Gender inequalities persist in the education systems “The more equal societies are in economic and social terms, the greater the likelihood there is of having gender equality in education”. This is one of major findings of the report, on “Gender and Education” in the EU, issued by the Commission on October 5. The report was drafted by NESSE, (Network of Experts in Social Sciences of Education and training). Accordingly, “despite progress in recent years”, “gender inequality persists in schools and universities”. Education can be affected by various factors. Indeed, in their conclusions, researchers point out that social class, ethnicity and minority status all contribute to a complex picture from which it is difficult to isolate gender differences and inequalities in educational performance” or in ensuing employment environments. The research revealed, “attitudes and behavior are determined to a great degree by gender”. Evidence suggests that it is “boys from working class backgrounds in all ethnic groups and cultures who are the most likely to have literacy difficulties and to leave school early”. As relates to academic study, according to the report men dominate science, construction and engineering, and women dominate the arts, humanities and care-related disciplines. Clean energy: the Commission calls for 50bn worth investments In a document released October 7 the EU Commission called for the investment of 50 in low-carbon energy development. The Commission requests public authorities, member States, business, and researchers to join efforts in order to develop by 2020 the necessary technologies to address climate change, secure EU energy supply and ensure the competitiveness of our economies”. The Commission estimates almost tripling the annual investment in the European Union, “from 3 to 8 billion. Different sources of funding are considered, from public and private sectors at national and EU level, to be used “in a coordinated way” and “help to push forward a fast growing industrial sector”. EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potoènik, said: ” Up-grading investment in research in clean technologies is urgent if Europe is to make the road to Copenhagen and beyond cheaper”. The Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs, said: “Previous industrial revolutions have proved that the right technologies can transform for the better the way we live. Today we have a unique opportunity to change an energy model based on polluting, scarce and risky fossil fuels, into a clean, sustainable and less dependent one. All depends on choosing the right technologies”. The Commission listed six areas for financial support. Namely, wind, solar, electricity grids, bioenergy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and sustainable nuclear fission. Open Days, European Week of Regions and Cities “Europe, its Member States and its regions must invest in far-reaching and innovative changes in order to preserve the European model of society and remain competitive on the world stage”: EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, explained the meaning of the initiatives of the seventh Open Days, the European Week of Regions and Cities that was held October 5 to 8. “Globalisation is not the enemy of subsidiarity. In fact, the exact opposite is true”, he said. “The regions are the foremost area for the acquisition of knowledge and for economic activity, employment, social cohesion and innovative systems”. The Open Days, promoted by the Commission and by the Regions’ Committee, staged 233 events across 33 European States along with 125 initiatives concentrated in Brussels. Pawel Samecki, neo-EU Commissioner for regional policy, stated: “The economic crisis reminds us once again that all the regions ought to find ways to respond to global challenges. The Open Days constitute an unprecedented occasion for dialogue between the public and private sectors and the academic environment in order to find concrete solutions”. The four-day workshops centered around four main themes: boosting development; the regions, climate change and sustainable development; local cooperation and evaluating the EU cohesion policy.
