The report published by the Commission on 11 April, relating to “progress in the educational sector in trying to meet the Lisbon objectives” underlines three fundamental problems that afflict European schools in general at various levels: the high rate of student dropouts, the risk of a shortage in teaching staff and the lack of foreign language teachers. In particular, according to the Commission’s General Directorate for Education and Culture, the average rate of student dropouts in the age group 18-24 has now risen to 16%, well above the 10% threshold fixed as a minimum objective for 2010 by the Lisbon Strategy. Moreover, the very high percentage of teachers over the age of 50 (who in some countries account for almost half of the whole teaching body) is causing deep concern: it is a circumstance that will oblige the governments of member states to assume over 1 million new teachers by 2015. Lastly, the objective of raising to two the number of foreign languages taught per pupil still seems a very distant prospect indeed. For further information, consult the website http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/education_culture
