Will Hungary comply with EU?

Nieuws | de redactie
4 september 2015 | Tibor Navracsics wants a more inclusive HE in Europe. Does that include the kind of inclusiveness his former boss in Budapest, Viktor Orban, proposes for refugees barely surviving their trek towards safer shores? Has the EU-Commissioner for Youth and Culture a viewpoint on this?

While the Hungarian government takes in positions which shock any humane thinking European, the Hungarian Commissioner in Brussels makes fine sounding speeches on the unique role of European culture and its contribution to the global player role of the EU. Or states that  “young Europeans are facing common challenges that need joint responses. The threat of radicalisation shows how urgently we need to improve education prospects across all our communities.”

A hero?

In his education portfolio Navracsics now adds to this with a joint report by the Commission and Member States which calls for strengthening cooperation in education and training up to 2020 and especially to promote social inclusion in schools around Europe. It will be most interesting to see whether the Hungarian government and eduation minister will subscribe to this not just verbally, but in practice.

Or will Prime Minister Orban reprimand ‘his’ Commissioner for having gone ‘native’ in Brussels? As PVV-leader Geert Wilders announced him to be a hero today, this will be most interesting to follow.

This report is presented with these main points by the Commission.

“The Commission is proposing to strengthen cooperation at European level in the field of education and training up to 2020. Its draft of a joint report by the Commission and Member States published today calls for making European education and training systems more socially inclusive, as part of the wider efforts to tackle radicalisation following the 2015 attacks in Paris and Copenhagen.

The report proposes a sharper policy focus to better address the most pressing challenges facing our society. The six new priorities identified in the report include improving young people’s skills and employment prospects and creating open, innovative and digital learning environments, while at the same time cultivating fundamental values of equality, non-discrimination and active citizenship.”

The Council is expected to adopt the report by the end of the year. The report also proposes to set the new priorities for 5 years, replacing previous 3 year cycles, to enable a longer-term impact. The six new priorities proposed by the Commission are:

-Relevant and high-quality skills and competences, focusing on results, for employability, innovation and active citizenship;

-Inclusive education, equality, non-discrimination and promotion of civic competences;

-Open and innovative education and training, including by fully embracing the digital era;

-Strong support for educators;

-Transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications to facilitate learning and labour mobility; and

-Sustainable investment, performance and efficiency of education and training systems.

Established in May 2009, Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) offers Member States, the Commission and education institutions a forum to exchange best practices, information and advice for policy reforms. The Commission coordinates this tool of cooperation.

The ET 2020 strategic framework covers learning of all forms and at all levels of the lifelong learning process, including early childhood education andschools through to higher education, vocational education and training and adult learning.

In 2014, the Commission and Member States started a mid-term stocktaking exercise to assess progress made since 2012 and to help prepare the next priorities for cooperation in education and training at European level. As part of this exercise, an independent evaluation, several national reports and consultations with national officials, European social partners and other education and training stakeholders were carried out during 2014. The conclusions of this analysis are reflected in the draft ET 2020 Joint Report, presented by the Commission today.

In November, the Commission will also present the 2015 Education and Training Monitor, a yearly analysis of progress towards education targets set under the Europe 2020 strategy. The main headline targets include early school leaving and completion of tertiary education levels.

The Commission will shortly also put forward the draft EU Youth Report, which reports on European cooperation in the youth field in the period 2013-2015. This Report will address priority issues such as youth unemployment, social inclusion and youth participation.”


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