EU focuses on quality

Focusing on education, languages, professional training. And obviously on the web and new technologies. Recently the Commission addressed two specific issues – the Erasmus programme and a strategy for a safer child specific internet – different but nonetheless connected to "knowledge development".Culture and professional future. Erasmus "is the best known EU programme" and last year 231 thousand students received grants to study or train abroad. However, financial funding is inadequate and insufficient to cater for all the applications coming from 33 adhering Countries. Confirmed by Commissioner of Education Androulla Vassiliou on May 8th during the celebration of its 25th anniversary. "With its focus on languages, adaptability, inter-cultural awareness and leadership Erasmus provides young people with vital skills to boost their employability and personal development". Since it began in 1987, the programme "has provided more than 2.5 million European students with the opportunity to go abroad to study at a higher institution or for job placement in an enterprise". Mrs. Vassiliou pointed out that: "Erasmus is one of the biggest "success stories" of the European Union. The figures speak for themselves" but "could have been higher if we had the resources to match demand". In the report presented during the Academic year 2010-2011 Mrs. Vassilliou noted: "the three most popular destinations for students were Spain, France and the United Kingdom". Spain also sent the largest number of students abroad, followed by France and Germany. More funds from the EU budget. The programme provides a 250 euro monthly grant, to cover part of the additional costs of living abroad. The 2010-11 Erasmus budget has been of approximately 460 million euros. "The overall number of students who benefitted from the grants are almost 190 thousand who chose to spend up to 12 months of their degree programme abroad". Compared to the previous year, the number of students increased by 7.2%. 41 thousand young people chose job placement in companies abroad (+15%). "In addition – the report continues- 40 thousand grants have been awarded to university staff and teachers to teach or receive training abroad, a 13% increase compared to the previous year". While analysing last years numbers, the Commission is looking ahead. Recently it presented its proposal entitled "Erasmus for All" a new "umbrella programme" bringing Erasmus together with all other EU and International programmes on education, training, youth and sports, "replacing seven existing programmes with one". The Commission proposed a budget of 19 billion euros for "Erasmus or All" in 2014-2020.Safer and better Internet. Still in the field of knowledge , with the aid of new technologies, the Commission has set out a "plan to give children the digital skills and tools they need to fully benefit from the digital world". Safety and better Internet are key words in the project. "The internet – the Commission report says – was not designed with children in mind, but today 75% of children use it and a third of them on mobiles". Therefore the new strategy is focused on "building up the market for interactive, creative and educational content online, in a partnership between the European Commission and Member States, mobile phone operators, handset manufacturers and providers of social networking services". European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "I support getting every kids connected. But kids need simple, transparent and consistent internet tools, and the knowledge and skills to use well them well " . More specifically the need to create common and consistent approaches in the European Union for better network protection. "To overcome these hurdles, the Commission has outlined a series of measures, which will be implemented by different means including industry self-regulation". Actions are grouped around four main goals: stimulating the production of creative and educational online content for children and developing access platforms to age-appropriate content; scaling up awareness raising and teaching of online safety in all Eu schools; " creating a safe environment for children where parents and children are given the tools necessary for ensuring their protection online"; "combatting child sexual abuse material".