EDUCATION COUNCIL : AGENDA TO PROMOTE ADULT LEARNING.

To promote lifelong learning for adults with a view to meeting the growth and employment targets of the Europe 2020' strategy, the Education Council adopted, on 28 November 2011 in Brussels, a resolution on a renewed EU agenda for adult learning for the period 2012-2014.

The agenda builds on the three-year action plan for adult learning adopted in 2008.In a nutshell, the 27 member states are invited to: increase adult participation in lifelong learning and facilitate their mobility, improve the quality and efficiency of education and training, promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship in adult education and training, develop adults' creativity and their learning environment as well as their capacity to innovate. The agenda also aims to improve the pool of knowledge on adult education and training and to ensure follow-up of the adult education and training sector.

The ministers also approved a new EU benchmark (a reference level for average European performances) for learning mobility. The objective is twofold: to increase mobility among students in higher education and in initial vocational education and training. This benchmark comes on top of the five...