Recommendation on Europe 2020 (06/24/2010)

Education is very high on the Europe 2020 agenda; this is an important signal for governments and policy makers in the Member States, implying societal conclusions.

At the European level, the social dimension of education and training should even be more stressed, and the perspective of the learners should be valorised.

There is a lack of coherence between European policies: a greater transparency between the goals of the various policies for compulsory education, lifelong and life wide learning, higher and vocational education is needed.

Regarding the principle of the benchmarks the Flemish Education Council appreciates the fact that the effects of a policy are followed up; benchmarks should however be seen in their narrowness and their design: they cannot summarize a complex educational reality. The Flemish Education Council calls for social benchmarks, and for realism in the objectives.

As for the importance of European cooperation for the Flemish education: The Flemish Education Council advocates space for Member States to build their own educational concept.

Education remains a national / regional power; however, for certain aspects European cooperation, based on the diversity of the Member States, can provide added value.

During the last years, the Flemish Community made efforts to develop its own framework of objectives; the Flemish Education Council asks that a debate starts about how the Flemish Community will achieve these ambitious goals.

The Flemish Education Council thinks that the European policy documents should pay more attention to the basic requirements for implementation of educational change in the Member States.

Finally, the Flemish Education Council states that the involvement of civil society should increase in the renewal processes related to education, both at the European and at the Flemish level.