Activities of Ernest MARAGALL related to 2015/2281(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Follow-up of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) (debate) ES
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on follow-up of the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) PDF (334 KB) DOC (145 KB)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to its Report on Erasmus+ and other tools to foster mobility in VET - a lifelong learning approach1,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas education and training should not be aimed only at meeting labour market needs, but should constitute a value in themselves, since education has an equally important role in developing ethical and civic virtues and honouring the democratic principles on which Europe is founded; whereas transversal competences such as civic, social competences and citizenship education should be particularly highlighted alongside language, digital and entrepreneurial skills;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas expanding access to lifelong learning can open up new possibilities for active inclusion and enhanced social participation, especially for the low skilled, the unemployed, people with special needs, the elderly and migrants;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas not all Member States are facing the same type and level of challenges, and this means that any recommendations proposed for education and training should be flexible and should be tailored to national economies, demographies and culturestake those national and regional factors into account;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas in the 2014 Annual Growth Survey the Commission considers that in terms of expenditure, Member States need to find ways to protect or promote longer term investment in education, research, innovation, energy and climate action and that it is essential to invest in the modernisation of education and training systems, including lifelong learning;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas effective investment in quality education and training is a source of sustainable growth;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas deteriorating teaching conditions and quality of learning, a decline in academic freedom and growing criticism of may deteriorate due to a general lack of investment by member States, a decline in academic freedom may be feared and a continuing scepticism towards the Bologna process areis reported across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA);
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the comprehensive ET2020 stocktaking exercise, and underlines the need to take its conclusions into account in order to, and optimise the effectiveness of the framework upholding the principle of lifelong learning, including the role of education in promoting equity and inclusion and imparting intercultural competences and active citizenship, and strengthening country-specific relevance and mutual learning;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the proposed extension of the work cycle from 3 years to 5, aimed at reducing the reporting workload and enhancing implementation of the long- term strategic goalin order to better implement the long-term strategic goals and work on issues such as underachievement of pupils in some study fields, the low participation rates in adult learning, early school leaving, social inclusion, civic engagement, gender gaps and employability rates of graduates;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the narrowing of the number of ET2020 priority areas, but notes that the operational aspect of ET2020 needs to be enhanced and a work programme adopted; calls on Member States to consider education and training as an investment and agree that a minimum of expenditure on education should be off the fiscal balance sheet so that the current crisis does not have a negative impact on education and training;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the new generation of ET2020 Working Groups, and calls on the Commission to improve the representation of different stakeholders in those groups, notably by including more education experts; stresses the need for better dissemination of the groups’ deliverables, at bothlocal, regional, national and EU level;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the strengthening of the steering role of the informal bodies - in particular the High Level Group and the Director-General groupings - within ET2020, as well as the creation of feedback loops linking the High Level Group, the Director-General groupings and the Working Groups; acknowledges the role civil society organisations play reaching out to local, regional and national stakeholders and citizens on European cooperation in education and training and calls for their financial support under Erasmus+ (KA3) and the European Social Fund;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the setting-up of an informal coordination body which would include the Director-General of the Commission’scomposed of representatives of the different DG for Education and Culture (DG EAC), units and other Directors responsible for education in other DGs, and stakeholder representatives, and would hold high-level meetings to ensure coordination of work, policy coherenceGs involved in Education matters, Member States and stakeholders to ensure greater coordination, policy coherence, mutual learning and dialogue between Member States, DGs, social partners and civil society organisations, and the follow-up of recommendations issued by formal and informal ET2020 bodies;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates that, notwithstanding the importance of acquiring employability skills, the value of knowledge and academic rigour should not be overlooked, and emphasises that blanket prescriptive approaches must be avoided; underlines that the forthcoming European Skills Agenda should not overstate employability skills at the expense of subject knowledge to enhance employability, innovation and active citizenship, basic skills must go hand in hand with other key competences and attitudes: creativity, entrepreneurship and sense of initiative, digital skills (including coding), foreign language competences, critical thinking including through e- literacy and media literacy, and skills reflecting growing sectors, such as the green economy;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out the value of a community- based approach to education and strong links between schools and families; calls for the wider participation of relevant actors (such as the European Parents Association) in the work of ET2020emphasises the need to foster participatory education governance by stimulating engagement of learners, educators, parents and the broader local community such as civil society groups, social partners and business;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses the role of external associations and NGOs entering schools to provide children with other skills and social competences, like arts, manual activities, in helping integration, better understanding of their environment, solidarity in learning and living, and easing up the learning competences of whole classes;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned that the fact that the quality of teacher edstaff shortages and cuts in education hinder quality instrucation is lagging behind, in terms of range and complexity, with regard to competences that are necessary for teaching today, and welcomes the choice ofn many Member states; believes teachers should be trained to deal with the growing diversity of learners, use innovative pedagogies and ICT tools in an optimal manner, while enjoying induction support early in their careers, therefore welcomes the support for educators as a priority area for ET2020; encourages Member States to adapt their initial teacher training and in-service development programmes and to make better use of peer-learning activities between Member States;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to review the existing rules for the evaluation of education and training programmes funded by the European financial instruments, putting greater focus on quality based impact assessment;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Points out that it is necessary to invest in instruments to measure quantitative and qualitative progress and to make sure that European projects providing qualitative analysis provided by all stakeholders are duly supported via the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses thate importance of attaining the benchmark goal of 40 % of the younger generation having a tertiary degree should not be fulfilled at the expense of quality in education; that boosts the knowledge economy and respond to society´s needs; advocates that, in order to boost employability though , comprehensive lifelong learning strategies are needed; calls on Member States, therefore, to enhance quality and broaden access to Early Childhood Education and Care, Vocational Education and Training and Adult Learning and to adopt measures aimed at reducing early school leaving;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Draws attention to the shortcomings offact that standardised tests and of quantitative approaches to educational accountability, such as narrowing theonly measure at best a narrow range of traditional competences, and may result in schools having to adapt teaching syllabus to test material and neglecting the intrinsic values of education;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the side-effects of the Bologna process and student mobility are largely ignored and are not being tackled head-on,bigger efforts are to be made to meet the objectives of the Bologna process and student mobility and advocates broader involvement of the university community in the ET2020 work cycle;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that although the Bologna process has spearheaded significant achievements, it has also led to the fragmenta standardisation of university programmes and the standardisation of inefficient processeswhich may be understood as counterproductive if quality is missing ; takes the view that, without prejudice to the concept of single-tier unified programmes, studying at a European university should be based on a two-tier model, with the initial phase lasting no less than three years, and that educational institutions should be given more flexibility in the use of modules and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS);
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Notes that stronger links between education, business and research, and involvement of social partners and civil society will strengthen the impact of ET 2020 and the relevance of learning systems to increase Europe's innovation capacity;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Advocates a shift to conceiving mobility programmes in terms of qualitative outcomes that respond to priorities and primarily serve learning objectives; calls for the proper implementation of the proposals of the European Quality Charter for Mobility and for better use of the tools of internationalisation at homeall educational tools available to prepare students to the right type of mobility they would need and to update their leaning competences;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the challenges posed by migration to European educational systems should be addressed at both European and nat, national and regional level, since failureit is a duty to all institutions to provide migrants with education and training constitutes a risk to their employability, their development of knowledge of the host country’s cultural can, developing their knowledge of the host country's cultural and social values, their employability and ultimately their integration; calls on Member States to help those migrant teachers and professors find teaching jobs to both improve their situations and values, and their integration; put their language and teaching skills and experience to good use in European schools systems;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises the need to designate specific contact persfor Member States’ education ministries and the Commission’s for migrant and refugee education within Member States’ education ministries and the Commission’s DG EACDG EAC to cooperate in order to ensure equal access to high- quality education, in particular by reaching out the most disadvantaged and people with diverse backgrounds, including newly arrived migrants, integrating them into a positive learning environment;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for measures to integrate migrant children, both intra- and extra- European, into education systems by helping them adjust toing curricula and learning standards to their needs, providing them with language assistance, and enabling them to become familiar with the host country’s culture while preserving their own cultural heritage;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Supports the idea of setting up helpdesklong- term training programmes for teachers offering them timely support in handling various types of diversity in the classroom and guidance when they are confronted with students at risk of being radicalised; calls for the cdiffereantion ofated synergies between the ET2020 Wworking Ggroups and networks such as the Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) Working Group on Education;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses the need for more language- based learning programmes; calls for efforts to develop validpromote recognition of qualifications and accreditation mechanisms for the qualifications of migrants, since many of those entering the EU come with no proof of their formal qualificationscross Europe, by strengthening the role of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and promoting the validation of non-formal and informal learning; adequate recognition and validation instruments for digitally acquired knowledge, skills and competences can support the uptake of open and innovative learning practices, particular attention should be given to simplifying and rationalising existing EU instruments on skills and qualifications directed to the wider public to strengthen outreach;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate measures for migrant students enrolling at university level; welcomes the initiatives adopted in this regard by a number of European universities; calls on Member States to facilitate enrolment of migrant students at all educational levels;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers that the Science4Refugees programme should be further developed as regards its efficiency evaluation; advocates support at EU and national level for non-profit institutions providing assistance to migrant academicAdvocates support at EU, national, regional and local level for non-profit institutions acting as intermediaries for the recognition of skills and qualifications of migrants;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that the ‘brain drain’ effect linked to mobility poses risks for Member States, especially those in central/eastern and southern Europe, and expresses its concern at the failure of the ET 2020 Working Groups to adequately address the concept of unbalanced mobility; therefore, asks Member States in order to address unbalanced mobility, to put stronger emphasis on lifelong learning strategies by giving a political impulse on national and regional implementation, continue the work on the European Qualification Framework/National Qualification Frameworks (EQF/NQF) and on validation by implementing the roadmap and peer learning activities between the most and less advanced countries and work on the implementation of the country-specific recommendations set in the framework of the European Semester;