ducationfor Europeans

Towards the Learning Society

A report from the European Round Table of Industrialists

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Acknowledgements

This report has been prepared by members of the ERT's Education Policy Group, chaired by François Cornélis.The research was conducted by Professor Philippe de Woot and Philippe Cochinaux at the University ofLouvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, in cooperation with the CRE (Conférence des Recteurs Européens). The fullresearch

Moving towards & Learning Society will be published later in 1995, under the auspices of ERT and CRE.

This report was approved by the ERT Members at the Plenary Session of 14 November 1994. It does not claimto represent a unanimous view of ERT Members.

The publication is available in English, French, German and Dutch and is distributed free of charge.

For further information and copies:

The European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT)avenue Henri Jaspar 113B-1060 BrusselsTel: 32 2/534 31 00Fax: 32 2/534 73 48

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Education for EuropeansTowards the Learning Society

Page

Preface 5The message in brief 6

1. The pressures for change1.1 The transformation of society 91.2 A cry of alarm 11

2. Policy priorities for Europe2.1 Creating the Learning Society 152.2 Educating citizens, not robots 152.3 Forging the Education Chain 16

Figure 1. The Education Chain

2.4 Enhancing the European dimension 18

3. Strengthening the Education ChainLink I Invigorating pre–school education 19Link II Basic school education 20Link III Balancing general and vocational education 21Link IV Opening up higher (tertiary) education 23Link V Launching a European strategy for adult education 24

4. Innovating in media and management4.1 Introducing technology to the place of learning 274.2 Introducing management techniques 294.3 Remotivating teachers 31

Face to face with the Learning Society 32

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4

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Preface

European society today faces economic and social problems thatwill not easily be solved. These problems are difficult, complex andoften interlocking, and nothing less than a major process of socialevolution will be needed to bring them under control.

But one thing is clear. In tackling these problems of society, thehuman dimension is the most important of all – the ability of eachindividual to face up to personal challenges and so to contribute to theoverall process of change.

For this reason the education and training of the individual is themost important single tool available to society today.

The aim of this paper is simply to present the views of workingindustrialists as to how they believe the education and trainingprocess

as a whole can be adapted to respond more effectively to theeconomic and social challenges of the day.

The ERT hopes that by adding a practical business view to themany cogent and well–documented opinions of specialists in this fieldit can help bring about the changes in European education which webelieve are now urgently required.

François CornélisChief Executive Officer, Petrofina SA

Chairman, ERT Education Policy Group

February 1995

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The countries of Europe have undergone radical transformation this century –politically, economically and socially. Up until the present time they have each beenable to adapt at their own speed. But now the pace of change is accelerating brutally,forced upon them by the external economic pressures of global trading, global poli-tics and the immediate world–wide application of radically new technologies.

Europe’s industry has had to respond quickly to these changes in order to surviveand remain competitive. It has transformed its processes of management, productionand distribution and has learned fast to exploit the opportunities of new technologies.Consumers have rapidly modified their daily patterns of work and living and aremaking the most of multi–media leisure technology.

But the world of education is too slow to respond. All the evidence indicates that,for a variety of reasons, many teaching institutions react less quickly than the busi-ness world to the need for change.

In nearly all European countries there is an ever–widening gap between theeducation that people need for the today’s complex world and the education theyreceive. Too many disillusioned young students drop out of educational systemsthrough failure or rebellion, or come through with only minimal skills. This is a majoreconomic and social concern, since it leads to the waste of human potential. It isparticularly acute at a time when fewer new people than before are available to enterthe labour markets.

It is time to raise a cry of alarm to alert society to this educational gap. Action isneeded now.

As industrialists and members of the European Round Table, we believe it isnecessary for everyone to adopt a new all–in–one view of the education process. Weoffer the concept of the Education Chain which unites and interlinks five principalstages:

The Message in brief

First

Link I Pre-school education (including crêches and kindergarten)

Link II Basic school education (the first 9 – 10 years at school)

Link III General and/or vocational education (finishing off school education)

Link IV Higher education (tertiary education: universities and technical colleges)

Link V Adult education (life–long learning)

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We believe that the product of this Education Chain should be well–roundedindividuals with a wide rather than deep knowledge and skills base, trained to learnhow to learn and to be motivated always to learn more. The practice in severalEuropean countries of early subject specialisation at lower secondary school level nolonger meets current needs and should be abandoned. School leavers should have apalette of skills covering both numeracy, literacy, critical judgement and a knowledgeof the basics of all three disciplines:

• maths/science/technology,• humanities,• economics and social sciences.

School leavers should already have received some training in communicationskills, taking on responsibility and team spirit. The European dimension of basiceducation should be enhanced to prepare the future citizens of an ever–convergingEurope. Vocational education should be the recognised start of specialisation,leading either straight to the first job or to a place in an institute of higher education.It should not be a cul de sac, blocking people from further development.

Two stages in education have been much neglected in most European educationsystems, though have been developed extensively in a few countries: pre-schooleducation which gives the foundation of social and learning skills, and adult educa-tion, which is necessary for adults to update or upgrade their knowledge base or toacquire new knowledge and skills. We believe these two links in the Education Chainare as vital as the other three. Access to pre-school education should be open to everyyoung child in Europe. Society in all European countries must recognise the value ofadult education and guarantee access to all adults.

It is high time to transform the classroom with the same benefits of technologyand management techniques that have revolutionised every workplace in industryand business. The whole task of teaching could be made easier with the widespreadintroduction of multimedia and computers easily accessible to every schoolpupil. The Commission’s Delta project is providing valuable research results in thisfield and deserves support.

Further improvements in education without entailing much extra costs arepossible through monitoring and controlling the quality of education by viewingit as a service supplied to students, business and society, rather than as a weight onthe public purse. The practice of benchmarking should be introduced to identifyweak and strong points of educational systems and to identify the best practices thatcould be promoted throughout Europe. The decentralisation of administration andcurricula development, and leaner, more imaginative management of human andfinancial resources, would also be valuable steps to take.

To create the momentum to achieve these necessary changes in an intelligent wayover the next twenty–year span, we believe that partnerships should be formedbetween schools and local business, and also with social and cultural organisa-tions. Different types of partnerships between schools and industry have alreadybeen tried with success in some countries, and existing partnerships between training

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Sixth

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colleges/universities and industry should be strengthened. A great deal can be doneat local level.

National governments should be ready to accept that education is a "cradle tograve" process, has influence extending well beyond national frontiers, and is inti-mately linked to national prosperity, culture, democracy and quality of life. It is alsoa process in which individual citizens and local business and communities should beready to take an active part.

We do not advocate a single harmonised system of education acrossEurope – but levels of achievement must be made compatible across Europe,and open access guaranteed. This can be done by continuous consultation of allthe stakeholders, including both educators and employers, and by keeping educationat the top of the political agenda. At European level, the European Commission’sprogrammes such as Socrates and Leonardo all need to be supported more widely.

Across Europe we are moving towards a Learning Society as a response to theemergence of the Information Society. This will develop into a well–informed body ofcitizens with many cultures but able to integrate fully into any working environmentin Europe. It is our hope that society in general will recognise the essential nature of"cradle to grave" continuous learning and will demand it everywhere.

We call on industrialists to take an active part in education along the lines indi-cated in the report. We appeal to governments to give education high priority, toinvite industry to the table to discuss educational matters, and to revolutioniseteaching methods with technology. We support the current Commission educationprogrammes, but ask for additional Europe–wide monitoring and quality controlsystems.

The next decade is the first of a new century and millennium, when daily life willbe immersed in new technology and we shall be facing intense competition requiringenhanced skills. Four–fifths of the workforce we shall be needing then has alreadyfinished basic schooling or is coming out of our education system now. We have notime to lose.

Seventh

The world is changing rapidly. Sweepingchanges – technical, economic and social –have transformed the way we live and theway we earn our living. The globalisation oftrade, of politics, of finance and the imme-diate exchange of images and informationtechnology have all caught Europe up in awhirlwind of change. It can take just onedecade to transform society completely.

In the relatively slow–moving past,Europe moved progressively from agricul-tural to manufacturing economies and isnow moving towards service economies.This has been done country by countryaccording to national and regional needs.But in the constantly changing present, it isimpossible for any country to stand aloneagainst the pressures of the external world.Indeed the pace of change has acceleratedbrutally.

The pressures of global trading aredriving all European countries towards aknowledge economy founded on highlydeveloped skills and a high degree of tech-nology. New patterns of work requiring agreater knowledge base, broader skills, moreresponsibility, increased mobility. The shiftfrom regulated economies to those that areliberal, open and highly competitive ismaking itself felt, and also the emergence ofnewly industrialising countries from formerThird World status. Trade in the newpost–GATT era has shrunk the world to asingle arena for trade.

1.1.1 Industry’s transformation

Industry has had to respond quickly inorder to remain competitive. By modernising

production and distribution processes, intro-ducing new technology and searching widerabroad for new markets, it is almostunrecognisable from what it was twentyyears ago. There are corresponding changesin management styles, turning fromtop–down "Fordism" to bottom–up empow-erment. This means the flattening ofmanagement hierarchies and the disappear-ance of many levels of middle managementthat used to form part of the promotionladder. This puts additional pressures oncompany human resource departmentswhich suddenly have to retrain and remoti-vate employees who had grown up with theold systems to become more likeentrepreneurs.

The new ways of structuring andmanaging businesses to ride through timesof economic recession have also renderedobsolete the concept of life–long employ-ment in large companies. Life–long learning,on the other hand, opens the door to allowpeople to move easily to another job, andindustry endorses this concept wholeheart-edly. New values are emerging for today’sworkers. The evolution in organisationalmodels clearly has implications foremployees, who are asked to be flexible andmobile, to show initiative, to take greaterresponsibility and to work in teams. They inturn seek for balance between work, thefamily and leisure. People are crossingnational frontiers in search of work andbetter opportunities for themselves and theirfamilies. Patterns of management are alsochanging, with an evolution of managementmodels that go across national cultural fron-tiers in response to the new mobility ofworkers.

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1. The Pressures for Change

1.1 The Transformation of Society

The modernisation of industry hasinevitably meant that many traditional waysof doing things have disappeared, and so thelow–skill jobs have gone too, or have beenexported overseas where cheaper labour isavailable. To have strategic capability,companies need to be able to train theirworkers in new techniques that will be usedfor tomorrow’s jobs of which we have nonotion today. Production line companiesthat stand still in their technology are goingto find it difficult to survive.

This demand for increasingly skilled andtrainable workers – even for former bluecollar manual jobs – means that manyworkers with less training or lower paperqualifications find themselves excluded fromwell–paid jobs. Without qualifications, therisk of unemployment is high. Europe’spopulation is ageing as fewer young peopleare being born to enter the labour markets toearn the taxable income which must meetthe growing pension and welfare costs. Apool of unskilled unemployable workers is aburden on the welfare state and a threat tosocial stability. It is unthinkable to considera model of competitiveness for Europebased on low wages and low skills. Europe’sfuture relies on skills and striving forever–improved research, innovation andquality.

1.1.2 Society’s transformation

It is not just the economy that haschanged. There has been a revolution insociety too, with fragmentation of the tradi-tional family group and of family values. Ourculture is in the process of being fundamen-tally reorganised: our social habits, ourlifestyles and, most important, our beliefsand values are being radically transformedand redefined. As a consequence, a numberof roles traditionally allotted to the familyhave today been attributed to other institu-tions. For instance, schools today have toact much more in loco parentis and are muchmore focused on the needs of the individual.

Consumers have changed their lifestylesalmost beyond recognition over the pasttwenty years, with a marked new emphasison leisure activities on which they spendincreasing time, technology and money.

National horizons have widened withtravel and easy cross-border contacts withother countries, particularly for youngpeople.

Broadcasting and other media, sup-ported by ever–changing technology, areincreasingly playing the role of an uncon-trolled "pirate–teacher" and their stronginfluence should not be underestimated. InFrance, for example, statistics indicate thatchildren spend almost as many hours peryear watching television as attending school.The opportunities for television to providemany hours of high quality educationalprogrammes have generally been missed.

Progress in science and technology inEurope has had an impact on every part ofour daily life and created fantastic newopportunities in so many fields: health care,telecommunications, broadcasting, educa-tion and shopping. But these developmentsalso reinforce the complexities of today’sworld. For some people, this brave newworld is incomprehensible and they havenot yet learned how to cope. There are noeasy solutions. This is a world of instabilitywith very few benchmarks – a challenge toEurope as a whole and to all the individualsin it.

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ANNUAL STATISTICS IN FRANCE

Primary school pupils:

850 hours at school, 790 hours watching TV.

Secondary school pupils:960 hours at school, 930 hours watching TV.

source: Le Monde de l’Education n° 205, June1993, page 41.

1.1.3 Education must also change

As the ERT said in its December 1993report Beating the Crisis: we need to

"completely rethink and redefine thepriorities for European education –directed towards the needs of the future,not the legacy of the past. In the longterm, Europe’s only real resource lies inits own people. They need the very best ofeducation and training. the teachers andprofessors are entitled to ask for a clearstatement of society’s objectives and forhelp in achieving them. But society isentitled to ask them in return to be moreaware of how the world is moving andmore open to changing needs."

European businessmen are con-cerned that education is still not entirelymeeting the needs of either the Euro-pean economy or modern society or theindividual. Some changes in the educa-tional system have been introduced hereand there over the past 20 years, butthese efforts are fast overtaken by newdevelopments in technology and newtrends in society.

The gap between the education thatpeople need and what they receive iswide and risks getting wider. That iswhy we are raising a cry of alarm.

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1.2.1 What industry sees asinadequate in education

In 1993 the ERT Education Policy Groupconducted a survey of a number of ERTMembers and senior directors, investigatingthe skills they deemed necessary for theworld of work. A number of main areas ofinadequacy were identified from experiencein the labour markets generally and withintheir own companies. The ERT carried outfurther extensive research to delve into allstages of education. The resulting picture issufficiently bleak that all parties concernedin education should sit up and take note.

Detailed figures, charts and explanationsrelating to this research may be found in thereport produced jointly by ERT and the CREMoving towards a Learning Society (PhilippeCochinaux, Philippe de Woot, to bepublished in 1995).

The evidence from our researchstrongly points to the need to change thestrategic direction of our educationsystems in Europe.

• The world of education is highly complexbut deeply entrenched in nationalsystems where priorities are much deter-mined by political expediency and theneed to balance national budgets.

• Educational institutions spend a greatdeal of their time organising how theyteach, not learning how to teach differ-ently, and their connection with the real-ities of working life often seems weak ornon–existent.

• In many European countries schools arepart of a centralised state system with agreat deal of bureaucracy, and thismakes them slow to react, or evenimpenetrable to external demands forchange.

1.2 A Cry of Alarm

• Far too often, schools encourage special-isation, hemming young people into aline of study at too early an age fromwhich they later find it difficult to escape.Science and teaching equipment inschools and colleges is often consideredpoor in quality, or simply inadequate,largely due to underfunding.

• Educational standards vary enormouslyacross Europe and inside each countryin Europe. The structural inequality infinal educational qualifications obtainedby the mass of European pupils isdisturbing and raises questions about thedifferent levels of achievement of educa-tion systems in each country. Thisinequality alone could give rise to thepossible creation of discriminatory situa-tions between young European citizens.

• We should also recognise those situa-tions where schooling and formalteaching are rendered impossible by theneed to keep order amongst unrulypupils. This problem is particularly acutein inner cities and reflects the severesocial problems of marginalisation andculture clashes.

1.2.2 Missing Links

New and higher levels of skills areneeded today just to be a citizen in modernsociety, not to be overwhelmed by new tech-nology. Broader competencies are needed inthe workplace to meet all technological revo-lution in industry. The 1989 ERT ReportEducation and European Competence high-lighted the question of competence andshowed specific examples of successfulcompany training programmes foremployees.

However, specialised knowledge, onceacquired, rapidly becomes obsolete andneeds to be updated. Filling gaps in basiceducation and broadening knowledge bystimulating multi–skilling and developing

new competencies such as technical abilityand foreign language proficiency, havebecome absolutely vital.

The key to remain competitive is to havea workforce that is continuously upgradingits knowledge and learning new skills, but inso many places in Europe the necessaryfacilities do not exist or are inaccessible.This places an immediate training burden onindustry, which raises costs. Furthermore,the quality of available education may beexcellent in some places but sub–standardin others.

But education should not be aimedpurely at training future workers. All futuremembers of society, working or not,need the skills that any good educationshould provide.

Recent surveys show that approximately40% of the population of several EuropeanUnion countries can be considered as effec-tively illiterate: that is, they cannot readwith understanding either a written noteor an article in a newspaper. Other countrieshave made similar surveys. On averageacross Europe more than 25% of schoolleavers have left without completing uppersecondary school, and therefore may easilybe barred from finding a job. In some coun-tries this percentage is far smaller, in othercountries far higher. In our view this degreeof illiteracy places far too high a burden onmodern welfare states.

The ERT members and senior directorsinterviewed in 1993 identified a number ofbasic skills which in their view are nottaught adequately in educational institu-tions, neither in schools nor in colleges ofhigher education. All these skills wereconsidered fundamentally important to thepreparation of a future member of societywho would be a citizen contributing to"public opinion" and empowered to vote:

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– mastery of one’s native language,including the basics of spelling andsentence structure;

– understanding of the basics of maths andscience, particularly to cope with newtechnology;

– critical thinking: ability to think througha problem or situation, distinguishingbetween facts and prejudices;

– learning techniques for picking up newskills and adapting to new situations;

– communication skills, includingspeaking another European language.

These industrialists also felt that thepossession of a diploma was no guarantee ofa job if interpersonal skills were lacking.Many school and college leavers have notbeen trained at all in basic behavioural skillsthat are essential for success in the world ofwork:

– ability to work in a group, team spirit;

– a sense of responsibility and personaldiscipline;

– decision–making, sense of commitmentand willingness to take risks;

– a sense of initiative, curiosity, creativity;

– a sense of professionalism, achievingexcellence, gaining competitive edge;

– a sense of service to the community, civicmindedness.

1.2.3 The curriculum gap

Change is faster than many peoplerealise. The information revolution ishappening all around us yet, in general,education curricula and teaching methodsdo not adapt fast enough.

There is an enormous diversity ofcurricula, teaching methods and types ofinstitution that have nurtured generations ofcreative and highly skilled Europeans whofind jobs worldwide. But we cannot continueblindly to turn out masses of people focusedon traditional jobs (which are now disap-pearing) rather than large numbers of highlyadaptable individuals able to turn theirhands to anything.

The problem is that of supply anddemand. Students who have been educatedby these systems expect to find work imme-diately. But if what they have been taughtdoes not match up to what business isasking for in its new recruits, and if theirqualifications are dismissed as "too low" or"irrelevant", then something is seriouslywrong. There has been a breakdown incommunication, with one side not letting theother know what was wanted or what wasrealistically on offer. Disillusion with thesystem sets in, and the disappointed grad-uate may have spent time and money on adiploma that will have no value in the newworking environment.

Education is about learning, notabout being taught.

The education system should be turnedaround to train "people" not "economichuman resource". People who are educatedwith "all–round" skills and taught to learnhow to learn more may readily take it uponthemselves to resolve any mismatch. Theywill find their own ways to take up furthertraining or adult education in some form.But the choice must be there for them. It isnot for society to run individual lives, but toprovide opportunities for the individual tocontribute fully to society or becomeeconomically productive by choice.

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1.2.4 The financial gap

Society is asking a great deal of educa-tion systems nowadays, and will be askingmore, yet the corresponding funding is notflowing in the right direction towards theeducators. OECD studies show that innearly all European countries publicspending on education in terms ofpercentage of GNP has been steadilydeclining, largely constrained by nationwidepolitical and budgetary needs, which maylead to short term policies. But as fundsdiminish, the demands for additionalservices increase.

In the current economic climate it isdoubtful that educational public spendingwill show a marked upturn, so attention isturning towards private investment ineducation and the better management ofeducation budgets. From their own experi-ence in restructuring for greater competitive-ness, industry believes that it is better tospend available funds more effectivelythan to spend more. It is possible toachieve a great deal over time by makingsmall improvements consistently and stepby step.

The best financial management will stemfrom within the organisation, inspired by thepeople at all levels who are involved in theday to day business of the enterprise. Areasof obvious inefficiency can be rapidly identi-fied and dealt with, followed by in–housebrainstorming sessions into how to do thingsbetter, safer, and more effectively, whichoften end up cheaper.

As industrialists we believe that educa-tors themselves should be free to conductthe same kind of internal searches for effi-ciency without interference or undue pres-sures exerted from the outside. Theemphasis should be on the introduction ofinnovation rather than the brutal tool ofcost–cutting that many public authoritieswield today.

All these gaps in skills, curriculaand funding are dangerous as theythreaten Europe’s ability to meet thenew and complex challenges of today’sworld. They put at risk Europeancompetitiveness and democratic ideals,and foster unemployment and socialmarginalisation. For all these reasons,the transformation of education shouldstand high on every political agenda.

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The central message of this report is thatlearning goes on throughout life. We extendthe principle of the learning individual to theLearning Society. This Learning Society hasbeen defined by Sir Christopher Ball,Director of Learning at the Royal Society ofthe Arts, as one in which:

"– learning is accepted as a continuousactivity throughout life;

– learners assume responsibility for theirown progress;

– assessment is designed to confirm progressrather than to sanction failure;

– personal competence and shared valuesand team spirit are recognised equallywith the pursuit of knowledge;

– learning is a partnership betweenstudents, teachers, parents, employers andthe community working together."

Education should be a "cradle to grave"continuous process whereby the whole indi-vidual is trained in knowledge, interpersonaland learning skills. This will help him tointegrate into the Information Society.People at all ages and in all classes of lifewill be better equipped to meet the changingneeds and challenges of the 21st century,which is fast approaching.

Europe is in the making, and it is impor-tant that its citizens should learn to becomecitizens not just of their countries but also ofEurope and of the world. The needs must berealised now, and the first steps taken nowto bring together all the actors, all the stake-holders, and to launch plans for action.

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2. Policy Priorities for Europe

2.1 Creating the Learning Society

2.2 Educating Citizens, not Robots

There seems to be a misconception in theworld of education about the type of personthat industry wants to employ. Successfulcandidates for traditional posts can certainlybe produced through early specialisation atschool, perhaps followed by an apprentice-ship. But there has to be a guarantee that thesame posts will be there year after year. Thissystem was fine for the slow–moving past,but is not sustainable today.

It is more likely that the introduction ofnew technologies, new management struc-tures or even market conditions will render

this narrowly focused education inadequate.Early specialisation may be the recipe forfuture marginalisation, even unemployment.The object of education must surely be toteach people how to think and learn, not justto accumulate facts.

What industry and businesses reallyneed is people at all levels who areentrepreneurs, not robots.

Employers need people with self–disci-pline who can adapt to continuing changeand meet endless new challenges.

The qualities that are sought in newrecruits are exactly the missing skills that weidentify in the section above. The bestchances for success for new recruits will goto those who have received a balanced basiceducation which produces "all round indi-viduals" rather than specialists. In in thisreport we strongly recommend polyvalency.

The primary purpose of education isto develop each individual to become awhole human being, not just to becomean economic resource. Acquisition ofknowledge and skills must be accompa-nied by character training, culturalawareness and social responsibility.

The learning of basic values is vitallyimportant for arming people to rise to thechallenges they will be facing in the courseof their lives. The citizens of today areincreasingly required to exercise their judge-ment when voting on key issues of funda-mental importance to the future of society.The proper exercise of the democratic vote isnot possible if the citizen is not able toassess critically the value of the variousoptions proposed and to resist extremistpropaganda. In short, education is the mosteffective key to democracy.

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2.3 Forging the Education Chain

As education is a project for life, it makesno sense to keep the successive stages ofeducation separate in rigid compartments.One needs to develop the whole humanpotential.

But it makes a great deal of sense to seeand manage the whole education process asa chain, an open interconnected system inwhich every element is important and influ-ences the others.

To this end we put forward the concept ofthe Education Chain. (See figure 1.)

Link I - Pre–school educationThe foundation of language and socialbehaviour

Link II - Basic school education – thefirst 9 –10 years at school

- formation of the future citizen- development of all–round

capabilities

Link III - General education and voca-tional education

- the final two years at school - acquiring special skills- preparing for the first job

Link IV - Higher (tertiary) education:universities and technical colleges

- intensifying knowledge- training for the first job

Link V - Adult education- updating/upgrading skills and

learning new competencies

What is new about this idea is the beliefthat :

– formal education for every child must notend after the second link of the chain – thethird link must also be completed;

– the pre-school (first link) and adult educa-tion (fifth link) stages have equal impor-tance with the other three links in theformation of the whole citizen.

Socialisation

Citizenship

Towards�life &�

the first job

Enhancing knowledge

Updating/�upgrading skills

PRE-SCHOOL�EDUCATION

BASIC SCHOOL�EDUCATION�

(the first 9-10 years)

GENERAL�EDUCATION�

(final 2-3 years at school)

VOCATIONAL�EDUCATION�

(training school)

HIGHER EDUCATION�(university & technical college)

ADULT EDUCATION

Links Stages in Learning

Link I

Link II

Link III

Link IV

Link V

Figure 1. The Education Chain

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A chain is only as strong as its weakestlink, therefore each of the five links must bewell developed. Instead of seeing barriersbetween each link, we should forge stronglines of communication between them, builtthrough partnerships and shared responsi-bilities.

Recent business experience has shownthat in times of chaotic change, the centrali-sation of administration of any complexsystem can become a veritable obstacle toadapting to new circumstances. While theexistence of central national institutions is

necessary to guarantee social equity ineducation and to supply guidelines andexpertise, it is essential that educationalinstitutions at every level should haveautonomy to implement the changes theysee as necessary.

National programmes of education maybe implemented with greater relevance,accountability and effectiveness if educa-tional institutes can themselves start theprocess of innovation in order to improvethe quality of their services.

2.4 Enhancing the European Dimension

Although subsidiarity is a principleenshrined in the Maastricht Treaty, thisshould not provide any excuse to educatorsto teach purely national material. In fact,they should take every opportunity to trainyoung people for a society where the newdimensions are: regional, national,European and global. Many studies havebeen published on this subject.

At all levels a European dimension isneeded, not merely to teach the languagesand history of other countries, but to helpstudents to a practical understanding of howto communicate across cultural barriers,how to learn from other points of view andhow to value and work with the diversitythat is Europe’s greatest asset.

Education in Europe must take intoaccount global problems such as environ-mental protection, sustainable development,demography, security and interdependencyof global trading.

This expansion of national horizonsshould start in schools, but is particularlyimportant at the level of higher education,where there are greater possibilities foracquiring experience through living,studying or working for a short period inanother country.

More encouragement should begiven to:

– greater mobility of students and staff

– the use of more European languages

– making greater use of networkingamongst European universities andcolleges

It is not certain that knowledge of all theEuropean schemes promoted by theEuropean Commission penetrates to all theeducational institutions concerned.

Fundamental improvements may be broughtto each link to strengthen the whole chain.We offer these recommendations as a basisfor discussion. We also cite examples ofsuccessful cooperation between educationalinstitutions and industry. Further occasions

are to be encouraged where businessmenmay be invited to sit round a table to discussthese issues with the principal actors:teachers, administrators, local authorities,educational boards and sponsors.

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3. Strengthening the Education Chain

Education starts early in childhood, wellbefore the start of primary school at the ageof five, six or even seven years in somecountries. Children start learning the basicsof sensory development, social awareness,foundation of reasoning and intellectualcuriosity on average around their secondbirthday. What they learn at this momentwill have a strong and permanent impact onthe development of the whole person later inlife.

There is a strong link with the socio–economic condition of the child’s family.Recent studies show that, in many cases,exclusion from good jobs can be traced backto a lack of both preschooling and trainingby parents in fundamental social skills. Thehuman and financial costs of exclusionpresent an increasing threat to society.

In many countries there is good provi-sion of pre–school education in the statesystem, while in others it is either availablebut prohibitively expensive to parents, or isnot widely available.

We recommend that all children inEurope should have access to nurseryschool education as part of the normaleducational system.

A good education at this stage will givechildren the best possible start for devel-oping their later potential. At crêches andnursery schools children interact with othersand it is already possible for teachers to startworking on behavioral or speaking deficien-cies. This requires that all staff shouldreceive a full professional training.

Nursery schools have a number of goalsfor educating children: sensory develop-ment, language, development of elocutionand new vocabulary, the foundation ofreasoning through game–playing and ofsocialisation, creativity and taking initia-tives. Such programmes are excellent sociallevellers and thus remove the handicapsthat would otherwise lead to children devel-oping into second class citizens later on.

All this fully justifies the expense ofsetting up compensatory programmes andpartnerships between schools, families,cultural associations and professionalbodies.

Link I - Invigorating Pre–school Education

Link II - Basic School EducationThe first 9 – 10 years at school

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During this crucial period the characterand knowledge base of the future Europeancitizen are formed. Yet across Europeschoolchildren are presenting disappointingresults, either retaking a whole school yearor dropping out through failure or rebellion.Some children see education as irrelevant toreal life, others show real reluctance to makeany intellectual effort. Thus the school,which should be the place of learning, candestroy that desire to learn which is thenatural endowment of any young child.

The whole situation could be turnedaround if school education underwent thesame transformation as the workplace.Pupils should come to school ready to learn,to acquire their knowledge through an activeprocess of research rather than the passiveprocess of having knowledge pumped intothem in measured doses. Teachers would betransformed into coaches and tutors. Theycould do this if equipped with the samemultimedia and computer technology thathas revolutionised the workplace.

We recommend that early specialisa-tion should not be allowed before pupilshave completed their basic schooling,including the "three cultures".

This should also cover sport, foreignlanguage skills and hands–on experiencewith computers and other available tech-nologies.

The "three cultures":

1 maths, science and technology2 humanities 3 economics and social sciences

1 Mathematics training enables thestudent to follow abstract ideas, to grasp theprinciples of statistics and problem–solving.Even more important, maths can be appliedto everyday situations which are more andmore set out in terms of numbers.

Science provides training in observationand in deduction and satisfies a child’snatural curiosity about his or her surround-ings. Every child leaving school should beable to understand the main concepts of thelaws of physics, chemistry and biology: thiswill remove the mystery from new develop-ments in technology and add understandingto environmental issues.

Technology should be integrated intocurricula as it enters every facet of our livestoday. School leavers who do not under-stand what computers and other facets oftechnology can do are faced with exclusionin the world of work from all but the mostmanual jobs.

2 Humanities studies provide notonly a knowledge of literature and languagebut also open the minds of students todiscerning between facts and subjectivevalues and prejudices. An interdisciplinaryapproach is needed for studying history,philosophy, literature, sociology, arts andethics. All this is our common heritage. Thestudy of history gives additional insight intothe common background with otherEuropean countries and promotes intercul-tural understanding.

3 Economics and the social sciencesprepare the future citizen to live and voteresponsibly. At a time when political deci-sions almost always have an economicdimension, and when propaganda is so

easily spread by advertising and publicmedia, it is essential that school leaversshould be able to read a daily newspaperwith some understanding of the economicsituation of their country and of the worldcontext.

Sport: Gymnastics and solo sports arewidely taught in schools. But this should notbe allowed to replace the playing of teamsports altogether. Participation in teamsports teaches pupils to recognise their ownlimitations and to learn to work with othersto achieve common goals. It also allowsthem to develop a sense of healthy competi-tion.

Foreign languages: The study of thelanguage and literature of foreign countriesis the key to understanding the rich culturaldiversity that is Europe, and also to commu-nicating well in other countries round theworld. It is best to start the teaching ofsecond languages as early as possible inbasic schooling to build in the basiclanguage learning techniques that can bedeveloped further later in life when studyingadditional languages. As English isbecoming the de facto common languageamong Europeans, it should be taught froman early age to all European children who donot speak it naturally.

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Link III - Balancing General andVocational Education

All European citizens should completetheir years of compulsory secondary educa-tion with the acquisition of the essentialbasic skills we identified earlier in thisreport.

It is not the age factor that decidesthe end of compulsory schooling, butmuch more the level of attainmentwhich should be the criterion.

These skills may be obtained either bystaying on at the same school or by movingto a specialised vocational schools teachingspecific skills.

In either case, general or vocationaleducation, students are prepared for theirfirst job or may use this new knowledge togain a place in an institute of higher educa-tion. The competitiveness of Europedepends on the quality of this stage ofeducation.

C A S E S T U D Y

CONTACTS BETWEEN

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AND

SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS:PETROFINA, BELGIUM

Since 1993, Petrofina has offered trainingfor one day to general secondary schoolpupils and their teachers. They are shownhow real-life research centres and pilotproduction units work, and are taught thebasics of chemistry, biology and physicsas applied in oil companies and in thepetrochemical industry. That is not all.Teachers in secondary and highereducation institutions are offered three-day training courses in-house to allowthem to update and improve their ownteaching methods and to help themmotivate their students.

IIIa - General Education:the final 2-3 Years at School

Having learned the fundamentals of the"three cultures" in basic school education,pupils may now start to specialise in one ofthem, but without dropping all classes in theother two disciplines. During these finalyears at school studies should be directedinto the art of debate, enhancedproblem–solving, and provide initiation intothe learning of specific skills and the use ofother languages.

The ability to lead a successful active lifeand to secure immediately either a good jobor a place at a higher education institute ofchoice will depend on some additionalskills: team–work, decision–making andanalytical skills, loyalty, service to thecommunity, and willingness to take risksand accept personal responsibility.

IIIb - Vocational EducationVocational education involves a close

partnership between the world of industryand the world of education, and is offered inboth specialised training schools and indus-trial companies. This type of educationshould enable young people to acquirestate-of-the art competencies, to find jobsand to perform them at the highest level ofwhich they are capable.

In Europe vocational education hasdeveloped considerably and there is anamazing diversity of opportunity. But it isnot always well organised.

We should build on the merits of thevocational dual system that is in operationtoday in several countries, but develop thesystem further to ensure competence, flexi-bility and strategic capability for tomorrow'sworkforce.

We propose a new Triad System whichwould consist of the three following stagesconducted in parallel:

1. continuing General Education - toensure flexibility and future adaptabilityto change;

2. acquiring the theoretical knowledgenecessary for application in careerchosen;

3. acquiring hands-on work experiencethrough: a) special training workshops b) traineeships in industry c) use of simulator systems and sophis-

ticated software.

These three stages are interlinked, notconsecutive. A hands-on approach to futureworking conditions is important for people torealise the need for manual dexterity andpractical know-how as well as theoreticalknowledge and computer skills. However, thecomplexity of the costly high-tech equipmentinstalled on the factory floor is frequently toomuch for the inexperienced trainee to handle,therefore we see the need for more computersimulation and systems software (such asvirtual reality) to be installed in trainingschools or industry to allow students to gainconfidence and operating skills.

Vocational training schools should beready to cancel their courses for traditionalfactory and manual skills and to set up newcourses for the future, organised on theabove integrated system. The high standardsof vocational education will be then recog-nised for themselves and will no longer beregarded as a second best opportunityfollowing general secondary education, withpossible underfunding as a consequence.Indeed, industry can help to restore thebalance in prestige by being as ready topromote their employees with qualificationsfrom the vocational education system asthose with university diplomas, and byhelping to set national skills standards.

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We recommend that:

- industry and educators should offervocational education in the inte-grated Triad System to ensure thenecessary skills for future competi-tiveness;

- greater access should be ensured tosimulation systems and specialisedsoftware in both training schoolsand industry;

- vocational education should be seenin all countries as a vital stage intechnical training leading to futurepromotion.

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Link IV - Opening up Higher Education(Tertiary Education)

The Complementary Roles of Universities and Technical Colleges

Higher education should be closely rele-vant to the needs of society. Technicalcolleges should be centres of excellence forstate–of– the–art knowledge and the applica-tion of the fruits of research while universi-ties should be centres of excellence forresearch (including precompetitive research)and the acquisition of non–vocationalknowledge. Universities and technicalcolleges have complementary functions andshould be able to cooperate efficientlythrough forming partnerships with oneanother to share facilities in order to avoidrivalry.

As universities have this research role,the academic staff are often caught betweenconflicting needs to conduct their researchand to teach students. Even so, universitiesmust become more involved with the otherlinks in the Education Chain. They have arole to play in the diffusion of new technolo-gies throughout the education chain, andshould be seen as the normal base fortraining all teachers. Universities shouldalso be active agents of research & develop-ment in educational science, for example by

testing new teaching methods, and alsodefining more clearly what prerequisite skillsand knowledge they want from the schoolleaver.

University–industry partnerships exist inmany regions, but not in all. In 1992 ERTproduced a short report Lifelong Learning incooperation with CRE1. The longer academicversion of this report contains 29 casestudies of successful university–industrypartnership and many detailed recommen-dations for lifelong learning in Europeaddressed to governments, industry, theuniversities, employees and professionalsocieties. The advice is there: it just has tobe followed.

Yet in many cases the cooperation israther one–sided, with universities and tech-nical colleges only agreeing to offer newcourses or adapt existing ones if additionalfunding is forthcoming. A more useful way tokeep curricula and equipment up to datewould be if industry–business cross–overpartnerships were more generalised.Constant investment is needed to ensure the

1 CRE – the Standing Conference of Rectors, Presidents and Vice–Chancellors of the European Universities. Itpublished the longer version of this report

European Approaches to Lifelong Learning: Trends in industry practicesand industry–university cooperation in adult education and training, (CRE 1992).

Continuous learning is a day–to–dayneed of society, yet this important link in theEducation Chain is the least developed.Adult education takes many forms – eveningclasses at colleges and universities,dayschools at weekends, residential courses,part–time study with open and distance–learning institutions, and company trainingschemes, which may include any of theabove methods.

Adult education is seized upon by manypeople as a chance to open up new intellec-tual horizons. The start of academic studies

will enrich their lives and may often lead tochanges in employment or lifestyles. It isalso a second chance to make up for oppor-tunities lost earlier in life to obtain qualifica-tions.

The responsibility must be sharedbetween individual, employer and state,with special attention paid to retrainingprogrammes for people displaced bylarge–scale restructuring. To be trulycompetitive, Europe needs a policy ofsustainable adult education on offer every-where.

resource for teacher training, involvement inadult education programmes and to guar-antee the excellence of their researchprogrammes, but both the resource and thebenefits should be spread as widely aspossible. The academic staff should be wellresourced, with access to electronic librariesand electronic means for the transmission oflengthy documents (far faster, cheaper andmore efficient than by fax).

Universities, like schools, should beencouraged to design their degree courseswith broader context, constructing courseprofiles that will allow the student somechoice in putting together different modulesthat will build a balanced degree. Narrowerand deeper specialisation is more fitting tothe post-graduate (PhD) stage for experi-enced students and academic staff.

We encourage industry to play a moreactive role in favouring academic staffmobility between universities and theprivate sector and thus to avoid segregationand therefore communication difficulties

between the worlds of business and oflearning. Initiatiatives for industrialists andacademics to sit on each others’ manage-ment boards should be encouraged.

ERT members reassert their belief inthe value of university–industrycooperation. We therefore call on ourcolleagues in industry – businessleaders in and outside the ERT – to setan example by taking these positivesteps:

1. forge partnerships with institutesof higher education where every-body can share responsibility fordeveloping academic curriculaand systems of assessment;

2. participate in professional initia-tives at national and Europeanlevel to foster Lifelong Learning;

3. encourage and recognise learningachievements.

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Link V - Launching a European Strategyfor Adult Education

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Most medium and large sized industrialand service companies have developedin–house training programmes for theiremployees. Small and medium enterprisesare not usually sufficiently well resourced tooffer the same opportunities in–house. Adulteducation offered by educational institu-tions can be the most cost–effective way offilling this training gap, allowing companiesof any size to upgrade and update thecompetencies of their workforces.

We urge governments and industryand the European Union to create thenecessary framework for promoting:

– the availability of adult educationprogrammes: multiple sources andvariety of means;

– the possibility of obtaining grantsand financial loans for all studyprogrammes;

– the possibility for tax credits forindividuals paying for their own adulteducation;

– a reliable Europe–wide system fortransferring study credits between insti-tutes of learning; course subjects to beoffered in modular form.

We would also encourage amulti–faceted cooperation between learninginstitutions, business and local authoritiesto facilitate access to the adult educationsystem

Companies should collaborate withhigher education institutes to obtain recog-nition for their company training coursesand to share their experience andknow–how in the field of adult education.

Open and distance learning (ODL) isspreading fast throughout Europe. It is oneof the most important means available foreducating adults and large numbers of

people of any age, young and old, who forsome reason have not entered vocational orhigher education systems after leavingschool.

ODL is flexible, uses several media thatallow for regular updating, allows studentsto study at their own pace in isolation frompeer pressure and is readily adaptable to theneeds of disabled students.

Without any need for regular absencefrom work or the strain of frequent travel toteaching centres, ODL is increasingly incor-porated into regular company trainingschemes and should be integrated harmo-

C A S E S T U D Y

PERMANENT TRAINING OF BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS: CARLSBERG,DENMARK

To prepare its manual workers toundertake more complex tasks in a newfactory scheduled to open in 1996,Carlsberg has worked with a privateeducational establishment to draw up aspecial training programme of generaleducation lasting 15 weeks. It is dividedinto 3-week modules, alternating withperiods back at work for the same lengthof time. As well as teaching mastery ofwritten and spoken Danish (the mothertongue), classes are given in English,mathematics, science, informationtechnology and some practical work.40% of the workers eligible for thiseducation programme accepted thechallenge. Those who took part in thefirst four sessions readily expressed theirdelight to have overcome their formerfears of new technology and feelings ofhelplessness when required to learn newtheoretical knowledge. The educationthus acquired opens the way to taking onnew control, training and supervisoryfunctions that often involve the use ofcomputerised equipment.

niously with other tertiary education institu-tions for sharing staff, facilities and knowl-edge.

If higher education institutions wish toremain competitive tomorrow, they shouldincorporate open and distance learning – orcooperation with ODL institutions – intotheir current structures today. Education asa lifelong programme is an investment of theindividual and also of society. Greateremphasis should be placed on the moderni-sation of all teaching methods and media,particularly for self–study.

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C A S E S T U D Y

PART-TIME UNIVERSITY TRAINING FOR

FULL-TIME WORKERS: SAINT-GOBAIN,FRANCE

In collaboration with the Paris I SorbonnePanthéon University, Saint-Gobain hasset up a general education programmeequivalent to a university degree. Thisprogramme is aimed at employeeswithout any degree qualification whowill be going on to managerial positions.The course leads to an offical degreediploma and is given in short periodsalternating with full-time work. It ismostly made up of team work andpractical exercises. The teachers involvedare mostly university professors togetherwith private sector tutors and projectleaders selected by the company. Eachstudent is allocated to an inhouse tutorwho ensures that the training mesheswell with professional duties. Followingthe first trial with 12 trainees in 1993-1994, the university working with Saint-Gobain plans to raise the level of thecourse to that of "Bac + 5 years" whichwill be recognised across Europe.

Teaching is an art and nothing canentirely replace face–to–face tuition. Yet themedia revolution is there and we should useit to our best advantage. New technologyhas created a host of new tools for use in theclassroom, in laboratories, at home and onthe move:

– computers of all sizes and sophistication;– cable and satellite TV education broad-

casting;– multimedia equipment;– interactive information exchange

systems, including electronic mail andon–line access to libraries and publicdatabases;

– computerised simulators ;– virtual reality systems.

Using these tools, both students andteachers are equipped to becomeresearchers. Teachers then coach theirstudents to evaluate and use effectively theinformation they have gathered for them-selves. This is far closer to real life situationsthan the older styles of teacher transmissionof information to students. A new partner-ship is developing in the classroom.

Knowledge is no longer transmitted, it isshared.

New technology will introduce greaterflexibility in learning time and encourageindividual students to study on their own,

either at school or at home. As each studentlearns at his or her own pace, this will leadto a more effective development of compe-tence in solving problems, and will enhancenatural curiosity and creativity through theneed to search out information rather thanhave it handed to them.

4.1.1 Use of computers andmultimedia

An OECD study published in 19872 hasshown that when all other methods havefailed, a computer can remotivate boredpupils. Those who find it hard to concentratemore than a few minutes on a normal taskmay spend hours absorbed in a computerapplication.

Computers also enable the pace ofteaching to be adapted to the pupil’s ownrate of comprehension, and thus allow aclass of mixed ability to retain full attentionon the subject in hand. It is not rare thatchildren from less–favoured backgroundswith slow progress in conventional studiesmay suddenly distinguish themselves in thenew field of technology, where they have afresh start and equal opportunities. Theincreasing digitalisation of information andconstant research into miniaturisation willmake hand–held PCs cheaper and availableto every pupil as normal equipment.

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4. Innovating in Media &Management

4.1 Introducing Technology to the Place of Learning

2Information Technologies and basic learning, reading, writing, science and mathematics. Centre for Research &Innnovation in Education, OECD 1987, p 116

Education policies should lead towardsthe long–term objective of funding computeraccess for every child in school. The long–term goal must be that each pupil wouldhave access to a computer.

This is not solely a question ofgovernment funding. The principalhardware systems and softwareprogrammes made available for educa-tional purposes should be fully interop-erable across Europe.

Compact disc technology has alreadymade an entrance into some classrooms.CD–ROM technology enables an enormousamount of data to be fitted onto onecompact disc. In a further development,Compact Disc Interactive (CD–I) systems,which requires no special computer knowl-edge and no previous technical knowledge,

will be one of the standard learning/teachingtools of the future.

The use of CD–I can bring a wholesubject alive and full of interest. This isparticularly true for teaching science, whenimages can be shown on micro and macroscales and experiments shown that couldnot normally be demonstrated in a class-room or school laboratory. Interactivityallows the user to ask questions, engage inrole play, and take part in demonstrations.Individual classes or solo students may electto skip over details or research further intoparticular subjects.Science laboratories, atthe very least, should be equipped withCD–I equipment as basic apparatus.

The use of CD–I really comes into forcefor vocational training in technical skills, orteaching workers in a factory how to use anew machine or process. The possibilitiesare endless.

The European Commission’s DELTAprogramme of extensive research intolearning through new technologies needs tobe translated into real life. Refusing to admitthese possibilities would be like askingclasses to return to using slates and pencils.A modest investment in interactive teaching

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Compact Disc Interactive systems (CD-I) canhandle large amounts of interrelated data inreal time. The result is a combination ofperfectly synchronised audio, video and textinformation. CD's can be played on simpleequipment that is cheaper and with fewercable connections than a computer linked tovideo players and audio playback systems.The available effects include full motion,full-screen video, computer graphics andanimation, with full sound effects, andscreen text overlays make updating possible.The system can be used by one person or bya classroom watching on several monitors.International standardisation has ensured anexcellent degree of compatibility betweencompact discs and all disc players.

PRIMARY SCHOOL EDUCATION: ITALY

INNOVATION THROUGH NEW MEDIA

During 1994 Olivetti gave training ininteractive language teaching to someforeign language teachers who camefrom Ivrea, home of the Olivetti HQ.Priority was given to the teaching ofEnglish, given the market dominance ofEnglish-language multimedia packagesusing CD-ROM technology. The 25teachers who received this trainingconfirmed that the multimedia approachwas easy and practical to use as ateaching tool. They will now participatein pilot projects launched in eight localprimary schools and three localsecondary schools. Olivetti will lendpersonal computers to the childrenallowing them to teach themselves (stillin English only.) It is planned that thisproject will later expand to cover otherlanguages, other disciplines and will beinstalled in more schools, and also beapplied to distance learning.

C A S E S T U D Y

equipment would allow existing teachers toprovide greatly enhanced classes with ahigher guarantee of retaining the attentionand interest of their pupils. Moreover, muchof the equipment now being suggested isbecoming widely available on the businessand home consumer markets and shouldsoon be as commonly found in the home asthe television set or walkman.

We recommend that action be taken:

– to implement newly availabletechnologies as common practicein European learning infrastruc-tures;

– to stimulate the production anddiffusion of educationprogrammes through new tech-nologies in schools and highereducation institutes.

4.1.2 Information on tap

The ERT has already recommended thataccess to information highways should beavailable to every educational institution.(described in ERT report Building theInformation Highways, June 1994).

Information can be treated as a new formof utility like water, electricity and gas, andbe "piped" into homes on low cost–per–unitbasis. Therefore a common European back-bone is needed – not a set of gatewaysbetween countries – to provide low–pricestandard connections across and beyondEurope. The network should be easy to use,allowing the cheap transmission of data,voice and images, with standard connec-tions, no national boundaries, and working24 hours a day. This would allow everyoneto communicate in a standard way.

The public sector should use informationnetworks as a tool to improve education andtraining for people of all ages and at alllevels. Universal Information Technologyliteracy is needed for the emerging informa-tion society. This includes the training forwidespread future availability of competentIT designers, suppliers and operators.

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ANTARCTIC SCIENTISTS REPLY LIVE TO

QUESTIONS POSED BY SCHOOL

CHILDREN: USA

In December 1993 NASA scientistsworking near McMurdo Station inAntarctica cooperated by satellite link inthree 40-minuteTV programmes publiclybroadcast in the USA. They answeredquestions on their research posed live byschool pupils in Hawaii, Virginia andCalifornia. On-line personal contactswith individual scientists were also madevia modem. In 1994, new contacts wereestablished with scientists working at theSouth Pole.

C A S E S T U D Y

4.2 Introducing Management Techniques

We are not advocating a single schooleducation system across Europe. This is nota desirable goal and in any case the exis-tence of different cultures and national char-acteristics would make this goal impossibleto achieve.

However, Europe will suffer if no effort ismade to improve educational standardsoverall or to make educational systemscompatible across the continent. Educationshould be regarded as a service supplied tostudents, society and business. Like any

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service its quality should be evaluated andconstantly updated. We believe that bench-marking and quality assurance, toolswidely used in industry, should be used ineducation systems as a matter of course.

4.2.1 Benchmarking

Benchmarking has been used bysuccessful industries to help them achievecompetitiveness. As described in the 1994ERT report European Competitiveness: theway to jobs and growth, it means:

– examining the competition in the widestcontext (global, European);

– deciding how to measure performance;– identifying the best performer;– implementing improvements;– monitoring performance.

Benchmarking is not a one–off exercise;it is all–embracing and continuous. Itsresults should be used in the formulation ofnew policies, not forgetting the necessarystage of continuous monitoring of subse-quent performance. To find the most effi-cient and workable systems of education atany level, educators should seek to learnfrom each others’ systems, to examine whatworks well in other countries (and viceversa) and to learn from each others’ experi-ences.

The best practice in European countries,and in other countries round the world, mustbe studied to see what could be adapted andused. Innovation should be locally drivenbut based on Europe–wide comparisons. Inall European countries there is a need formore information on how well the educationsystems measure up to their goals. Much ofthe data on education now being publishedby OECD and a multitude of other sources isinsufficient and usually too out of date forthe needs of researchers. Their analysis andconclusions could be valuable tools todefine corrective policies and improveoverall quality.

Benchmarking may be particularly usefulto help resolve the human and economicwaste involved in failure and dropout ratesin tertiary institutions such as universitiesand technical colleges. Current statistics arealarming in a number of European coun-tries. The facility with which students mayrepeat courses may lead to some of themspending six years to complete a course thatshould have taken three years only. Thequality of the resulting diplomas is suspectand new entrants to the world of work mayalready be in their late twenties, competingfor jobs with much younger graduates fromother countries.

4.2.2 Quality assurance

Total quality management – TQM – is aconcept widely used in business to designfailure out of a system by motivating andempowering all persons involved in theproductive work to take steps to prevent fail-ures happening in the first place and toensure continuous improvement.

In a mass education system a redefini-tion of the concept of quality is required tomeet the diversity of the systems of educa-tion on offer at every level. It is not just aquestion of minimum standards but alsoconcerns the highest levels of excellence andperfection that are achievable.

It has therefore become a matter ofurgency to set up a EuropeanEducation Information and MonitoringSystem in order to record experience,evaluate results and improve thequality of education on a Europeanlevel. The task could well be entrustedto the European Commission.

4.3 Remotivating Teachers

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Human resource management is a keyelement in improving performance and relia-bility.

At the centre of managing people is theneed to listen, to delegate, to train or retrain,to encourage, to reward and to sanction. Theremotivation and retraining of the workforcehas helped to reinvigorate industrial produc-tion and we regard it as essential forrevamping our educational systems in everycountry in Europe.

We must consult teachers and listen towhat they have to say before implementingnew education policies on a permanentbasis, particularly those that modifynational curricula or examinations.Consultation will provide clear indicationsof what would be needed in the way ofretraining, resource reallocation or revisionof the policy itself.

Teacher training should cover both intel-lectual training and the practical skills ofcommunicating knowledge to future pupils.Teachers should be assessed regularly ontheir pedagogic skills, the content of theircourses, their willingness to undergo furtherteacher– training, and on the results of theirstudents. Good teachers should berewarded, able to progress in their careersbeyond those that perform less well or not atall. In two European countries, teachers’salaries are fixed by age and the ceiling isreached at the age of 46 years. Significantly,in these and other countries, teaching isfrequently seen as a last–choice career,when all other avenues have been explored.If all teacher-training were raised to univer-sity level, this would ensure an effectiveselection of candidates with greater motiva-tion.

We recommend that :

– the governments of European coun-tries that have not already done soshould have education policies thatensure university– level training ofteachers at all levels, from nurseryschool to upper secondary school;

– teaching career structures and paypolicies should reward competenceand encourage greater commitmentand achievement; this should bedone as part of regular assessmentprocedures;

– systematic retraining and furthertraining programmes should beavailable to all teachers to provide aboost to their careers;

– systems of making teaching appoint-ments for life should be reviewed;

– exchange programmes with teachersin other countries should be encour-aged to promote and enrich cultureand competence.

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Face to Face withthe Learning Society

European companies are (or are rapidly becoming) learning organisations and arebenefiting from this process. Society as a whole, undivided and entire, must adopt theidea of learning as a natural and continuous process. Yet learning must be enhanced,accelerated and redesigned to handle ever–increasing quantities of information.

Education should restore the individual’s self–confidence and ability to adapt tochange.

The best actions to be taken are positive ones:

– to provide an efficient system where people are at ease and motivated to learn;

– to provide education for all–round individuals;

– to use the best available technology and to remain open to innovation in teachingtechniques.

The Information Society is part of the Learning Society, and learning can be funas well as fruitful. The technique of using hi–fi entertainment media for educationalprogrammes has received the hybrid name "Edutainment". This is only one of manyways of reaching out to young people to remotivate them to learn.

At all stages of the Education Chain two–way action is possible for the trainersand trainees to interact and develop the education of tomorrow.

Given the diversity of European cultures and the number of actors and stake-holders in education, a slow but steady progress in achievements should be possibleif an enormous effort of political will is made to start concerted action at all levels.No agent will be effective if working alone.

The need for qualifications and knowledge–based skills for daily life and ordinarywork should drive the whole of society forward in the learning process. But, marginal-isation is always a threat – those who are deprived of good education from the startmay find themselves permanently on the side– lines, permanently in the dole queues,permanent "second–class citizens". In a Learning Society, this should not behappening.

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List of Members

ChairmanJérôme Monod Lyonnaise des Eaux

Vice-ChairmenAndré Leysen Gevaert

Helmut Maucher Nestlé

Giovanni Agnelli FiatAmérico Amorim Amorim GroupJean-Louis Beffa Saint-GobainMarcus Bierich Robert Bosch

Yves Boël Sofina Bertrand Collomb Lafarge CoppéeFrançois Cornélis PetrofinaGerhard Cromme Fried. Krupp

Etienne Davignon Sté Générale de BelgiqueCarlo De Benedetti OlivettiCasimir Ehrnrooth Kymmene

José Antonio Garrido IberdrolaFritz Gerber Hoffmann-La Roche

Ronald Hampel ICIUlrich Hartmann Veba

Cor Herkströter ShellDaniel Janssen Solvay

Jak Kamhi Profilo HoldingHeinz Kriwet Thyssen

David Lees GKNLuis Magaña CEPSABrian Moffat British Steel

Egil Myklebust Norsk HydroHarald Norvik Statoil

Theodore Papalexopoulos Titan CementHeinrich von Pierer Siemens

Antony Pilkington PilkingtonDavid de Pury BBC/ABBLars Ramqvist EricssonEdzard Reuter Daimler-Benz

Antoine Riboud DanoneJames Ross Cable & Wireless

Manfred Schneider BayerPatrick Sheehy B.A.T Industries

David Simon British PetroleumMichael Smurfit Jefferson SmurfitPoul Svanholm Carlsberg

Morris Tabaksblat UnileverSerge Tchuruk Total

Jan Timmer PhilipsMarco Tronchetti Provera Pirelli

Cándido Velázquez TelefónicaMark Wössner Bertelsmann

February 1995

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Current List of ERT Publications

General:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

European Competitiveness: the Way to Growth and Jobs, December 1994Beating the Crisis, December 1993Rebuilding Confidence, December 1992Reshaping Europe, September 1991Changing Scales, June 1985

Single Market:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Towards a Single European Export Control System, June 1991European Industry and COCOM, May 1990Opening up the Tax Frontiers, December 1988

Education:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lifelong Learning, June 1992Education and European Competence, January 1989Education - a strategy for Life, January 1989 (book)

Employment:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

European Labour Markets - An Update on Perspectives and Requirements forJob Generation in the Second Half of the 1990’s, October 1993European Labour Markets, March 1990Making Europe Work, September 1986

Technology/Environment:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Climate Change Debate: Seven principles for practical policies, December 1994The Efficient Use of Energy, January 1993

Infrastructure:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Building the Information Highways, June 1994Growing Together, June 1992Missing Networks, May 1991Need for Renewing Transport Infrastructure, March 1989Keeping Europe Mobile, November 1988Clearing the Lines, October 1986Missing Links, December 1984

North - South:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

European Industry and the Developing World, A Dialogue between Partners, January 1994European Industry : A Partner of the Developing World, September 1993Survey on Improvements of Conditions for Investment in the Developing World, April 1993

Recent reports produced by ERT Conferences for young managers:_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cooperation between Eastern and Western Europe, November 1994European Corporate Organisation, March 1994Communication policies in large industrial groups, June 1993Labour Relations in Europe, December 1992Building Europe’s Common Home Together, December 1992European Quality Management, September 1991How to Work in an International Team, April 1991Logistics and Transport in Europe, June 1990Environmental Issues for European Industry, May 1990Cross-border Mergers in Europe, October 1989 (book)Building the Market Together, June 1989

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The European Round Table of Industrialists113 avenue Henri JasparB-1060 BrusselsTel: 32 2/534 31 00Fax: 32 2/534 73 48

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