COUNCIL RESOLUTION of 5 December 1994 on the promotion of education and training statistics in the European Union (94/C 374/02)

INTRODUCTION (1)

1. The growing economic and social interdependency of the Member States of the European Union means that political decision-makers at both European and national level rely increasingly on statistics which are comparable on a Union-wide basis.

Experts in the field also have a considerable interest in comparative education and training statistics in the European Union.

2. The development of an open European area for cooperation in education requires the continuing improvement of statistical bases to underpin common action at Union level and to be taken into consideration when taking educational policy decisions at national or regional level.

3. The development of education and training statistics within the framework of the European Union should continue to take account of the existing and sometimes worldwide collections of data undertaken by Unesco and the OECD in particular, as well as to involve collaboration with these bodies where possible.

Statistical surveys at European level continue, furthermore, to be dependent on the results of collections of data carried out at national or regional level.

4. The European Union's task of encouraging mobility throughout the entire area of education and vocational training means that specific surveys should be made if the bases are to be laid for a balanced distribution between the various disciplines and regions.

5. Respect for the variety of education systems in the Member States requires that when statistical surveys are carried out in the educational sphere in the individual Member States of the European Union a range of methods and differences of emphasis will continue to exist and the idea of systematic harmonization of legal and administrative provisions on educational statistics should be abandoned. On the other hand, it is necessary when carrying out surveys to work towards greater compatibility of statistical criteria and compatibility of data.

6. Within the framework of the Treaty the Commission has the right to collect information so as to fulfil tasks assigned to it; this includes the statistical bases necessary to realize the European Union's contribution to high-quality education and vocational training in the Member States.

7. With the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997 the Council adopted a comprehensive statistical programme of work which included projects for the development of education and training statistics.

8. The Community's Socrates and Leonardo programmes, which should be decided on shortly, provide for the promotion of the collection of data on education and training systems and for studies and comparative analyses.

In Council Decision of 29 May 1990 establishing an action programme for the development of continuing vocational training in the European Community (Force), regular exchanges of comparable data on continuing vocational training and the collection of statistics focusing on this particular area were provided for.

9. It is essential to make use of the rapid advances in telecommunications services in full compliance with the findings of the specific European Union programme for research, technological development and demonstration in the area of telematic applications of common interest so as to network the statistical services in the Member States.

10. In order to prepare definitions and procedures and interpret the data obtained, on-going cooperation is required between the bodies responsible for education and training statistics and the educational research institutions in the European Union.

PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

1. Cooperation in education and training on the basis of the Maastricht Treaty and education policy and educational practice in the Member States increasingly require a common basis of information, which should be provided by improved comparative education and training statistics at the European level. This requires increased efforts in this field, focusing on the quality of the data and their comparability, and the topicality of the statistics and their accessibility. In addition to the recording of the data needed to form a picture of the education and training field, the preparation of codes and indicators appropriate for education and training statistics is necessary.

2. Use should be made of the Member States' existing infrastructures together with the available regular surveys and evaluations by Eurostat, and by the OECD, Unesco and other international organizations.

3. The compilation of statistical data on education and training at European Union level should, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, be based on the recording of data organized at different levels, and possibly also on a regional basis, allowing for differences in survey procedures and emphasis, whilst ensuring the comparability of the data.

4. Statistical bases are required in particular to produce systematic, comparative pictures of education and vocational training in the Member States of the European Union. For such purposes agreed definitions of the situations statistically portrayed should be drawn up so as to ensure that the results are directly usable.

5. As well as developing, extending and supplementing data by way of official statistics, opportunities should be available for carrying out periodic sample surveys.

6. To improve statistics and accelerate the conduct of surveys and their evaluation, the networking of existing infrastructures, in particular by means of the latest available technology, should continue to develop.

7. The statistical data on education and training collected and processed in the European Union framework should be published regularly and be made available in a form which is as up-to-date as possible to those with responsabilities or interests in this field at European, national or regional level.

GOALS, TASKS AND PRIORITIES

1. Laying the foundations for the comparative portrayal of initial and continuing education and training in the Member States of the European Union, by means of official statistics and by supporting educational and training statistics research.

2. Further development of European Union education and training statistics in all areas of education and training in the light of requirements at European and Member State level and in the framework of financial possibilities.

3. Further development of common survey instruments such as the joint Unesco, OECD and EU questionnaire on education and vocational training in schools and technical colleges and their targeted enhancement for specific purposes in the European Union.

4. Contributions to the revision of the 'International Standard Classification for Education' (Isced) with the aim of achieving a balanced record of education and training, a closer match between the classification and the specific features of the national higher education systems and the additional consideration of continuing education and training.

5. Continual consideration of which of the jointly developed educational indicators require further development in the OECD framework for the pursuit of education-policy assignments in Member States and at European Union level; development of additional educational indicators specific to the EU, which are required with a view to achieving the objectives of the EU Treaty, e.g. the promotion of mobility and research into regional disparities.

6. Further development of a programme of basic statistical data for the educational sphere in the European Union and targeted enhancement of that basic programme, for example through periodic sample surveys and individual inquiries on priority topics.

Sample surveys comparing countries appear appropriate for information on:

- the transition from education and training to the world of work, vocational integration and mobility and re-entry into training,

- continuing education and training,

- the social and economic situation of students and participants in continuing vocational training.

7. Analysis of the different national structures and classification systems of educational expenditure and their funding, with special attention to direct and indirect transfers.

8. Steps towards speeding up educational statistical surveys and the processing of them within the EU framework.

9. Coordination of the development of networks for statistical surveys and information in the promotional measures and research programmes of the European Union and in the Member States.

10. Encouraging the exchange of experience on the carrying out of statistical surveys and assessments, in particular the exchange of experience on the implementation of longitudinal studies and the promotion of common development work in this field; use of the 'TES' (Training of European Statisticians) programmes for technical training and further training in education and training statistics, and the 'Arion' programme for study visits in this field.

Having regard to the for going,

the Council requests:

- the Member States and their statistical offices to pay particular attention to the need for cooperation when developing further comparative education and training statistics in the European Union and beyond,

- the European Commission in close cooperation with the Member States to expedite the development of education and training statistics in the light of the priorities set out above and the five-year Statistical Programme,

- those responsible for the statistical services at Union level (Eurostat) and the Working Party of Education Statistics to expedite the necessary development work to ensure supply of quality data which is comparable and as up-to-date as possible, account being taken of the data bases and instruments already in existence and observing the principle of data collection organized on a decentralized basis.

(1) This resolution relates to:

- the resolution of the Council and the Ministers for Education meeting within the Council of 25 November 1991 (OJ No C 312, 12. 12. 1991) on educational research and statistics in the European Community;

- the decision of the Council of the European Communities on the framework programme for priority actions in the field of statistical information 1993 to 1997 (OJ No L 219, 28. 8. 1993).