Committee of the Region
Brussels, 3. November 2008

Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me first thank you all for coming: I am very pleased to see so many people
here. Let me also thank the Committee of the Regions for hosting this event.
Today, this Committee, which is a vital link with citizens, their regions and
localities, is the right place to be.

Today is a big day. It is not every day that the Commission launches a brand
new action. It’s not every day that we can offer significant new investment in
school education. And it’s not every day that we can be so confident that we are
making Europe more meaningful for our young people.

Bringing Europe home
For Europe may sometimes seem too big, too abstract, to take in. We need to
show Europe for what it really is – not an abstraction, but people in communities
who share the same hopes, fears and values, no matter where they happen to be
on the European map.

I’m therefore delighted that we are launching the new Comenius Regio
partnerships today. Comenius Regio will add a new dimension to the successes
we have already achieved with the Comenius programme.

And when I say ‘we’, I am speaking not only for the Commission, but for all the
people who have taken part successfully in Comenius: the thousands of teachers
who have brought a ‘real-life’ Europe into their classrooms thanks to Comenius,
and the millions of pupils who have demonstrably learned new skills through the
programme.

• For example, thanks to Comenius, 80% of teachers have seen their pupils’
  interests in other cultures take off. –
  70% of pupils have improved their social skills and their ability to work
  together. – And pupils and teachers alike have become more interested in learning other
  European languages.
  Our eTwinning activity, which brings classrooms together virtually – a sort of
  ‘Second Life’ for schools…! – is a resounding success. Every year, the number of
  schools taking part in eTwinning doubles. This shows us how much schools
  want to work together across borders, and what a wealth of creative and
  inspiring approaches such cooperation can unlock.
  We should not neglect ‘real’ mobility either. Spending time abroad, getting an
  insight into the everyday life of pupils and teachers in another country – this
  changes perspectives. Pupils and their teachers experience life in a broader,
  European, context. They open their minds – and hearts – to other cultures, and
  develop a stronger sense of themselves as Europeans.
  I hope that we shall come together in twelve months’ time to launch another new
  Comenius action –individual pupil mobility – which the Commission is
  currently developing and negotiating with the Member States.
  With this track-record behind us, I am certain that Comenius Regio Partnerships
  will, like the rest of the Comenius Programme, bring a real and lasting European
  dimension into our classrooms, as well as support teachers, schools and our
  regions to give Europe’s young people the best possible start in life.
  Learning from each other through regional partnerships
  These days, schools are in the spotlight. Society expects more and more: asking
  schools to deal with challenges such as more diverse communities, limited
  resources, and significant social changes.
  This is why in July, I issued the Commission’s first ever Communication on
  schools. This sets out an ambitious agenda for joint work by the Member States,
  to draw maximum benefit from each other’s experiences, in three main areas:
  First, giving young people the skills they will require in their future lives.
  Second, making sure that all our young people have access to high quality
  education.
  Third, providing teachers and other staff with the skills and training they
  need, and strengthening school leadership.
  I believe that Comenius Regio partnerships can teach us valuable lessons in each
  of these areas. And I want to make a very clear link between this political
  agenda and the concrete regional partnerships to be set up under Comenius.
  Every journey is made up of small steps. Europe’s global vision rests on local
  achievements.
  School education has always been a local matter. But regional and local
  authorities have an increasing say in funding and organising education. Schools
  are freer to decide how to manage themselves and how to ensure quality.
  Linking these experiences through partnerships can inspire change across
  Europe – every country, every municipality, every school, has something to
  teach and something to learn.
  I know I can count on your discussions to come up with innovative and creative
  initiatives for Comenius Regio.
  Changing skills
  Globalisation, technological advances – these forces are changing the contours
  of our world. We do not need to be reminded of this, in the current economic
  crisis. The European response is that we must work together to find solutions.
  We want to shape change, not be shaped by it. We may have to take
  extraordinary measures in the short-term. But we must not lose our focus on the
  medium-term. It is more essential than ever to focus on skills, to be prepared to
  deal with change.
  For the world of work is changing fast. Our analysis tells us that in the future
  more and more jobs will require high skills. Routine tasks will dwindle. Creative
  tasks will rise. Work practices are changing too – more emphasis on teamwork,
  on communicating in different languages, and on understanding different
  cultural backgrounds.
  Schools must continue to impart the core skills – literacy, languages, maths and
  science. But it is no longer what you know, but what you do with your
  knowledge, that counts. Schools must also find ways to teach cross-cutting
  skills, ‘learning to learn’ skills that help us adapt – analysis, problem-solving,
  social, civic and intercultural skills. With these skills, our young people can
  securely navigate a path through the knowledge society.
  This puts schools on a learning curve, to test the best ways to impart such non
  traditional skills. Partnerships with other regions are an excellent way forward.
  The partnership itself brings these social, civic and intercultural skills into play
  as schools cooperate with their peers across borders.
  Equity
  Every school shares the mission to equip their students for adult life. But despite
  years of common effort, too many young people in Europe – around six million,
  or 1 in 7 – leave education too early, with only basic qualifications at best. This
  is an issue that touches young disadvantaged people in particular. Young people
  of migrant background are highly susceptible.
  In many regions, the school population is changing dramatically as a result of
  migration, as some of you know at first hand. Our schoolyards ring with the
  sound of many different languages. As I pointed out in a Green Paper on
  Migration and education in July, our education systems need to cater for each of
  these children.
  Education has a central role in integrating people into the community. Of course,
  school is where our young people acquire the skills they need to build their
  future. But school is also a social experience, a microcosm of society in itself. It
  is where the foundations of mutual understanding and knowledge are laid.
  School is an opportunity, like no other, to improve the way we live together.
  However, at the moment, there are significant issues for pupils of immigrant
  origin in Europe. Many children of migrant background (even if not all of
  them!) perform less well in school than their native peers. They leave school
  earlier. Fewer enrol in higher education. In some countries they do less well in
  school than their parents’ generation.
  At the same time, we see signs of ethnic and socio-economic segregation in
  schools: socially advantaged parents withdraw their children from schools with
  high numbers of migrant pupils. If we do not act to heal this divide, it may
  become an unbridgeable chasm. This deeply conflicts with our European values
  and aspirations.
  When we see the high numbers of early school leavers or of young people with
  poor reading skills, we may forget the excellent practices all around Europe
  from which others can learn. The value of Comenius-Regio is that it will tap into
  and spread this good practice from region to region, strengthening our response
  and improving our performance.
  Similarly, we know high-quality early childhood education and care bring long
  term benefits for children and families, especially those at a disadvantage. This
  is another key area for future joint work where I am sure Comenius Regio will
  make a meaningful difference.
  Support for teachers
  So, from pupils to teachers: teachers are absolutely central to schools. Their
  dedication and skill is what catalyses the learning of every child.
  In fact, research shows that the quality of teaching is the single
  most important
  factor influencing the achievements of pupils – more important than how a
  school is organised, the materials, curricula, and so on. Teachers and other
  school staff need our support more and more if they are to prepare our young
  people adequately for a fast-changing world.
  And yet many teachers are not getting the high quality, relevant training and
  professional development that would help them keep their skills up to date. Most
  new teachers still start their first teaching post without any specific help or
  support. It should come as no surprise that many teachers leave the profession.
  Ministers have asked for better partnerships between teacher education
  institutions and the schools they serve. Comenius Regio Partnerships can do
  this: bring together local authorities, schools and teacher education institutions
  to share good practice in improving in-service teacher education, particularly for
  teachers in their first years in the job.
  Broadening the partnership – non-formal learning
  Finally, I want to touch on another innovation in Comenius Regio Partnerships.
  No school is an island, to coin a phrase. Learning is not only a classroom
  experience. Comenius partnerships encourage schools to look beyond the
  school-gates and see themselves as part of the local community. Schools in CRP
  are part of learning communities within learning regions, joining up with the
  other places where children learn – sports clubs, youth associations, libraries,
  museums, local employers. These partnerships will help us build the lifelong
  learning culture that successful societies need today.
  Conclusion
  Comenius Regio is certain to build on the success of Comenius – each year we
  involve nearly one million pupils and 12 000 teachers in school partnerships,
  with 100 000 spending time abroad. Much of that success comes from the fact
  that this is grass-roots action, drawing on the interests and creativity of people in
  their local schools and communities.
• 
  As I said at the beginning, Europe is built on local achievements. Understanding
  the world begins at home, with the family and in a safe local environment.
  Gradually, young people develop a sense of their local, regional and national
  identity. The European dimension – and becoming a world citizen – is a natural
  continuation. Comenius has sparked off huge political and practical interest in
  Europe and has given millions of young people the opportunity to feel and live
  as Europeans.
  That is why I wish Comenius Regio every success.
• 
  Thank you.