Education Ministers reaffirm the importance of student-centred learning

STRASBOURG – Delegates of the European Students’ Union (ESU) participated in the second regional meeting of Ministers of Education on the implementation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) held in Strasbourg on 22 and 23 November 2012. ESU presented students’ view of the national qualifications frameworks, referring to Bologna With Students’ Eyes 2012 conclusions and recommendations.

At the end of the meeting a declaration was adopted. The final version of the Declaration had amendments that were suggested by ESU and were adopted by the Education Ministers. The amendments were the following:

• We promote consultation and cooperation of stakeholders in the development of qualifications frameworks on the national level and in all educational institutions;
• We recognise the role of students and educational staff in decision making processes and governance of higher education;
• We reaffirm the importance of a student-centred learning approach in the implementation of qualifications frameworks.

Delegations of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, attended the meeting and discussed solutions to the current challenges of integration to the EHEA, proposing the creation of the Network of Ministers of Education in order to enhance exchange of information and regional cooperation. ESU, together with EURASHE, ETF, European Commission and Experts of higher education participated in the program of this event.

Implementation of the Bologna Process discussed

One and half days meeting aimed at discussing different issues in higher education reform, pointing out challenges of countries’ integration into the European Higher Education Area. The meeting provoked many ideas for improvement of the implementation of Bologna Process, paying special attention to the implementation of national qualifications frameworks, quality assurance and enhancing cooperation of stakeholders on the matter.

The first regional meeting of Ministers of Education on the Implementation of the EHEA was held in Kiev, under the Ukrainian Chairmanship to the Council of Europe, in September 2011. Initiative for the second regional meeting of Ministers of Education was well received taking the great success from the first one into consideration.

All meeting documents, including presentations, will be made available on the Council of Europe’s website shortly at the following address: http://www.coe.int/higher-education.

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For more information, please contact:

Karina Ufert, ESU Chairperson: +32/473.669.892 // karina@esu-online.org or Robert Hlynur Baldursson, ESU Communications Manager: +32/473.669.894 // robert@esu-online.org