News & Press

Universities as Sites of Citizenship and Civic Responsibility  -  News & Press

The Standing Conference of the European Ministers of Education

Standing Conference of the European Ministers of Education

20th session - Cracow, Poland, 15-17 October 2000
Education policies for democratic citizenship and social cohesion: challenges and strategies for Europe

Draft resolution on the activity programme for 2001-2003

The European Ministers of Education, meeting in Cracow for their 20th session:

1. CONSIDERING the Final Declarations of the Strasbourg Summit (1997) and the 104th meeting of the Committee of Ministers at Budapest (1999);

2. POINTING OUT that the Statute of the Council of Europe and the European Cultural Convention constitute the policy framework of their action in the field of education;

3. NOTING that the results of European education co-operation are hereafter a key element in reflecting upon and working out education policies in each of the signatories to the European Cultural Convention;

4. HAVING DISCUSSED the principal theme of their 20th session, “Education policies for democratic citizenship and social cohesion: challenges and strategies for Europe” and adopted a general policy declaration on these issues,

5. NOTING with satisfaction the quality of the results of the projects in the 1997-2000 work programme;

6. CONSIDERING the need to implement a new work programme for 2001-03, which will guarantee both the continuity and renewal of its work programme;

7. RECOMMEND THAT:

- the EDUCATION COMMITTEE and the HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE of the COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL CO-OPERATION

- concentrate their resources on achieving the following objectives:

1. educating and training future citizens so that they achieve their full potential in exercising the rights and performing the duties that democratic society confers on them;

2. developing education policies and practices aimed at social cohesion, in particular by devising education strategies that meet the new social, economic, cultural and political realities in each of the member states and in Europe as a whole;

3. responding to specific needs and problems of particular countries or regions through well-targeted, advice and support activities for the renewal of educational structures and contents;

- continuing the efforts already under way to improve the coherence of the activities of the Education Committee and the Higher Education and Research Committee with a view to a comprehensive educational co-operation programme;

- wherever possible and appropriate, seeking opportunities for synergy or cross-sector co-operation with the various relevant bodies within the Council of Europe and with other international organisations, in particular UNESCO, the European Union and the Nordic Council of Ministers, and non-governmental organisations;

- continuously evaluating each activity as regards the objectives pursued, the means employed and the dissemination and impact of the results in the member states;

- the EDUCATION COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL FOR CULTURAL CO-OPERATION

- implementing a programme of activities (2001-03) following the orientations below:

i. in education for democratic citizenship:

- continuing the work in the crucial area of education for democratic citizenship so as to promote active citizenship and democratic values in a context of lifelong learning;

- fostering awareness of citizens’ rights and responsibilities;

- helping member states frame and implement education policies and strategies involving education for democratic citizenship as an integral part of their education reform processes;

- fostering exchange of experience and of thinking;

- disseminating the results of the “Education for democratic citizenship” project, in particular through a European campaign;

ii. in history teaching:

- developing the work on learning and teaching history in the 21st century with a view to establishing relations of trust and tolerance within and between the signatories to the European Cultural Convention; 

- disseminating the results of the “Learning and teaching about the history of Europe in the 20th century” project and the teaching material it has produced, with appropriate use of the technologies of information and communication;

- stepping up assistance activities concerning design of new history curricula and setting of standards for history teaching, including the production of new textbooks in the Russian Federation, the countries of the Caucasus, southeast Europe and the Black Sea region; 

- elaborating a Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers in this field.

iii. in modern languages:

- conducting the European Year of Languages in 2001 and launching a new project on language policies for intercultural understanding and citizenship aimed at:

- promoting Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity;

- developing education systems that produce multilingual and multicultural citizens capable of communicating and co-operating with individuals and groups with different linguistic and cultural identities; 

- recognising the value of language learning at all levels in the perspective of lifelong learning;

- promoting the quality and effectiveness of language learning and teaching both in schools and in out-of-school activities;

- developing a whole range of principles and guidelines for specific actions within the language policy framework that respond to urgent needs of certain member states or regions of Europe;

iv. implementing, in conjunction with the Higher Education and Research Committee, a new project, “Teaching and learning in the communication society”, the aim of which will be to develop proposals and guidelines on education policies that respond to the new demands generated by the sweeping changes in European societies, taking account of the impact of the new technologies. Particular attention will have to be paid to questions of general policy and strategy, as well as to initial and in-service training for educational staff;

v. continuing the ongoing dialogue on education policy and strategy issues connected with education’s contribution to social cohesion,

vi. conducting exploratory work on educational policies for and the educational needs of Roma/Gypsy;

vii. promoting the European dimension among teaching staff and secondary school pupils through an in-service training programme for educational staff, support for the Europe at School competition, and the intra-European Secondary School Student Exchange pilot programme;

viii. developing co-operation and partnership activities, particularly with UNESCO, the European Union and the Nordic Council of Ministers, for education development, by guaranteeing effective co-ordination of each activity and by enhancing sectorial actions with additional ones, aiming at the smooth development of the education system in its entirety.

- the HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF CULTURAL CO-OPERATION to establish its programme for the years 2001-2003 according to the following orientations:

- contribute in a substantial way to the Bologna process of higher education reform in Europe, with the goal of rendering European higher education more competitive, improving mobility and the recognition of qualifications and reforming structures;

- continue, in this context, to play its role as a main forum for the development of policies in favour of the recognition of qualifications in Europe, in close cooperation with UNESCO and the European Commission;

- implement, with the Education Committee, the new project on Teaching and Learning in the Communication Society;

- continue its action in favour of the reform and development of higher education in priority areas, in particular in South East Europe, Russia and the Caucasian counties, where appropriate in cooperation with other intergovernmental organisations, including non-governmental organisations;

- develop actions aiming to reinforce the role of higher education in citizenship and human rights education as well as in respect cultural and linguistic diversity, taking into account in particular the pilot project on the University as a site of Citizenship, European Studies for Democratic Citizenship and the activities of the Education Committee in the framework of the European Year of Languages;

- develop activities in the field of research policy, in particular as concerns the ethical dimension, with regard to the basic values of the Council of Europe;

- undertake an activity on the identity and role of the European academic community, in the follow up to the joint project with the Cultural heritage Committee on the heritage of European universities, in the framework of the "Europe, a common heritage" campaign.

- the COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

- in the context of the priority objectives set for the Organisation, provide the education co-operation sector with the resources its needs to fulfil its role of translating fundamental principles and values into day-to-day reality in member states and the daily lives of all their citizens.

8. UNDERTAKE

- to employ all means available to ensure continual dissemination of the results of European education co-operation at all levels; 

- to contribute to the implementation of the activities and projects of the new medium-term work programme, whose main thrusts are described above.