Eurydice Voice

Welcome to the Winter edition of Eurydice Voice. Today we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and we would like to draw your attention on article 26:

"Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children."

“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.” - Warsan Shire

Poverty, physical and emotional stress, gaps in language learning affect children's future educational trajectories and integration into a new society. Discover 'Petite Ecole', a project that started out as a volunteering initiative in 2015. Today 'Petite Ecole', in Brussels, is an unconventional school that helps children with little or no previous schooling to access education.

"Solidarity is the glue that keeps our Union together" - Jean-Claude Junker, State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, September 2016

Solidarity is a word often used when speaking of European construction. But is it still relevant in today’s European Union? Solidarity is not an easy topic for the European Union these days. Yet there are also indications of different possibilities. An example is the recent initiative to establish an 'EU Solidarity Corps' - a cross-national service where young people can take part in social projects. Because solidarity and Human Rights go hand in hand.

Have you missed out latest Focus On articles? No worry, on our Eurydice facebook page you will find a slide-show that wraps them up:

What can the Belgian Red Devils teach us about education?

If a healthy mind lives in a healthy body why is physical education not a priority?

Does it matter if men don't teach?

Petite Ecole: an educational path for migrant kids

Do we need solidarity in Europe?

So many different topics related to education, enjoy!

The Council has recently adopted its position on the Erasmus+ programme for 2021-2027. The proposed regulation will expand the offer of learning opportunities in Europe and beyond to more people compared to the current period. It will also be extended to include all levels of education and training. The agreement reached by the Council will serve as the basis for negotiations with the European Parliament. The decision on the financial allocations for Erasmus+ for 2021-2027 will depend on the agreement on the next Multi annual Financial Framework.

Online Linguistic Support (OLS) is a free online language learning platform. The European Commission is offering 100 000 refugees and newly arrived migrants access to OLS, on a voluntary basis. The initiative aims to help them integrate better into society, by giving them the possibility to learn the local language. OLS is financed under the Erasmus+.

As of the next school year,78 nursery schools will distribute free and nutritional quality meals based on local products following a decision of the French Community's government. This decision goes under a pilot project which has the purpose of helping families who do not necessarily have the means to finance their children's complete meals. In order to tackle inequalities, priority has also been given to schools with the least favored children.

Is there anywhere in Europe where students can study without paying fees? Which countries charge the highest fees? What kind of financial support is offered to students, and who actually receives it? When students plan for higher education, one important element to consider is how much it will cost and whether they can receive any financial support. Reliable information on the costs and available support in higher education is essential. The report shows how fee and support systems, including grants and loans, interact in higher education in Europe.

Does compulsory education mean obligation to attending schools in Europe? Do parents have the right to educate their children at home? Under which conditions can parents exercise this right? Policies and legislation on home schooling vary greatly across Europe. This short report provides a comparative overview on national policies in the 38 countries participating in the Eurydice network. The comparative overview is complemented by short national descriptions.

This report gives information on statutory salaries and allowances for teachers and school heads in pre-primary, primary and secondary public school. The comparative analyses includes 41 European education systems. It shows for example that differences between countries concern not only the level of basic salaries but also the number of years’ service necessary to achieve the maximum, which can go from 6 to 42 years. Data displayed on the national sheets are collected jointly by the Eurydice and the OECD/ NESLI networks.