| Author (Person) | Crosbie, Judith |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.12, No.19, 18.5.06 |
| Publication Date | 18/05/2006 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Judith Crosbie Date: 18/05/06 A radical overhaul of the European Schools system has been proposed to address problems facing current schools and to deal with new schools which will open in the future. Proposals included restructuring the way current schools make decisions, a new exam to be taken at the age of 16 and a new type of European School. A conference this week in the Netherlands, attended by representatives of the 25 EU education ministers and the European Commission, proposed giving more autonomy to schools for the children of EU staff, over management, educational issues and finance. EU enlargement two years ago created extra pressure on the system because of the increased number of languages and overcrowding. The three European Schools in Brussels and the two in Luxembourg, in particular, are said to be over-burdened by the increase in the number of pupils. At present most decisions concerning the schools are made by the board of managers based in Brussels, comprising representatives of member states and the Commission. The system is considered too rigid and not responsive enough to schools' needs. The conference proposals say that schools would be held more accountable through a contract with management in Brussels to ensure quality and standards are maintained. A new examination for 16-year-olds was also suggested as a way of allowing parents to assess whether their children should go on to sit the European Baccalaureate diploma at the age of 18. This exam would, however, not be a means of precluding pupils from proceeding to the diploma stage. A new type of school was also put forward, to be set up when a new EU agency is located in a member state. The school, which would still be geared to the European Baccalaureate, would largely be the responsibility of the member state and financing of the school would fall to the host member state and the Commission. A fourth European School is planned for Brussels to meet demands but would be set up in the traditional way and not involve these new procedures. The proposals will now be assessed by Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas and Dutch Minister of Education Maria van der Hoeven, the current president of the European Schools, and the Portuguese Secretary of State for Education Jorge Pedreira who will take over as president in August. The proposals will then be forwarded to the EU's education ministers. While no timescale has been set it is hoped that a reform of the system will be in place within a few years. A conference on the European Schools in the Netherlands, 15-16 May 2006, was attended by representatives of the 25 EU education ministers and the European Commission, who proposed giving more autonomy to schools for the children of EU staff, over management, educational issues and finance. The proposals, which would mean a radical overhaul of the European Schools, included restructuring the way current schools make decisions, a new exam to be taken at the age of 16 and a new type of European School. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Culture, Education and Research |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
