Over Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October 2015, General Directors responsible for school education in EU Member States gathered for a meeting in the Grand Duchy, organised by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.
Held under the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the meeting was opened by Minister Claude Meisch who stated that education systems must remain flexible in the face of the current migratory flows, in order to adapt to refugee arrivals.
Integrating all students quickly into the school system was cited as a priority, with integration to be done in cooperation with the families of children concerned and all stakeholders. Young people arriving alone without parents or other family members was highlighted as a potential challenge, as was the evaluation and validation of the knowledge of newly-arrived young people.
The development of school autonomy, used in most Member States, was referred to as one potential response to situational diversity. Many countries rely on the enhanced autonomy of schools to adapt to the needs of students and improve academic performance.
As international studies have shown children from immigrant families are at the greatest risk of dropping out, a greater school autonomy for establishments hosting refugees was cited as a potential tool in providing the necessary support. There is also a widespread tendency to encourage closer cooperation amongst schools and with partners such as associations and stakeholders in the local environment.
The meeting highlighted reforms and measures being discussed in Member States. The questions concerning terms, planning and cooperation practices often received by general managers will make these topics the subject of exchange in a new action cycle within the framework of the 'Education and Training 2020' European strategy.
Photo by MENJE
