As countries succeed in attracting more of their young people to continue to higher levels of education, those who drop out early are left further behind. At the same time, social changes are creating new pressures. In the midst of affluence, there is a risk that some who have the capacity to succeed can lose the sense of purpose that is necessary to achieve. Community and family ties are weaker. Social and cultural pressures on young people of all backgrounds are greater.
Schools have to address underachievement, school absence, drop-out, and disruptive behaviour.
The countries of the G8, in their different ways, are committed to tackling these problems so as to provide a brighter future for their youth. We recognize that many of these issues cannot be tackled through education policies alone, but through combinations of social and economic policies. We agreed to encourage research, dialogue and international links between policy makers, educational practitioners, and researchers on effective approaches to problems of educational disadvantage, ways to create better learning environments and strategies to build tolerance and a spirit of community among students. Lifelong learning and distance learning The Cologne lifelong learning charter recognized the challenge every country now faces to become a learning society and to ensure that its citizens are equipped with the knowledge, skills and qualifications they will need in the new century. The rapid progress of information and communication technologies in recent years such as satellite communications, large capacity optical fiber communications and the Internet have greatly expanded the power of distance learning as a tool for lifelong learning and international understanding.