European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 7 November 2016, Eurydice published a new report that provides the background information on the structural indicators analysed in the Education and Training Monitor 2016, that has been recently issued by European Commission. The Education and Training Monitor is an annual publication that evaluates the EU and individual Member States’ progress towards the Education and Training 2020 (ET2020) benchmarks.

Eurydice background report presents education policy relevant indicators in five key areas out of the six covered by the Education and Training Monitor: Early childhood education and care, Achievement in basic skills, Early school leaving, Tertiary education, and Graduate employability. It contains not only updated figures and important definitions, but also a short analysis of education policy reforms in specific countries. Whilst the Monitor presents the situation only in the EU Member States, Eurydice report also covers some countries outside of the EU, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.

The report marks some positive developments in the European education policy, such as legal entitlement for all children to early childhood education and care provided by most countries or the growing in recent years tendency to include work placements and practical experiences in all study programmes. However, it also notes that there is a need for better provided continuous professional development and language support of early childhood education and care staff, as well as a stronger focus on the underachievement in basic skills, especially, in science. Access to integrated high quality initial training and continuous professional development for teachers at all educational levels is advocated by ETUCE as a crucial element of the efficient and inclusive education.

Eurydice report can be found here.