Students views on the proposal of the European Education Area and the European graduate survey
In February 2018, the European Students’ Union (ESU) participated in two consultation meetings organised by the European Commission concerning the proposal of the European Education Area (EEA) by 2025. On the 2nd of May, the Commision will issue an “educational package” which will include the first recommendations for achieving the EEA.
ESU calls for recognition of degrees in all EHEA countries, not just the EU
The first consultation focused on promoting mutual recognition of higher education and secondary education qualifications, as well as on enabling mobility and accessibility of education. The meeting indicated the potential obstacles to recognition and possible solutions at the European level.
ESU advocated against the limitation of the EU-restricted geographical scope of the recognition. We strongly believe that cooperation within education should be open for all the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) countries. The document should respect the diversity of the European educational systems but also offer solutions to facilitate the access for students who wish to take up studies abroad. Lifelong learning has to be taken into account as well as the competencies obtained out of the formal education.
The content of the recommendations remains still unknown.
European graduate survey: focus should be on multiple purposes of education
The second meeting was a 1st Advisory Board for a pilot European graduate survey. ESU is one of the stakeholder members of the group, which is working on the European programme of the graduates’ tracking. Our aim in the Advisory Board is to ensure the incorporation of various social dimension indicators that would allow the monitoring of the progression in the labour market and the transition to the labour market of students with a diversity of backgrounds. The questions should be focused on the multiple purposes of education, and besides employability, on students’ competencies within lifelong learning, active citizenship and research.
The next meeting will take place in April and the content of the survey will be discussed. According to the schedule, the first students will receive the surveys in September.
