU grants for study, training and volunteering abroad. Under the Commission's proposal, this figure would nearly double to almost 800 000. (In 2010, 560 000 received grants in the 27 Member States, see Annex 1).
Next steps
This proposal is now under discussion by the Council (27 Member States) and the European Parliament who will take the final decision on the budgetary framework for 2014-2020.
For more information:
See also MEMO/11/818
http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-for-all
Commissioner Vassiliou's website
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou
European Commission: Education and Training website
Erasmus for All
Erasmus for All is the new EU programme for education, training, youth and sport proposed by the European Commission on 23 November 2011. Erasmus for All would bring together all the current EU and international schemes for education, training, youth and sport, replacing seven existing programmes with one. This will increase efficiency, make it easier to apply for grants, as well as reducing duplication and fragmentation. It is due to start in 2014.
European Commission will propose Erasmus for All and Creative Europe programmes on the 24 November
On Thursday 24 November, the European Commission will announce its detailed proposal for 'Erasmus for All', the new programme for education, training, youth and sport, and 'Creative Europe', the new programme for the cultural and creative sector.
Both programmes are part of the Commission's proposal for a multi-annual budget for 2014-2020.
The new programme for education, training and youth would allocate €19.5 billion (+ 70%) over seven years; the increase underlines the priority given to investing in knowledge and skills to support job creation and growth in Europe. The programme would ensure that more people benefit from EU grants to study or train abroad; it would also promote cooperation between governments, educational institutions, businesses and other partners, to support the policy reforms needed to modernise education systems and promote innovation, entrepreneurship and employability.
The 'Creative Europe' programme will bring the current Culture, MEDIA 2007 and MEDIA Mundus programmes together under a common framework which will support the cultural and creative sectors with a budget of €1.8 billion (+37%). The focus will be on helping cultural and audiovisual professionals to safeguard and promote cultural and linguistic diversity by making the most of the Single Market and reaching new audiences in Europe and beyond, as well as contributing to the Europe 2020 objectives for jobs and sustainable growth.
Media & Learning Conference 2011 Brussels – Last Chance to register!
With just over 2 weeks to go the organisers of the Media & Learning Conference are delighted to announce that there are now more than 240 people registered from 40 countries. They include ministerial representatives, teacher trainers, educational media producers and practitioners who are all converging on Brussels to discuss trends, share experiences and plan new initiatives in the field of media supported learning.
A series of five online discussions have been launched in the conference community which is open to all. They are: What is the best business model for a learning game? What are the implications of social networking on media and learning? What impact does the move from a literacy culture to a media culture have on learning? What is the best way to create sustainable, media-rich learning repositories? And can media make a difference in supporting early and special needs education? These discussions will continue live during the conference itself, taking place on 24-25 November. You can join in here.
Confirmed keynote speakers for the Media & Learning Conference are Pascal Smet, Flemish Minister for Education and Training, Constantijn Van Oranje, Cabinet member and senior advisor of European Vice-President Neelie Kroes, Peter Adriaenssens, Belgian child psychiatrist, Conor Galvin, researcher from UCD in Ireland, Richard Harper, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK, Nikos Theodosakis, Canadian author of “The Director in the Classroom: How Filmmaking Inspires Learning", Pere Arcas, Head of the department of learning programmes and projects at Television of Catalonia in Spain, Lizbeth Goodman, Director and Founder of the SMARTlab Digital Media, Donald Clark, e-learning advisor and Dom Elliott, from YouTube EDU.
The programme includes screening sessions showing excellent uses of media to support teaching and learning, practical workshops fostering hands-on learning experiences, high level presentations and a wealth of opportunities to exchange, learn, interact and network. During the conference we also provide the Pigeon SMS messaging service which enables participants contact one another easily without revealing their own mobile number.
They also plan on having fun and invite participants to try out different devices in the conference Play Area where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and socialise at any time.
The MEDEA Awards Ceremony will be a highlight of the programme and takes place on Thursday 24 November beginning at 18.15. 9 finalists from all over Europe are competing to win one of the two MEDEA Statuettes this year, you can see who they are for yourself and decide who you think should win. This is an open event, if you would like to come, just let us know.
Follow what is happening in the lead-up to the conference on our Facebook and LinkedIn groups. Register for the conference here.
Lutte contre le décrochage scolaire : séminaire de contact européen
Le CRDP d'Amiens accueille un séminaire de contact européen et une conférence européenne, "Expérimentons ensemble contre le décrochage scolaire", du 15 au 18 novembre 2011. Le ministère français de l'éducation nationale et l'agence Europe éducation formation France en sont les organisateurs.
Cette rencontre vise à engager les partenaires européens dans des expérimentations conjointes. Elle rassemble :
- des chefs d'établissement français et européens ;
- des représentants académiques ;
- l'Inspection générale de l'Éducation nationale
- des représentants du monde de l'entreprise ;
- des représentants de collectivités locales ;
- des représentants de la Commission européenne.
Les établissements participant au séminaire travaillent ensemble, par équipes de projets, sur :
- les objectifs et résultats attendus des expérimentations ;
- les activités qui peuvent être mises en place ;
- la mise en place de partenariats scolaires.
Le 17 novembre, parallèlement au séminaire de contact, une conférence réunit des représentants de la Commission européenne et des responsables éducatifs d'Allemagne, de Chypre, de Pologne, du Portugal et du Royaume-Uni. Cette conférence vise à mettre en perspective les politiques nationales de prévention du décrochage scolaire et les orientations européennes.
En juin 2010, les chefs d'État et de gouvernement adoptaient la stratégie Europe 2020 et s'engageaient à ramener à moins de 10% la proportion de jeunes quittant l'École sans diplôme.
Transforming Education: The Power of ICT Policies
The opportunities offered by the use of technology in education are many. It transforms the pedagogy and can lead to an improved and more engaging learning experience. These effects are not limited to the classroom, for example, the transformation of distance education into e-learning and blended learning offers new options for delivery and new opportunities for in-service teacher training and support. The capacity of ICT to build borderless networks represents possibilities for innovative peer learning across territories and countries. In addition to redefi ning access to knowledge and instructional design and provision, the penetration of ICT in all dimensions of economic, social and cultural activities has far-reaching implications in terms of the skills required to become an active member of society. The ability of students to utilize ICT has become a new requirement for effective education systems.
Growth & jobs focus for regional cohesion funding 2014-2020
Proposals aim to improve funding for the EU’s regions and focus more on high-impact growth and jobs programmes.
Economic development, productivity and employment opportunities differ widely across the EU.
About a third of the EU’s budget goes on reducing these disparities – helping its least developed regions benefit from the EU market.
Funding is given to programmes with aims such as developing the skills of local workforces, encouraging entrepreneurship, improving infrastructure and protecting the environment. Millions of Europeans have already benefited from targeted regional funds.
EU budget proposals for 2014 to 2020 allocate €376bn to such programmes. The Commission is also proposing a new approach to make this round of funding more effective in achieving the long-term aims of Europe 2020, the EU's growth and jobs strategy.
The proposals aim to concentrate funding on a smaller number of priorities – in line with these goals.
Each country would agree with the Commission on a partnership contract, setting priorities for investment and targets to be achieved.
Funding conditions would be introduced before aid is granted. Better monitoring would ensure programmes meet their agreed objectives.
Additional funding would be available for programmes that deliver the biggest contribution to growth and job creation.
Common rules would be introduced for the various funds targeting social development, rural areas, coastal areas, cooperation between border regions, fisheries, and less developed countries. Programmes would be able to combine support from some of these funds.
Applying for funds would be made simpler – to reduce administrative burdens, particularly for small companies, and cut costs for all concerned.
While all EU countries would benefit from the funding programmes, support would be concentrated on those with a gross domestic product below 75% of the EU average.
Next steps
The proposals should come into effect in 2014, if they have been approved by national ministers (in the Council of the EU) and the European Parliament in 2012.
Regional representatives will discuss the new proposals from 10 to 13 October at the annual Open Days 2011 in Brussels.
eLearning Africa 2012. The Call for Papers is open!
eLearning Africa is the premier gathering place for all experts and stakeholders engaged or interested in ICT-based education, training and development on the African continent. Everyone concerned with eLearning in Africa is welcome to share and learn. Deadline for receipt of all proposals is Friday, December 9th, 2011.
We encourage practitioners and academics engaged in an African context to apply by submitting a proposal for eLA 2012, taking place from May 23rd to 25th in Cotonou, Benin. Please note that successful applicants will be offered a significantly reduced conference registration fee.
You are invited to submit proposals for any of the following:
- To lead a
Pre-Conference Event to take place on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 - To give a Presentation in a themed session during the conference
- To suggest a Debate or Discussions for a debate or discussion during the conference
- To suggest a Special Focus Session on a particular topic which you would lead during the conference
- To give a Demonstration and Best Practice Showcase of a specific tool, application, service or course
- To host a Adchakpodji (Knowledge Exchange Session) about a topic of your choice, at a round-table with maximum 10 participants, allowing for an interactive and energetic exchange of information and experiences.
Each type of submission has a specific format; please choose the one you would like to use and fill in the form accordingly.
Deadline for receipt of all proposals is Friday, December 9th, 2011.
We will be in contact by the end of March 2012 to let you know if your proposal has been accepted.
Selection Process
The content selection process is overseen by the Conference Organising Committee and guided by the feedback we receive from the Conference Advisory Committees and associated organisations. Our experience has been that we receive many more proposals and ideas than we can include, and as a general rule, approximately one third of all proposals received are accepted.
Selection is made on the basis of the proposal's relevance to the conference themes, the experience and knowledge of the applicants, the practicalities of including the proposal within the conference format and a combination of the proposal's innovativeness and practical value to conference participants.
Kindly note that we will only accept high quality papers and presentations. For us quality is
defined by papers that:
- are clearly grounded in context
- provide conceptual clarity
- are supported by clear reasoning
- are backed up with evidence
- are relevant for an African context
- are useful for practitioners, policymakers and prospective partners
and presentations that:
- are clear, concise, inspiring and interactive
- are adequately supported by relevant slides or other visuals
- provoke and invite discussions with the audience and other speakers.
Please note that priority is given to African-based speakers for proposals being made on behalf of initiatives undertaken on the Continent.
ICT for Inclusion: Reaching More Students More Effectively
Persons with disabilities have traditionally been excluded from receiving an equitable education as the result of attitudinal, physical and infrastructural barriers within educational systems and throughout wider society. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can enable persons with disabilities to receive an equitable education and facilitate them to reach their full potential as productive and integrated members within society. This policy guide provides policy makers with advice on the development of systematic and comprehensive policies that will contribute to the integration of persons with disabilities into the national educational systems through the use of ICTs.
Obnova Európy
Predseda Komisie José Manuel Barroso dnes vo svojom prejave o stave Únie na pôde Európskeho parlamentu predstavil stratégiu EÚ pre udržateľný rast a zamestnanosť.
„V súčasnosti čelíme najväčším výzvam, s ktorými sa Únia stretla počas svojej existencie,“ uviedol Barroso v súvislosti s pretrvávajúcou hospodárskou krízou.
EÚ sa musí obnoviť – je nevyhnutné, aby sa stala konkurencieschopnejšou, nežila na dlh a a dokázala účinne reagovať na ekonomické nerovnováhy, tlak globalizácie a nezodpovedné správanie finančných trhov.
Predovšetkým však potrebuje viac politickej vôle a rozhodnosti, aby sa obnovila dôvera občanov a finančných trhov.
Aby sa Európa dostala na cestu udržateľného rastu a zamestnanosti, je potrebné zrealizovať celý reformný program Komisie.
Medzi hlavné prvky tohto programy patrí:
- investovanie do výskumu, inovácií, efektívneho využívania zdrojov a vzdelávania – je potrebné prijať podrobnejšie návrhy;
- prepojenie európskych energetických, dopravných a digitálnych sietí;
- riešenie problému nezamestnanosti mladých osôb – väčšia podpora firemných stáží a urýchlenie realizácie ďalších programov EÚ.
Komisia takisto predloží návrhy týkajúce sa vytvorenia projektových dlhopisov, ktoré budú slúžiť na financovanie projektov v oblasti budovania infraštruktúry v Európe.
„Dokážeme obnoviť Európu,“ uviedol predseda Komisie José Manuel Barroso.
Prejav predsedu Komisie Barroso – Stav Únie 2011 
List predsedu Barrosa na predsedu Európskeho parlamentu Jerzy Buzek
Občania sa do 5. októbra môžu obrátiť s otázkami na predsedu Európskej komisie Barrosa. Odpovie na ne v priamom prenose, ktorý sa bude vysielať na kanáloch World View a Euronews TV.