Page 40 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 40
tion and Training 2020’ (I & U 2020). Four strategic objectives for European co-
operation in education and training are set out in I & U 2020: (1) making lifelong
learning and mobility a reality, (2) improving the quality and efficiency of ed-
ucation and training, (3) promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizen-
ship, (4) enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at
all levels of education and training.
When I & U 2010 came to an end, the European Commission recognised
that not all objectives had been achieved by 2010; one of the reasons for this,
identified together with EU member states, was a relatively lengthy period
needed to determine rather vague priorities. Accordingly, within the frame-
work of I & U 2020, the European Commission introduced the so-called Europe-
an Semesters, i.e. three-year cycles for which special priorities of common co-
operation are defined. In the period between 2012 and 2014, the centre stage in
European endeavours was taken by the improvement of basic competencies
- reading, maths, science and technological literacies. The 2012 report of the
Council of the European Union encourages member states, and the European
Commission in particular, to use all their potential and to reinforce common
40 cooperation, which will lead to a decrease in the percentage of underachiev-
ers in maths and science (Council of the European Union, 2012). The project
that is also placed within the framework of the priorities stated above is Raising
Awareness and Opportunities of Lifelong Learning for Low Achievers.
In summary, since 2000 the long-term EU goal in relation to student (un-
der)achievement has mainly been focused on reducing the percentage of stu-
dents who fail to reach the basic levels of reading, maths and science literacy,
whereby in the period between 2012 and 2014 special emphasis is placed on
decreasing the percentage of underachieving students in maths and science.
b) Establishing quantitative and qualitative indicators
and benchmarks
The EU 2020 strategy, I & U 2020 and the OMC operate in accordance with log-
ic that expects strategic objectives to be defined in more detail by means of
goals and subgoals, whereas indicators and benchmarks are an aid to present-
ing goals as tangible and measurable entities. Of exceptional significance for
coherent strategic activities in the field of education in a transnational envi-
ronment is coherence of information tools and support in decision making,
which is provided by the system of indicators and benchmarks.7 This makes it
possible for the European Commission and EU member states to analyse the
key policy-related messages in another way, analyse progress at an EU level,
7 Indicators and benchmarks represent the technically most advanced part of the OMC in education
and reflect the belief that the educational practice and outcomes of EU member states, or of edu-
cational systems, are measurable at a sufficiently high level of objectivity (Alexiadou, 2007).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
operation in education and training are set out in I & U 2020: (1) making lifelong
learning and mobility a reality, (2) improving the quality and efficiency of ed-
ucation and training, (3) promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizen-
ship, (4) enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at
all levels of education and training.
When I & U 2010 came to an end, the European Commission recognised
that not all objectives had been achieved by 2010; one of the reasons for this,
identified together with EU member states, was a relatively lengthy period
needed to determine rather vague priorities. Accordingly, within the frame-
work of I & U 2020, the European Commission introduced the so-called Europe-
an Semesters, i.e. three-year cycles for which special priorities of common co-
operation are defined. In the period between 2012 and 2014, the centre stage in
European endeavours was taken by the improvement of basic competencies
- reading, maths, science and technological literacies. The 2012 report of the
Council of the European Union encourages member states, and the European
Commission in particular, to use all their potential and to reinforce common
40 cooperation, which will lead to a decrease in the percentage of underachiev-
ers in maths and science (Council of the European Union, 2012). The project
that is also placed within the framework of the priorities stated above is Raising
Awareness and Opportunities of Lifelong Learning for Low Achievers.
In summary, since 2000 the long-term EU goal in relation to student (un-
der)achievement has mainly been focused on reducing the percentage of stu-
dents who fail to reach the basic levels of reading, maths and science literacy,
whereby in the period between 2012 and 2014 special emphasis is placed on
decreasing the percentage of underachieving students in maths and science.
b) Establishing quantitative and qualitative indicators
and benchmarks
The EU 2020 strategy, I & U 2020 and the OMC operate in accordance with log-
ic that expects strategic objectives to be defined in more detail by means of
goals and subgoals, whereas indicators and benchmarks are an aid to present-
ing goals as tangible and measurable entities. Of exceptional significance for
coherent strategic activities in the field of education in a transnational envi-
ronment is coherence of information tools and support in decision making,
which is provided by the system of indicators and benchmarks.7 This makes it
possible for the European Commission and EU member states to analyse the
key policy-related messages in another way, analyse progress at an EU level,
7 Indicators and benchmarks represent the technically most advanced part of the OMC in education
and reflect the belief that the educational practice and outcomes of EU member states, or of edu-
cational systems, are measurable at a sufficiently high level of objectivity (Alexiadou, 2007).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
