Education and Youth

Plan of Activities - 2nd Half of 2004

GOALS:

1) Establish the organizational structure of ERI SEE

The organizational structure of the ERI SEE will consist of a Governing Board, Consultative Body and the regional Secretariat and is intended to be established in autumn 2004 (October) to further promote and support the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe. The Consultative Body should include representatives of the (former) Task Force Working Groups: Council of Europe, OECD, European University Association (EUA) and the European Training Foundation, the European Commission, donor countries and institutions contributing to the ERI SEE and additional educational experts. The MoU signatory ministries have been requested to nominate national representatives for the Governing Board by end of June 2004.

2) Establish ERI SEE Secretariat in the region in support of regional ownership

Supporting the idea of regional ownership, the overall co-ordination of the ERI SEE will be transferred to the region through establishment of a regional secretariat. Donor interest for the first phase of the ERI SEE Secretariat has been ensured (Norway and Switzerland), and Croatia and Montenegro have volunteered to host the Secretariat. At the Oslo Conference of European Education Ministers taking place on 24-25 June the MoU signatory ministries will decide where the Secretariat will be located. The Secretariat will be established in autumn 2004.

3) Continue lobbying for donor support for the ERI SEE initative

In order to ensure a sustainable ERI SEE coordination structure additional funding is required. The Task Force Education and Youth will continue its efforts for donor acquisition.

4) Implement Work Programme of the ERI SEE

Organize further regional capacity building seminars with respect to EU standards and with strong involvement of international and regional stake holders in education e.g. human rights education etc. Continuation of the OECD project “Education Development for Disabled and at Risk Students” and of the consultation process among senior officials from SEE with respect to further development of the Education and Training 2010.

5) Promote education development processes in SEE:

The ETF together with the ERI SEE and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (DGCS) has agreed on a project to disseminate the Copenhagen Process to SEE countries. The aim is to disseminate principles, achievements, examples of good practise in Vocational Education and Training according to the Copenhagen Process from EU countries to the partner countries in SEE. The project will start in autumn 2004 with financial support of the DGCS and the ETF. A detailed programme of aims and activities is currently being developed.

6) Evaluation of the Task Force Education and Youth Activities

International conference with the aim to provide comprehensive analysis of the role of education and educational co-operation in the social, economic and political development in SEE since the establishment of the Stability Pact for SEE including the Enhanced Graz Process/Task Force Education and Youth activities also providing recommendations on the future overall strategy and activities in regional cooperation on education and youth in SEE. The conference is scheduled for end of January 2005.

PLANNED ACTIVITIES:

• 24/25 June 2004, Conference of European Education Ministers, Oslo – Voting for the location of the ERI SEE Secretariat among the MoU signatory ministries
• October/November 2004 (tbc) – Establishment of the regional ERI SEE Secretariat
• November 2004 (tbc) – First Meeting of the Governing Board and the Consultative Body of the ERI SEE (to be held back to back with the 5th Senior Officials Meeting)
• Autumn 2004 – Start of the ETF-ERI SEE-DGCS project „Disseminating the Copenhagen Process to SEE countries“
• 18-20 November 2004, Graz – Regional capacity building seminar „Human Rights Education and Education for Democratic Citizenship in both formal and non-formal education programmes“
• 27-29 January 2005, Graz – International Education Conference „Governance and Education for Sustainable Development and European Integration“ to reconsider the role of education for democratisation, stability and economic development in the region as well as for the inclusion of SEE countries into an Enlarged Europe