OCSE: more efficient schools by promoting teachers”The main political lesson that can be drawn” from the Organization for European Co-operation and Development (OECD) Report on teaching in European schools “is that the educational authorities must give more effective incentives to teachers”. Demotivated or ill-qualified teachers and problems of the discipline of pupils are two characteristics common to the majority of countries. The Report, presented in Brussels on 16 June, was drawn up with the support of the European Commission on the basis of the new “Teaching and Learning International Survey” (TALIS) which “for the first time furnishes comparable data on an international scale on the conditions in which teachers have to work in the schools” of the 23 participating countries. According to the survey, “three teachers out of four report the lack of incentives to improve the quality of their teaching, while the bad behaviour of students in the classroom disturbs lessons in three schools out of five”. Angel Gurría, OECD General Secretary, insisted on the “need to take steps to obtain a better productivity of the work” of teachers. “Teachers of high quality – he explained – are essential for the effective realization of educational policies”. Universities, prizes to facilitate study abroadA “quality” prize at the European level was awarded in recent days to 65 universities in 16 countries “in recognition of their efforts to simplify study abroad for students”. This recognition (or quality label as it is called) is awarded to the universities that “have given proof of excellence in applying the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement (DS)”, EU-wide systems that make study more transparent and facilitate the recognition of qualifications. “The universities that receive the label are shining examples of institutions that take seriously academic mobility in the sector of higher education, characterized by rapid change”, commented Jan Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, in describing the significance of the award. “The Commission intends to organize in the years ahead annual contests of candidatures for the ECTS and DS labels”: candidatures can only be presented by institutions of higher education that have received a standard or extended Erasmus university charter. The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System facilitates the recognition of university studies: it’s a system used throughout Europe for the transfer and accumulation of credits. DS, on the other hand, is a document that is attached to the degree certificate with the aim of facilitating the academic and professional recognition of academic qualifications.Wallstrom: “Too many woman have to struggle to live”Real equality of opportunities between men and women and, even more fundamentally, respect for basic rights and the rejection of any kind of discrimination or violence against the “female hemisphere” were at the centre of an international conference held in Brussels on 15-16 June, with the participation of European Commissioners Margot Wallstrom and Vladimir Spidla, exponents of other EU institutions and of EU member states, and experts and representatives of civil society. The main focus of attention were the “challenges for real equality between men and women”, as Wallstrom explained, in a phase in which “we still need to combat so many forms of domestic abuse, violence and discrimination”. So many women, insisted the Swedish Commissioner, “must struggle to live”. The conference enabled the participants to monitor the implementation of the Charter of Equal Opportunities adopted by the EU in 2006, which is due to expire next year, and to fix the priority tasks for the years ahead. Journalism: yes to diversity, no to discrimination”15% of Europeans maintain they have suffered some form of discrimination. For this reason the Commission is holding a journalistic competition” called “Yes to diversity. No to discrimination”. Vladimír Spidla, EU Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, has presented this year’s prize, now in its sixth year, for journalists of the printed press and communication on line. “The aim of the prize – said Spidla – is to highlight the talents of professionals in the mass media, who with their writings contribute to a better understanding of the advantages of diversity and the overcoming of forms of discrimination based on religion, personal convictions, age, sexual orientation and ethnic origin”. The 2009 competition provides for a specific category for articles dedicated to the correlation between poverty and discrimination. The competition “helps to raise awareness of people’s rights to equality of treatment as well as to provide recognition of journalistic talents in Europe”. For further info and entry procedures consult the website a http://journalistaward.stop-discrimination.info.
