EDUCATION COUNCIL : MINISTERS TO DISCUSS EDUCATION'S CONTRIBUTION TO EU2020 STRATEGY.

With its debates, on 15 February, on the conclusions to be drawn from the mediocre results of the Education and Training programme and preparation of a new EU 2020 strategy, the Education and Youth Council focused on the role of education and training in the Union's efforts to promote growth and employment.

To start, the ministers adopted the 2010 joint Commission-Council progress report on the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 programme(1). It highlights progress towards agreed benchmarks during the period 2007-2009. Despite a general improvement in education and training performance during that period in the EU, the report concludes that the majority of benchmarks will not be reached in 2010 (among the objectives: key competences, learning organisation in schools and teacher training, actions to encourage reading and writing, and adult training). It also identifies the need for further action to meet critical challenges, such as implementing lifelong learning, increasing mobility, making education and training more open and relevant to the labour market, and establishing partnerships between the worlds of education and work.

The exchange of views on EU2020 will focus on two questions: the role of education and training...