[pic] | COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES |

Brussels, 3.8.2007

SEC(2007) 931

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying document to the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Improving the Quality of Teacher Education

IMPACT ASSESSMENT {COM(2007)392} {SEC(2007)933} This report commits only the Commission's services involved in its preparation and does not prejudge the final form of any decision to be taken by the Commission.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive summary 4

1. PROCEDURAL ISSUES AND CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES 5

1.1. Context of the Proposal 5

1.2. Consultation process 6

1.2.1. Consultation within the Commission 6

1.2.2. External Consultation 6

1.3. Follow-up to the consultation 7

2. PROBLEM DEFINITION – WHAT ISSUE / PROBLEM IS THE PROPOSAL EXPECTED TO TACKLE? 8

2.1 Definitions 8

2.2 Progress in improving school education is slow 8

2.3 Pupil attainment is linked to teaching quality 9

2.4 There is a need for action on Teacher Education 9

2.4.1 Skill shortages. 10

2.4.2 Lack of coherence and continuity between different, often separate, elements of teachers' education. 10

2.4.3 The amount of in-service training available to practising teachers is very limited 10

2.5 What are the underlying drivers of the problem? 13

2.5.1 Changing demands from society 13

2.5.2 Demographics 14

2.6 How would the problem evolve, all things being equal? 15

2.7 Political mandate 15

2.8 Legal basis 16

2.9 Subsidiarity and proportionality 17

3. OBJECTIVES 17

3.1. Consistency with other policies and objectives of the Union 17

3.2. Policy objectives 18

3.3. Operational objectives 18

3.4 Research findings 19

4. WHAT ARE THE MAIN POLICY OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO REACH THE OBJECTIVES? 20

4.1 Option 1: a Commission Communication 21

4.2 Option 2: a European Parliament and Council Decision 21

4.3 Option 3: a Commission Recommendation 21

4.4 Option 4: a proposal for a Recommendation of the Council and European Parliament, under Article 150 of the Treaty 22

5. ANALYSIS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE OPTIONS 22

5.1 Likely economic, social and environmental impacts 22

5.2 Positive and negative impacts, direct and indirect 23

5.3 Uncertainties and changes in parameters 24

6. COMPARING THE OPTIONS 24

7. MONITORING AND EVALUATION 25

Annex I: Report of the Testing Conference 26

Annexe II: Common European Principles for Teacher Competences and Qualifications 33

Annexe III: Testing Conference: Participation 37

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The quality of the education and training in Europe is in large part determined by the quality of the teaching that is provided; this in turn is in part a function of the quality of Teacher Education.

Progress in improving school education is slow; there is a perceived shortage of skills amongst teachers; this is currently difficult to remedy because there is a lack of coherence and continuity between different, often separate, elements of teachers' education; and in any case, the amount of in-service training available to practising teachers is very limited.

These factors point to a need to improve the capacity of the teaching profession in Europe to provide the quality of teaching required so that Lisbon objectives - including the common objectives for education and training systems – may be attained.

Member State representatives working with the Commission through the Education and Training 2010 programme, have identified a core of key proposals to bring about an improvement in the Quality of Teacher Education in the European Union. In particular, they agree that it is desirable that:

- all teachers possess the appropriate level and range of knowledge and competence to be able, in the context of rapid economic and social change, to help learners to reach their full potential;

- all teachers possess adequate qualifications from a Higher Education institution;

- provision for teachers' initial education, induction and further professional development is coordinated as a coherent system, and is adequately resourced; and

- the professionalism of teaching is promoted.

Following an analysis of the different options available, the outcome of this Impact Assessment (IA) is a proposal that action by the European Union is warranted; such action should take the form of a succinct Recommendation of the Council and Parliament.

The objective of this Recommendation is to provide Member States with a number of broad orientations, based upon best practice (as identified by the Member States themselves), that can provide a common framework for the development of their policies and practices to improve the quality of teacher education.

The Quality of Teacher Education

Impact Assessment report

1. PROCEDURAL ISSUES AND CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES

Lead Directorate-General: Directorate-General for Education and Culture

Other involved services: Secretariat General, Legal Service.

Agenda planning or Work Programme reference: 2006/EAC/002

Consultation and application of expertise

1.1. Context of the Proposal

In the fields of Education and Training, Member States have agreed to work together through the ‘open method of coordination’ (OMC), whereby they fix common policy objectives and work to meet them by creating national plans, sharing good practices, setting benchmarks and monitoring progress by the use of statistical indicators. In this process, the European Commission plays the role of facilitator.

The report from the Education Council to the European Council[1] "The concrete future objectives of education and training systems", which launched this process and identified priority issues to be addressed, noted that:

- "Upgrading the initial education and in-service training of teachers and trainers so that their knowledge and skills respond both to the changes and expectations in society, and to the varied groups they teach and train is a major challenge to the education and training systems over the next 10 years.

- "Teachers and trainers play an important role in the motivation and success of learners. Future oriented training is now essential – the majority of teachers qualified 25 years ago or more, and the upgrading of their skills has in some cases not kept pace with change. Equally, the role of teachers and trainers has changed – they continue to impart knowledge; but today they also function as tutors guiding learners on their individual pathway to knowledge. Training should enable teachers and trainers to motivate their learners not only to acquire the theoretical knowledge and vocational skills they need, but also to assume the responsibility for their own learning, so that they have the competencies required for both society and work today. Finally; the question of recruitment and the status of teachers has to be addressed".

In this framework, a group of Member State experts began in September 2002 to seek common policy approaches that could improve the quality of Teacher Education. The experts were chosen by Member States on the basis of their expertise either as academics working in the field of Teacher Education, or as representatives of the Ministries concerned. An intensive programme of study visits enabled good practice and innovative approaches to be assessed at first hand. They considered current policy practices for improving the education and performance of teachers and trainers, and potential policy options for the future. They also assessed the competences that teachers need, the policies for Teacher Education which could enable teachers to respond to their changing roles, and indicators for measuring progress.

The activity reports and conclusions of the working group were published on the Europa server[2] and form the basis for the present proposal.

1.2. Consultation process

1.2.1. Consultation within the Commission

There have been formal contacts with the Commission’s Legal Service, and informal contacts with the Secretariat-General.

In addition, a draft of this report has been considered by the European Commission's Impact Assessment Board. This final version incorporates, inter alia, the following changes in response to suggestions made by the Board:

- Comparative data have been included at 2.4.3 showing the different arrangements in Member States for in-service training of teachers and for supporting new teachers.

- The link between the problems identified, their underlying drivers and the proposed policy objectives has been clarified.

- The report provides a thorough assessment of the extent to which this initiative will help to solve the identified problems at national and European levels (see sections 2.4, 3.3);

- research evidence is adduced at 3.4.

- The value added of this initiative is identified at 5.1

1.2.2. External Consultation

Consultation with the Member States in the development of this proposal has been extensive.

In 2004, the Joint Council and Commission Interim Report (submitted to the March European Council) on the Education and Training 2010 work programme recognised that common European references and principles could usefully support national policies, and gave priority to their development and implementation and made specific reference to references and principles relating to the competences and qualifications needed by teachers and trainers.

In response to this request from the Education Council, the recommendations of the working group referred to in section 1.1 above were summarised in a policy document, the ‘Common European Principles for Teacher Qualifications and Competences’ (see Annexe II).

In July 2005 this document was submitted to, and validated by, a ‘Testing Conference’ of over 100 stakeholders; conference delegates included government representatives with national and regional policy responsibility for teacher and trainer education, staff from teacher education institutions and representatives from European stakeholder organisations (see Annexe III).

The testing conference considered the extent to which there was, or could be, a European consensus on how best to support and train teachers.

Many delegates stressed the importance of locating this work within the context of other European developments such as the Bologna process and the creation of a European Qualifications Framework.

There was widespread agreement that, whilst it was important to take into account national systems and local contexts, it would be useful to have an overarching strategic framework on Teacher Education policy at European level against which national and local policies could be developed.

In particular, there was general agreement on the following key points:

- teaching should be promoted as a career of choice, rather than a last resort; as such, policies need to be developed that support a high status, high reward profession;

- to promote the professionalisation of teaching, teacher education should be available in all three cycles of higher education;

- teachers should have enough intellectual freedom to make their own pedagogic decisions in the classroom, thereby encouraging them to be innovative and build on their own successful practice;

- all teachers should receive practical, relevant training, particularly in order to ensure that they have strong pedagogic skills;

- teachers must be able to adapt to new circumstances throughout their career; skills in research and the use of evidence to make professional decisions will help prepare them for frequent changes and new developments in policy and practice;

- to equip teachers to work in the schools of the future, it is important to train and support them to reflect on their own practice, look outside their immediate school environment, and work in teams;

- schools could and should play an important role in supporting teachers’ lifelong learning; coherent, high quality professional development systems which are tailored to the needs of individual teachers are more likely to encourage participation and lead to improvements in pupils’ achievements.

- the education of teachers should be based upon partnerships between Higher Education institutions, schools, business and other agencies;

- mobility programmes add value to teacher training programmes by helping teachers gain a better understanding of cultural differences and of the European dimension of teaching.

The detailed results of the consultation conference are set out in the report of the conference at Appendix 1.

1.3. Follow-up to the consultation

Following the Testing Conference, the text of the Common European Principles was further refined in the light of the views expressed by stakeholders and is now publicly available at http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/testingconf_en.html.

The Commission believes that the consultation process described here complies with its minimum standards and has enabled it to receive feedback from a reasonable sample of relevant parties.

Within the 'Education and Training 2010' programme, Member State experts have continued to work on this topic and to develop further some of the themes discussed. The content of the proposed Recommendation is drawn from the Common European Principles for Teacher Competences and Qualifications and from this subsequent work.

2. PROBLEM DEFINITION – WHAT ISSUE / PROBLEM IS THE PROPOSAL EXPECTED TO TACKLE?

THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IS A KEY FACTOR IN DETERMINING WHETHER THE EUROPEAN UNION CAN ACHIEVE ITS LISBON OBJECTIVES OR NOT. PROGRESS IS SLOW. The quality of education is in large part determined by the quality of teaching; this in turn is in part a function of the quality of Teacher Education. There is a need to tackle problems in Teacher Education that are common to many Member States, such as skill shortages, the lack of coherence and continuity between different elements of teachers' education and the very limited amount of in-service training made available to practising teachers.

2.1 Definitions

A teacher is here considered as someone who is acknowledged as having the status of a teacher (or equivalent) according to the legislation and the regulations of a given country. The word “equivalent” is needed because in some countries there could be groups of teachers with different titles but holding the same status. In some countries a teacher could also work with school-aged pupils and young adults following vocational programmes in schools, colleges, companies or training organisations.

The focus of this proposal is on teachers alone, rather than teachers and trainers, because teaching is a regulated profession where the regional and national state authorities have a significant role and considerable influence. Whilst in many countries the work of teachers and trainers overlaps, there are also significant differences especially for those teachers who work with pupils in primary schools and pre-school settings.

2.2 Progress in improving school education is slow

The progress of Europe’s education and training systems towards the goals set by the Union in the Lisbon strategy is insufficient[3]. Progress was only moderate in increasing participation in lifelong learning and in reducing the number of early school leavers. Little or no progress has been achieved in expanding the share of young people who finish upper-secondary school, or reducing the number of 15-year-olds with poor reading skills. About one in every five 15-year-old pupils in the EU is a poor reader. Reaching the European benchmark for 2010 would imply that 200 000 pupils would have to improve their standard of reading.

2.3 Pupil attainment is linked to teaching quality

The quality of teaching is a key factor in determining whether the European Union can achieve its objectives or not. Research suggests that the effects of teachers on student learning are much larger than the effects of school organisation, leadership or financial conditions; teacher quality is the most important within-school aspect explaining student performance[4].

There is a large body of academic research showing that teachers are important for pupil attainment. The strongest evidence for a positive impact of teacher education on student outcomes is to be found in Darling-Hammond et al[5] which found that ‘relative to teachers with standard certification, uncertified teachers and those in most other non-standard certification categories generally had negative effects on student achievement, after controlling for student characteristics and prior achievement, as well as teacher experience and degrees. Uncertified teachers showed significant negative effects across five of the six tests. … teachers … who hold full certification … are more effective than other teachers in stimulating student achievement gains in both reading and mathematics on three different test batteries over a multi-year period’.

A study by economists[6] found positive relationships between in-service training and student achievement, ‘suggest that an in-service training program … raised children's achievement in reading and mathematics. These findings appear using a variety of statistical methods, including differences-in-differences, regression, and matching. … (and) suggest that teacher training may provide a less costly means of increasing test scores than reducing class size or adding school hours’.

Furthermore, other research suggests that students from low income families or from minority backgrounds are least likely to be taught by qualified and effective teachers[7]. Thus, quality of teaching appears to be an important determinant of equity in educational outcomes.

The quality of teaching thus affects two issues that are vital for the EU: school attainment and equity. It is important for the Union's objectives to adopt a Europe-wide approach to improving the quality of Teacher Education so that quicker progress can be made towards meeting common objectives.

2.4 There is a n eed for action on Teacher Education

There is a need for action on Teacher Education in the European Union for three main reasons, which the proposal is intended to tackle.

2.4.1 Skill shortages.

- In a recent OECD survey[8], covering 17 European countries, almost all countries report shortfalls in the skills that teachers need in order to meet school needs, combined with difficulties in updating teachers’ skills.

- Shortages relate especially to a lack of the appropriate level and range of knowledge and competence, in particular to deal with new developments in education (including individualised learning, preparing pupils for autonomous learning, dealing with heterogeneous classrooms, preparing learners to make the most of the information society …).

- Furthermore, recent developments at European Union level can be expected to increase the need for Teacher Education; the European Framework of Key Competences, with its emphasis on the provision of transversal skills, will have implications for the ways in which many subjects are taught. The European Qualifications Framework, with its emphasis on learning outcomes, will also imply changes of approach for many teachers.

- There is some evidence that, at least in some countries, teacher quality has declined over time[9]. Moreover, in many countries there is a perception that the reputation of teaching as a profession has declined over time and that there has been a ‘de-professionalisation’ process that has altered the mix of people going in to the profession in the recent past.

2.4.2 L ack of coherence and continuity between different, often separate, elements of teachers' education.

This has the effects that:

- There is little systematic coordination between a teacher's initial teacher education and subsequent induction and in-service training and professional development; nor are these processes often linked to school development and improvement, or educational research.

- Incentives for teachers to carry on updating their skills throughout their professional lives are weak.

2.4.3 The amount of in-service training available to practising teachers is very limited

- In-service training for teachers is compulsory in only eleven Member States, but teachers are not explicitly obliged to engage in CPD in all of these states [10];

- Where it exists, training generally amounts to less than 20 hours per year. There is no Member State in which the minimum compulsory training exceeds five days per year, and in most countries only three days training per year is compulsory.

- Furthermore, the fact that in-service training may be compulsory says little about actual participation rates.

- As regards new teachers, only half of the countries in Europe offer new teachers any systematic kind of support (e.g. induction, training, mentoring) in their first years of teaching.

- Explicit frameworks to assist teachers who experience difficulties in performing their duties adequately exist in only one third of countries.

Tables 1 and 2 below : The minimum annual time allocation for compulsory in-service training varies from one country to the next. In Estonia and the United Kingdom (Scotland) more than 30 hours a year are compulsory. In all other countries except Belgium and Malta, the annual number of hours is under 20. In Germany and Liechtenstein, the number of compulsory hours is not specified centrally.

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Table 3 below: Closely related to the issue of in-service training is the extent of any support for new teachers, including mentoring. Following the completion of initial teacher education, and, in some countries, the completion of the final ‘on the job’ qualifying or induction phase, teachers still face many challenges in the early years of their career. Special support measures can help them to overcome difficulties they may face as newcomers to the profession, and reduce the likelihood that these teachers will leave the profession early. Despite the potential benefits, support measures for new teachers are still not very widespread. In 2002, only half of all countries offered new teachers assistance during this time.

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2.5 What are the underlying drivers of the problem?

The following drivers have been identified.

2.5.1 Changing demands from society

- The economic and social changes in Europe proceeding from the knowledge revolution place increasingly complex demands on schools and on the teaching profession. They are expected to provide learning opportunities that respond to the needs of pupils from many different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, that are sensitive to culture and gender issues, that promote tolerance and social cohesion, that respond effectively to disadvantaged students and students with learning or behavioural problems, that use new technologies, and that keep pace with rapidly developing fields of knowledge and approaches to student assessment.

- The knowledge society, with its emphasis on new information technologies, and the great variety of information that is now available to learners via electronic means, requires teachers not only to be able to use new technologies effectively in the classroom, but also to give their pupils the skills to access, evaluate and manage information in the information intensive society.

- In a world in which every citizen needs to carry on learning throughout life, teachers are called upon to equip pupils with skills in self-directed learning, and teachers are thus called upon to be classroom managers rather than ex-cathedra trainers; this requires them to (re-) train in, and to adopt, new teaching approaches and new styles of teaching.

- These changes require teachers not only to learn new knowledge and skills but also to continuously develop them on a regular basis. To equip the teaching body with skills and competences for its new roles, it is necessary to have both high-quality initial teacher education and a process of continuous professional development keeping teachers up to date with the skills required in the knowledge based society.

2.5.2 Demographics

- By comparison with all other professions in the European Union, teaching has a higher proportion of older people. Demographic patterns mean that many teachers are facing retirement in the coming years. The proportion of teachers aged between 45 and 64 is over 40% in many countries. In some countries as many as 30% of the teaching population are aged between 50 and 64 years of age[11]. These facts imply a need for investment in continuing professional development and re-training to enable staff to cope with new teaching approaches etc.

Table 4: Age structure of all professionals and teachers (2005) [12]

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- Many Member States have difficulty in retaining experienced teachers. Overall, in countries for which data are available, the great majority of teachers retire from their profession as soon as they are offered an opportunity to do so. This presents Member States with a challenge: to replace the experience that is being lost, and an opportunity: to invest significantly in the initial training of a new wave of teachers and to improve the skills of existing teachers.

- For several Member States, especially those in which teaching is a low-status or low-paid profession and in which there are not enough new entrants into the profession, it will be crucial to make teaching an attractive career choice, in order to recruit the best candidates and to attract people to switch careers in favour of teaching; in contrast to recent practice in many Member States, experienced teachers will increasingly need to be persuaded to remain in the profession instead of retiring early and may therefore require additional professional development and support. Improvements in the quality and quantity of training are seen as one way to promote a positive view of the profession and facilitate the recruitment of new, and the retention of existing, teachers.

2.6 How would the problem evolve, all things being equal?

If no action is taken, the most likely outcome is that the attainment of the Union’s Lisbon objectives will be seriously compromised because the in-service training provided to teachers will continue to be limited and uncoordinated and the gaps between the skills that teachers possess and those they need will increase. The Union’s competitiveness will therefore be reduced. The impact will also be felt by:

- pupils: especially those from the least advantaged backgrounds, will not be guaranteed an education of the necessary quality;

- employers: who may consequently face continued skills shortages in the labour force;

- teachers themselves: who may face further demotivation because of the gap between society’s demands upon them and their skills levels; and

- teacher employers: who will find it increasingly difficult to attract and retain staff with sufficient skills.

Furthermore, if no action is taken at European Union level, the response of Member States to the problem risks being piecemeal and insufficient. Teacher education programmes are likely to continue being based upon outdated models, meaning that the next generation of teachers – very large in number because of demographic trends - will be inadequately prepared to meet the needs of pupils and society, and an opportunity will have been lost. While the limits of this kind of action at EU level, in an area where there is no competence, must be acknowledged, we know from other areas that a concerted EU focus on an issue can help to deliver better national performance. The importance of the issue justifies the effort.

2.7 Political mandate

Education and training are essential aspects of the European Union’s Lisbon strategy for jobs, growth and social cohesion.

The European Council at Lisbon in 2000 called for the adaptation and modernisation of education and training systems within a lifelong learning perspective, and set a target for the EU to become the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

The Barcelona Council in March 2002 adopted the "Education and Training 2010" work programme (ET 2010), which set three goals and 13 detailed objectives for improvement in Member States’ education and training systems. It emphasised that teachers and trainers are central to the process of renewing education and training systems. It identified issues surrounding teachers as being key, right from the outset: these included identifying the skills that teachers and trainers should have; providing the conditions to adequately support them, including through initial and continuing professional development; and addressing recruitment issues about attractiveness and flexible routes into the profession for people changing careers.

In 2004, the Education Council and the Commission Joint Interim Report to the European Council[13] reiterated that the success of the Lisbon strategy depended on the availability of high quality teachers and trainers who can implement reforms.

The Joint Interim Report to the European Council gave priority to the development of common European principles for the competences and qualifications needed by teachers and trainers if they are to fulfil their changing role in a knowledge-based society.

The proposed Recommendation therefore responds to several explicit requests from the Member States and is a key element of the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme, which seeks to achieve the education and training element of the Lisbon goals.

2.8 Legal basis

Article 150 of the Treaty states that Community action shall support and supplement the action of the Member States, and, in particular, as stated in paragraph 2 of the Article, improve initial vocational training, facilitate vocational integration and reintegration, as well as to develop exchanges of information and experience on common issues. The objective of the proposed Recommendation is to improve all these aspects of vocational education and training as it provides common principles on teacher competences and qualifications that can facilitate Member States' efforts to adapt their vocational education and training systems for teachers to meet the changes in the labour market and society in general.

The value added of European level action is that it can spur Member States to address the problem; their attention. is drawn to the scale of the problem, and its possible consequences for the objectives they set in Lisbon in 2000. Without this, it is possible that some Member States may take no remedial action at all.

European Union intervention is necessary to encourage Member States to act in a coherent and concerted way to tackle a problem that affects the whole Union.

Some Member States do not have access to the latest advice about the options for tackling the problem of the quality of teacher education; they look to the European Union to provide an analysis of the situation and to propose possible solutions. This is, indeed, the basis of the open method of coordination and the Education and Training 2010 process, to which the Commission is party.

Member States having committed themselves through these processes to take action to improve Teacher Education, it behoves the Commission to provide timely support necessary to secure the effectiveness of their actions.

2.9 Subsidiarity and proportionality

The subsidiarity principle applies insofar as the proposal does not fall under the exclusive competence of the Community.

The objectives of the proposal cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States acting alone because the common objectives set by the Union and the common challenges faced by Member States require a broad approach that is based upon common principles. The main function of the Recommendation is to spell out the key elements of such a common approach, and to provide Member States with an impetus for change – to provide a focus and a rationale for action. A Recommendation of this nature provides a common European framework for action towards shared goals.

It should be recalled that the content of the Recommendation arises from expert consensus between all Member States, and is based on best practice.

This proposal conforms to the principle of proportionality because it does not replace or define national qualifications systems and/or qualifications and leaves the implementation of the recommendation to the Member States. Existing reporting systems will be used, minimising the administrative burden.

3. OBJECTIVES

3.1. Consistency with other policies and objectives of the Union

“The Union must become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion” (European Council, Lisbon, March 2000).

The current proposal contributes to the Lisbon goals of growth, employment and social cohesion:

- the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 recognised education and training as an integral part of economic and social policies, as an instrument for strengthening Europe's competitiveness worldwide, and as a guarantee for ensuring the cohesion of our societies and the full development of its citizens;

- the promotion of lifelong learning is necessary for the development of a competitive and sustainable European economy;

- the Barcelona European Council in 2002 called for European education and training to become a world quality reference by 2010;

- the Recommendation will encourage Member States to improve the preparation of teachers so that they are better equipped to provide education of a high quality.

3.2. Policy objectives

The European Social Fund provides some financial support for specific local projects to improve Teacher Education. The general objective of the current proposal is to provide Member States with a number of broad policy orientations, based upon best practice (as identified by the Member States themselves), that can provide a framework for the development of their policies and practices to improve the quality of teacher education; this will complement the work already underway through the open method of coordination on the exchange of good practice, peer reviews etc.

This is consistent with the "Education and Training 2010" work programme (ET 2010) adopted by the Barcelona Council in March 2002[14], which emphasised that teachers and trainers are central to the Lisbon agenda and identified as key objectives, inter alia:

- identifying the skills that teachers and trainers should have; and

- providing the conditions to adequately support them, including through initial and continuing professional development.

3.3. Operational objectives

In relation to the three types of problem outlined in section 2 above, the immediate operational objectives are:

Problem identified | Immediate objectives |

Skill shortage amongst teachers | all teachers possess the knowledge, attitudes and pedagogic skills to be able to help young people to reach their full potential |

Lack of coherence and continuity between different elements of teacher education. | provision for teachers' initial education, induction and further professional development is coordinated as a coherent system, and is adequately resourced. |

limited amount of in-service training available to practising teachers | All teachers have opportunity and time to study for further qualifications, and take part in study and research at a Higher Education level; are encouraged and supported continuously to extend and develop their competences throughout their careers; and have paid opportunities to undertake exchanges and placements in support of their professional development. |

3.4 Research findings

The specific policy recommendations are supported by research evidence such as the following.

The need to improve in-service Teacher Education is supported by evidence that currently, provision described as in-service education and training for teachers is often limited to short information-giving and awareness-raising, 'one-shot' activities' [15]. These approaches foster teachers’ awareness and interest but are insufficient to foster learning that fundamentally alters what teachers teach and how they teach it[16]. However, of those teachers who participate in long term professional development activities the majority reported changes in their teaching practice.[17]

The recommendation to involve teachers more in educational research stems from the observation that 'Teachers have not generally taken an active part in the production of knowledge about their own teaching -indeed there has been a tension between so-called 'scientific' knowledge (theory) and professional or practical knowledge (practice)[18].

A coordinated, life-long approach to Teacher Education that brings together initial training, induction, mentoring and continuing professional development can be justified by research that teachers working alone in classrooms are likely to operate on models of restricted professionality, which discourages systematic self-and peer review of thinking, planning and practice. In addition, the “means-ends” models of training, implicit in school-based apprenticeship models of initial training, may reduce the attention paid to critical reflection. There is a need to foster cultures of collaboration which must begin at the pre-service stage, be sustained throughout teachers’ careers and be led by teacher educators who themselves are ‘reflective practitioners’, lifelong learners, and who have a vision of the kind of teacher needed for the pupil, school, and society. That is why induction and mentoring are very important processes[19].

Research[20] in the area of collaborative professional development of teachers (CPD) suggests that ‘sustained and collaborative CPD was linked with a positive impact upon teachers’ repertoire of teaching and learning strategies, their ability to match these to their students’ needs, their self-esteem, confidence and their commitment to continuing learning and development. There is also evidence that such CPD was linked with a positive impact upon student learning processes, motivation and outcomes.

A number of studies have shown the professional and personal isolation that occurs during a period of induction to the teaching profession[21]. Others[22] point to a number of criticisms of the first year of teaching, suggesting that classroom reality did not always reflect the policy framework. Many new teachers appeared to have inadequate information, were isolated and saw the first year of teaching as concerned only with assessment of their competence rather that any systematic professional development. Evidence shows that structured induction programme with increased reflection, improvement of collegiality, openness and communication, greater teacher autonomy, self-growth and personal efficacy, led to increased teacher retention and produced less anxiety and burnout.[23]

4. WHAT ARE THE MAIN POLICY OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO REACH THE OBJECTIVES?

The options under consideration have been defined in the light of two factors:

- though the problem is of concern to the Union as a whole, responsibility for solving it lies with Member States because it relates to the content and organisation of education and training systems;

- the nature of the problem is a political one; it requires Member States to adopt a common policy approach if they are to meet their common objectives for education and training.

In the light of this, the option of bringing forward a Regulation has been discounted because the Commission’s competencies in this field do not provide for it; it would not have met the tests of subsidiarity and proportionality.

Equally, the option of ‘no action’ has been discounted for the reasons outlined in Section 2.

The remaining possible courses of action that have been considered are:

1. a Communication from the European Commission setting out the results of the recent joint working by Member States in the field of Teacher Education, and calling for further action by Member States;

2. a Proposal for a Decision of the Council and Parliament establishing a set of Common Principles for Teacher Education to be used as a framework by Member States;

3. a Recommendation of the Commission to the Council recommending further action by Member States.

4. a Proposal for a Recommendation of the Council and Parliament recommending further action by Member States, on the basis of the proposals made by Member States representatives through the open method of coordination.

4.1 Option 1: a Commission Communication

Under this option, the Communication would set out proposals, specifying tasks for the Member States and the Commission. The Council could choose to respond with Conclusions if it wished.

A Commission Communication is not a legal instrument under the Treaty and a Commission Communication on the quality of Teacher Education would not require commitments from Member States to take action at national level.

4.2 Option 2: a European Parliament and Council Decision

A Decision is a legal instrument adopting principles and would involve Member States and the European Parliament in the legislative procedure.

A Decision would differ from a Recommendation in that it would decide on the objectives, principles and mechanisms for implementation. The advice gathered and the consensus reached through the open method of coordination was based on the assumption that the Commission would produce a “reference” text.

Decisions in the area of education and training policy have been rare, and have mainly been used to authorise financing of programmes.

For all these reasons, a Decision would therefore be difficult politically.

4.3 Option 3: a Commission Recommendation

Under this option, the Commission would put forward a Recommendation, which is a legal instrument, but does not involve the Member States or the European Parliament in its formal adoption.

As a legal instrument, a Commission Recommendation would therefore formally go beyond a Commission Communication, but would be politically weakened by the lack of Member State involvement in its preparation which could affect the extent of political commitment from the Member States to implement it at national level.

4.4 Option 4: a proposal for a Recommendation of the Council and European Parliament, under Article 150 of the Treaty

This option entails adopting a Recommendation under Article 150. A Council and European Parliament Recommendation is a legal instrument under which the Member States and the European Parliament would participate fully in the legislative procedure.

Such a Recommendation would go beyond other options in requiring a political commitment from the Member States to implement the proposals at the national level, but given their involvement in the open method of coordination, such a commitment should not be problematic. It would respond to the wish of the European Parliament to take part in procedures that emanate from the open method of coordination. Such an instrument has been used on a number of occasions in the education and training field and has already developed a high level of acceptability among the Member States .

5. ANALYSIS OF POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE OPTIONS

An analysis of the impacts, positive and negative, of the options considered is set out below.

5.1 L ikely economic, social and environmental impacts

For each of these options the likely economic, social and environmental impacts should be broadly similar in nature, if different in degree.

In all cases, the intended impact would be action by Member States to redefine their Teacher Education policies along the lines already proposed by their expert representatives, leading to the implementation of strategies to enhance the quality of teacher education programmes that are relevant to the needs of the European Union.

It should be recalled that the measures proposed derive from Member States' experts themselves, during exchanges of good practice; there is therefore a sense in which the measures have been 'pre-tested' and found to be positive.

It should also be borne in mind that it is in the nature of this type of instrument that it is phrased in terms of outcomes; (e.g. if Member States follow the Recommendations, all teachers will have the skills to identify the specific needs of each individual learner, and respond to them by deploying a wide range of teaching strategies); in other words, the intended impacts are defined in the instrument itself; it is for Member States to decide how (and if) they will achieve them.

As is generally the case with this type of legal instrument, though there will be some indirect impacts, the direct impact will be at a political level (changes in policy orientation, changes of emphasis, increased investment …). This kind of medium term indirect effect is hard to quantify. However, based upon the results of previous similar Recommendations, we believe that overall impacts will include the following.

At European Union level,

- the common orientations will encourage Member States to develop their Teacher Education policies along the same lines, leading over time to convergence in the direction of Teacher Education policies;

- the policy recommendations are based upon best practice; they encourage Member States to raise their standards to the levels of the best performers, thus narrowing the gap between 'best' and 'worse' performers in Teacher Education, leading to a more homogeneous approach across the European Union

- Teacher Education courses will equip teachers across the European Union to promote the recently adopted European framework of Key Competences by emphasising pedagogic skills as well as subject knowledge and teaching.

At national and regional level, the Recommendation should lead over time to a situation in each Member State in which:

- provision for teachers' initial education, induction and further professional development is coordinated, coherent, and adequately resourced;

- teaching is further professionalized (e.g. all teachers are graduates; evidence-based teaching becomes the norm);

- the status and recognition of the teaching profession is advanced (e.g. Teacher Education is delivered in all three cycles of Higher Education);

- supply and take up of continuous professional development are improved.

As regards the different policy instruments available to the Commission:

5.2 Positive and negative impacts, direct and indirect

5. The choice of a Communication from the European Commission, amongst the other instruments available, could have the negative impact of appearing to Member States to be unnecessarily tentative to use in a field in which joint work via the open method of coordination has shown that there is much common ground and consensus, and where there is a demand for action at EU level.

6. The choice of a Decision, amongst the other instruments available, could have the negative impact of appearing to Member States to be unnecessarily directive, in a field in which the Commission has always striven to work via consensus-building.

7. The choice of a Commission Recommendation could have the negative impact of appearing to Member States to be unnecessarily tentative to use in a field in which joint work via the open method of coordination has shown that there is much common ground and consensus, and where there is a demand for action at EU level.

8. The choice of a Recommendation of the Council and Parliament, whilst possibly having the negative effect of appearing to be a cumbersome instrument, could have the following positive impacts:

9. enabling the Council to take a position on the issue;

10. enable the Council to endorse the preparatory work of Member State experts in this field;

11. building upon the joint work so far undertaken and political investment shown through the open method of coordination;

12. maintaining the consensual way of working that has been employed so far in this field;

Moreover, there is a history of using such Recommendations to achieve objectives in fields related to Education and Training, for example:

- the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Qualifications Framework;

- the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Key competences;

- the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Quality Charter for Mobility;

- the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council 2006/143/EC of 15 February 2006 on further European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education.

A European Parliament and Council Recommendation under Article 150 would therefore be the most appropriate legislative instrument.

5.3 Uncertainties and changes in parameters

Impacts outside the European Union cannot be excluded. Non-Member States may find inspiration in the proposals set out by the Commission.

The issue of compliance does not arise; the option proposed is not legally binding.

6. COMPARING THE OPTIONS

Equal weight has been allocated to each of the positive and negative impacts identified.

There would be a clear European added value in action being taken at European Union level.

The most appropriate course of actions appears to be (4) a Recommendation to the Council.

No action | Communication | European Parliament and Council Decision | Commission Recommendation | EP and Council Recommendation |

Builds on consensual approach of OMC | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |

Commitment from Member States | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |

Involvement of European Parliament | No | No | Yes | No | Yes |

7. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Commission would monitor the implementation of the Recommendation and report, five years after its adoption, to the European Parliament and the Council, on the experience gained and consider the implications for the future, including if necessary a review of the legal instrument.

The Commission is already working with a large number of Member States and with OECD to develop and feed an indicator of the amount of teacher training undertaken by teachers in the European Union. When available, this will be used to measure progress by Member States in investing in teacher education.

The Eurydice European Unit produces regular surveys of educational policies and inputs (including information about the structures and curricula for Teacher Education); together with OECD data, these will also enable progress to be monitored in the longer term.

The following indicators will enable the Council, Parliament and Commission to determine if the Recommendation's objectives have been reached:

- the number of Member States that use the Recommendation as a common reference point for developing their policies on Teacher Education;

- the increase in the number of teachers who are trained in / who possess the competences outlined in the Recommendation;

- the increase in the number of teachers who possess the qualifications outlined in the Recommendation;

- the extent to which in each country provision for teachers' initial education, induction and further professional development is coordinated as a coherent system, and is adequately resourced.

Using these indicators, the Commission will monitor and report on progress on this matter through the Education and Training 2010 process.

Annex I: Report of the Testing Conference

[pic] | EUROPEAN COMMISSION Education and Culture Lifelong Learning: Education and Training policies School education and higher education |

Testing Conference on the Common European Principles forTeacher Competences and Qualifications 20 TH - 21 ST JUNE 2005

Introduction

13. This report is a summary of discussions at the testing conference on 20-21 June 2005. This conference was organised by the European Commission in order to examine a draft set of European Principles for Teacher Competences and Qualifications prepared by the Commission on the basis of the work undertaken by its Expert Group on improving the education of teachers and trainers. Conference delegates included government representatives with national and regional policy responsibility for teacher and trainer education, staff from teacher education institutions and representatives from European stakeholder organisations.

Background

14. Education and training are essential aspects of the European Union’s Lisbon strategy for jobs, growth and social cohesion. The European Council at Lisbon in 2000 called for the adaptation and modernisation of education and training systems within a lifelong learning perspective, and set a target for the EU to become the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

15. Within this context the European Council and Commission established the 2010 Education and Training work programme. This included setting up a series of Expert Groups, including one on teachers and trainers which was asked to consider policy practices aimed at improving education and the performance of teachers and trainers in the context of their changing role in society. Initially the Expert Group focused on the competences that were needed by teachers, the policies which could enable teachers to respond to their changing role in society, and the availability of indicators for measuring progress in the area of teachers and trainers.

16. In 2004, the Education Council and the Commission, in their Joint Interim Report to the European Council, reiterated the fact that the success of the Lisbon strategy depended on the availability of high quality teachers and trainers who can implement reforms on the ground. The report gave priority to the development of common European principles for the competences and qualifications needed by teachers and trainers in order to fulfil their changing role in the knowledge-based society.

17. The Expert Group on teachers and trainers responded to this report by making the development of common European principles one of its key priorities. The Expert Group considered how best to reflect the needs of teachers and trainers in one paper. Following considerable discussion and debate, they decided to focus on the work of teachers as there were more areas where a common European approach could be productive. Their work, strongly supported and enhanced by a focus group comprising four European experts, led to the production of the first draft of European principles for teachers’ competences and qualifications. The testing conference was organised to examine more closely the ideas underpinning this paper.

The testing conference

18. The Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, Mr Ján Figel’, opened the conference by welcoming delegates and stressing the importance of the teaching profession to the Lisbon strategy. Although progress in the area of education had been better than in many other areas, more needed to be done if the targets in the Joint Interim Report were to be met. These targets for 2010, agreed by Ministers at the Education Council in 2003, are:

19. to achieve an average rate of no more than 10% of pupils are early school leavers;

20. to increase by at least 15% the total number of graduates in Member states while at the same time reducing the gender imbalance;

21. to raise to 85% the proportion of 22 year olds completing upper secondary education;

22. to halve the percentage of low-achieving 15-year olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy; and

23. to raise the average participation of the adult working population in lifelong learning to at least 12.5%[24].

24. The conference focused on teachers[25], rather than teachers and trainers, because teaching is a regulated profession where the regional and national state authorities have a significant role and considerable influence. Whilst in many countries there is an overlap to the work of teachers and trainers, there are also significant differences especially for those teachers who work with pupils in primary schools and pre-school settings. The conference reflected the discussions of the Expert Group by concentrating on the work of teachers.

25. The development of common European principles for teacher education should provide an impetus for policy reforms at a national or regional level. These principles recognise the important role teachers play in contributing to the economic and cultural aspects of a knowledge-based society. They also help to foster individuals’ employability, and prepare young people to be active citizens and autonomous lifelong learners. Although much is expected of teachers, they cannot be expected to bear these responsibilities on their own. High quality initial and continuing teacher education is needed throughout Europe to provide teachers with the skills and qualifications they need.

26. The testing conference considered the extent to which there was, or could be, a European consensus on how best to support and train teachers. Recognising the importance of national and regional systems in the field of education, the draft principles paper aims to have an impact on the environment and context within which teachers work. The paper should help policy makers examine and reflect upon their own system in order to identify what else could be done to support teachers’ education and training.

27. General comments on the conference paper. The testing conference, organised around a series of concurrent workshops, discussed the draft principles and recommendations in the paper.

28. There was widespread agreement that a paper aimed at regional and national policy makers would be helpful, particularly if the recommendations were of a general nature in order to provide opportunities for policies to be contextualised and meet the needs of different educational systems. While some delegates would value guidance on how to implement the recommendations e.g. through examples of good practice, others welcomed a paper which offered an overarching framework and context in which policies could be developed. Other delegates suggested that including too much detail would not be helpful and they were keen to keep the ideas focused at a strategic level.

29. For some delegates the paper merely set out the current situation and did not provide sufficient guidance on the next steps. For them the paper was weak and did not go far enough in recommending or promoting change. However, others saw the paper as an attempt to encourage convergence in European systems in order to improve quality. As such they felt the paper’s recommendations were not sufficiently flexible and did not adequately recognise the different systems across Europe.

30. There was general agreement that the relationship between teachers’ competences and the recommendations should be improved. Some of the ideas in the section on competences had not been reflected fully in the subsequent recommendations. As such some delegates were unsure which parts of the paper were most relevant to their own context. Delegates asked for a closer relationship between the sections of the paper in order to help to clarify its purpose.

31. Many delegates commented on the collection of good ideas in the paper, the potential to use the paper as a checklist for individual countries and regions, and the flexibility to determine which parts of the paper to accept and follow up. Some delegates would welcome greater clarity on the purpose of the paper and guidance on how it will be used, particularly with regard to whether the European Commission intends to monitor the implementation of the recommendations. While some delegates felt the inclusion of indicators or benchmarks would strengthen the document in terms of encouraging implementation, others considered any additional monitoring to be burdensome and felt these issues should be addressed at a later date.

Emerging issues

32. During the discussions on the principles and recommendations a number of emerging issues, focusing on specific aspects of the paper were identified by delegates.

The role of trainers

33. For some delegates the paper’s focus on teachers was a lost opportunity as there are significant overlaps between the work of teacher and trainers and everyone’s needs could be accommodated in the paper. As some national and regional systems consider teachers and trainers as belonging to one profession, some delegates felt there would be benefits in including trainers.

34. Although much of this discussion was based on the principle of including trainers in the paper, some specific issues were considered including the need to ensure continuing professional development provides vocational teachers and trainers with opportunities to experience work-based settings in order to update their subject based skills and industrial knowledge. Developing extensive partnerships networks, with private and public sector enterprises, is one way of supporting trainers’ vocational development.

35. Informal and non-formal learning opportunities are of particular importance to trainers. Sometimes this involves developing systems which encourage candidates without traditional qualifications to enter the teaching and training profession, at other times it leads to flexible continuing professional development opportunities. In both situations trainers’ skills and knowledge of industry should be valued and regularly up-dated.

Partnership

36. There was general agreement on the importance of retaining partnership as one of the common principles, and a wider definition which included industry, work based learning opportunities and the European perspective should be applied. Many delegates felt it would be useful to strengthen the text surrounding partnership in order to put things on a more formal basis, and set out the roles and responsibilities of each partner. Delegates emphasised the value of partnerships which improved the quality of training.

37. The importance of practical, relevant training was stressed, particularly in order to ensure teachers’ and trainee teachers’ pedagogic skills were strong. For some the links to schools, and the schools’ perspective on partnership needed to be strengthened to ensure that their interests are met. Partners should be expected to demonstrate a continuing commitment to high quality, relevant training, and recognise the roles and responsibilities of all. Partnerships should be based on shared values and support the development of trainee and serving teachers. Sometimes these partnerships will involve the transfer of resources.

The importance of schools as employers

38. There was a widespread view that teaching should be viewed and promoted as a career of choice rather than a last resort. As such, policies need to be developed that support a high status, high reward profession. Some delegates thought more should be said about teachers’ working conditions and remuneration in order to enhance the status of teaching and make the profession more attractive.

39. Some delegates felt the needs of schools had been understated and the paper reflected the perspectives of governments and teacher education institutions. Greater consideration should be given to the role of schools as a context for teachers’ continuing professional development as training should not only involve attending courses. Delegates emphasised the important role schools have in promoting and actively involving their own staff in lifelong learning. Many delegates thought schools were interested in becoming learning organisations, able and willing to innovate, and ready to help trainee teachers, teachers and other staff develop further their skills.

40. There was some discussion as to whether the paper would help to equip teachers to work in the schools of the future. Many delegates commented that it was important to train and support teachers who are able to respond to uncertainty, in order that they can become agents of change rather than recipients of change. Schools recognise the importance of values, ethics and teachers’ attitudes to change, and would want these aspects of professional life to be supported and developed. Training should also help teachers who wish to reflect on their own practice, develop other staff, look outside their immediate school environment and work in teams.

The European dimension

41. Many delegates stressed the importance of locating this work within the context of other European developments such as the Bologna process and the creation of a European Qualifications Framework. There was considerable interest in ensuring that teacher education was available in all three cycles of higher education for those teachers who wished to pursue doctoral level studies. Some delegates raised the question of whether all teachers should be expected to have a second cycle qualification, either to enter teaching or as a result of subsequent professional training and development.

42. There was support for the European dimension in teacher education, particularly as it relates to mobility projects supported by European and national programmes. Mobility programmes were seen as adding value to training programmes as they helped teachers and trainee teachers gain a better understanding of cultural differences. Delegates thought that European mobility, both for professional development and as part of a European project, should be developed within the European Credit Transfer System and the European Higher Education Area. Some delegates wondered if the paper should promote a set of European values associated with the idea of a European citizen.

43. There were a number of specific proposals relating to the European dimension including support for the development of foreign language skills, with some delegates asking for this to be a key competence within the paper. A few delegates proposed the establishment of a European Centre for Teacher Education and others suggested introducing a global dimension to the paper.

Support for teachers and teacher educators

44. Much is being expected from teachers and delegates recognised that this could only be justified if teachers were well supported. There was a debate over who decides what continuing professional development should be available in each education system. Some delegates felt that teachers should have the choice as to what further training to undertake, others thought this was a role for schools as their employers, and others thought the government should make the decisions in partnership with schools and teachers. For some delegates it would be useful to have guidance on this issue.

45. A second key issue related to who should take responsibility for arranging and instigating teachers’ further training. Many delegates thought the paper placed too much responsibility on individual teachers at the expense of the school systems within a national structure. Delegates asked for the paper to emphasise the role of national and regional policies in supporting teachers to update their pedagogic skills and subject knowledge. Delegates emphasised that primary and secondary teachers are likely to have different training needs and these needs will change over time.

46. Teachers should be considered as valued professionals who are highly-regarded members of their local community. As such they should be able to influence decisions on their own training. Delegates stressed the importance of leaving pedagogic decisions to teachers and giving them the intellectual freedom to make their own choices in the classroom. It is only in this way that teachers will be encouraged to be innovative and build on their own successful practice.

47. Delegates were keen to include a reference to teacher trainers in the paper as they play an important part in supporting and developing new and serving teachers. Without support for the training providers the overall education system would be weakened.

Opportunities for teachers’ lifelong learning

48. Delegates emphasised the important role that schools could and should play in supporting teachers’ lifelong learning. Lifelong learning should be relevant to the work of teachers. It should reflect teachers’ needs and help them to improve the quality of the school system. It should not be seen as an exercise in gathering credits towards a qualification or award, rather it should be something that develops competence. For some teachers it will have a research focus, for others it will help improve practice and pupils’ achievements. National and regional policies should encourage individual teachers to participate in lifelong learning, either through offering incentives or through demonstrating the value of improving and developing their own practice. High quality systems which are tailored to the needs of individual teachers are more likely to encourage participation and lead to improvements in pupils’ achievements.

49. Teachers and trainee teachers should be encouraged and supported to recognise change as an important part of all educational systems. This would help to create more demand for continuing professional development and establish lifelong learning as a common experience and expectation of all teachers.

The role of evidence

50. Delegates emphasised the importance of teachers’ ability to adapt to new circumstances throughout their career. Skills in research and the use of evidence were thought to help prepare them for frequent changes and new developments in policy and practice. Delegates welcomed the ideas in the paper and considered whether it would be more effective to incorporate aspects of research and the use of evidence in all the common principles rather than as a separate section.

51. For some delegates an interest in using or undertaking research needed to be developed during a teachers’ initial training programme. This would prepare teachers to use evidence to inform their own practice and create a greater understanding of the role of research in the development of practice.

A graduate profession

52. Within a context of supporting the principle of a graduate-based profession there were questions about how to value non-formal and informal learning through a system of accrediting prior experiential learning and achievement. Delegates thought this was particularly important for trainers as those without graduate level qualifications would need support to gain professional recognition. Delegates also gave examples of Member States’ policies to encourage those with relevant professional experience to enter the teaching profession.

53. Delegates thought it was important to include references to flexible ways of training to be a teacher in order that prior achievement and non-formal qualifications and training could contribute to initial teacher education.

Teachers’ mobility

54. There was support for a wide-ranging definition of mobility based on professional development. This could include short-term and long-term teacher and trainee teacher exchanges, bilateral and multilateral arrangements and mobility between different sectors of education. Delegates would like to see obstacles to mobility removed in order for teachers to be able to find the scheme or initiative that best met their needs and circumstances.

55. For some teachers mobility could involve developments outside the education sector as well as exchanges with staff in other European countries. Delegates considered whether references to funding and the availability of resources within a European context should be added to the paper.

Other issues

56. Delegates also asked for the following issues to be included or strengthened in the paper: the role of school support staff, the attractiveness of the teaching profession, the importance of teachers’ attitudes and professional values, teachers’ readiness to be flexible and open to changing their current practices, the importance of creating an inclusive society which values diversity, and links with other developments in the higher education sector.

Next steps

57. The ideas and recommendations within the text were welcomed and gained widespread support at the testing conference. There have been some minor adjustments to the paper in the light of delegates’ comments and discussions. The final version of the paper (Annex A) which forms an integral part of this report includes changes to the sections on:

58. trainers – while it was always difficult to draw boundaries between the work of teachers and trainers, the Commission has reviewed the way in which the two professions are defined in the paper;

59. lifelong learning – the conference paper had assigned a lot of responsibility to teachers. The final version recognises that it is reasonable for teachers to expect more from schools as employers, and national systems and structures which can support their continuing professional development;

60. partnership – it is important to recognise the wide range of partnerships which could benefit trainee and serving teachers. More has been done to acknowledge the value of local, flexible arrangements particularly in the area of vocational education and work based learning.

61. In early 2006, the Commission will table a proposal for a recommendation of the Council and the Parliament on the quality of teacher education which will invite national authorities to use the common principles as a reference point in the development of their policies on teacher education on the understanding that there is a widespread consensus that they are seen as appropriate and relevant to teacher education.

Annexe II: Common European Principles for Teacher[26] Competences and Qualifications

Introduction

This text aims to support policy makers at a national or regional level by setting out common European principles for teacher competences and qualifications. These have been devised in response to the challenges laid down in the Joint Interim Report by the European Council and the European Commission on progress towards Education and Training 2010 .[27]

Background

Teachers play a crucial role in supporting the learning experience of young people and adult learners. They are key players in how education systems evolve and in the implementation of the reforms which can make the European Union the highest performing knowledge-driven economy in the world by 2010. They recognise that high quality education provides learners with personal fulfilment, better social skills and more diverse employment opportunities. Their profession, which is inspired by values of inclusiveness and the need to nurture the potential of all learners, has a strong influence on society and plays a vital role in advancing human potential and shaping future generations. Therefore, to achieve its ambitious objective, the European Union views the role of teachers and their lifelong learning and career development as key priorities.

Teachers should be equipped to respond to the evolving challenges of the knowledge society, participate actively in it and prepare learners to be autonomous lifelong learners. They should, therefore, be able to reflect on the processes of learning and teaching through an ongoing engagement with subject knowledge, curriculum content, pedagogy, innovation, research, and the social and cultural dimensions of education. Teacher education needs to be at a higher education level or its equivalent and be supported by strong partnerships between higher education and the institutions where teachers will gain employment.

Teachers also have a key role in preparing learners for their role as EU citizens. As such, they need to be able to recognise and respect different cultures. First-hand experience gained in other European countries supports teachers in responding to this challenge. Priority should, therefore, be given to the development of mutual trust and recognition of the competences and qualifications[28] of teachers between member states.

Although teachers play a critical role in society, they cannot act alone. Their own high quality education needs to be supported by the institutions where they are employed, within the context of coherent national or regional policies that are appropriately resourced. These policies must address initial teacher education and continuing professional development, but must also be set within the broader context of education policy in general. Those who train teachers have an impact on the quality of learning and, therefore, they need to be supported as part of the national or regional system.

Common Principles

These Common European principles should provide an impetus for developing policies which will enhance the quality and efficiency of education across the Union. The common European principles are

- a well-qualified profession: high quality education systems require that all teachers are graduates from higher education institutions and those working in the field of initial vocational education should be highly qualified in their professional area and have a suitable pedagogical qualification. Every teacher should have the opportunity to continue their studies to the highest level in order to develop their teaching competences and to increase their opportunities for progression within the profession. Teacher education is multidisciplinary. This ensures that teachers have extensive subject knowledge, a good knowledge of pedagogy, the skills and competences required to guide and support learners, and an understanding of the social and cultural dimension of education.

- a profession placed within the context of lifelong learning[29]: teachers should be supported in order to continue their professional development throughout their careers. They and their employers should recognise the importance of acquiring new knowledge, and teachers should be able to innovate and use evidence to inform their work. They need to be employed in institutions which value lifelong learning in order to evolve and adapt throughout their whole career. Teachers should be encouraged to review evidence of effective practice and engage with current innovation and research in order to keep pace with the evolving knowledge society. They should be encouraged to participate actively in professional development, which can include periods of time spent outside the education sector, and this should be recognised and rewarded within their own systems.

- a mobile profession: mobility should be a central component of initial and continuing teacher education programmes. Teachers should be encouraged to participate in European projects and spend time working or studying in other European countries for professional development purposes. Those who do so should have their status recognised in the host country and their participation recognised and valued in their home country. There should also the opportunity for mobility between different levels of education and towards different professions within the education sector.

- a profession based on partnerships: institutions providing teacher education should organise their work collaboratively in partnership with schools, local work environments, work-based training providers and other stakeholders. Higher education institutions need to ensure that their teaching benefits from knowledge of current practice. Teacher education partnerships, which have an emphasis on practical skills and an academic and scientific basis, should provide teachers with the competence and confidence to reflect on their own and others’ practice. Teacher education, in itself, should be supported and be an object of study and research.

Making it work: the key competences

Teaching and education add to the economic and cultural aspects of the knowledge society and should therefore be seen in their societal context. Teachers should be able to:

Work with others: they work in a profession which should be based on the values of social inclusion and nurturing the potential of every learner. They need to have knowledge of human growth and development and demonstrate self-confidence when engaging with others. They need to be able to work with learners as individuals and support them to develop into fully participating and active members of society. They should also be able to work in ways which increase the collective intelligence of learners and co-operate and collaborate with colleagues to enhance their own learning and teaching.

Work with knowledge, technology and information: they need to be able to work with a variety of types of knowledge. Their education and professional development should equip them to access, analyse, validate, reflect on and transmit knowledge, making effective use of technology where this is appropriate. Their pedagogic skills should allow them to build and manage learning environments and retain the intellectual freedom to make choices over the delivery of education. Their confidence in the use of ICT should allow them to integrate it effectively into learning and teaching. They should be able to guide and support learners in the networks in which information can be found and built. They should have a good understanding of subject knowledge and view learning as a lifelong journey. Their practical and theoretical skills should also allow them to learn from their own experiences and match a wide range of teaching and learning strategies to the needs of learners.

Work with and in society: they contribute to preparing learners to be globally responsible in their role as EU citizens. Teachers should be able to promote mobility and co-operation in Europe, and encourage intercultural respect and understanding. They should have an understanding of the balance between respecting and being aware of the diversity of learners’ cultures and identifying common values. They also need to understand the factors that create social cohesion and exclusion in society and be aware of the ethical dimensions of the knowledge society. They should be able to work effectively with the local community, and with partners and stakeholders in education – parents, teacher education institutions, and representative groups. Their experience and expertise should also enable them to contribute to systems of quality assurance.

Teachers’ work in all these areas should be embedded in a professional continuum of lifelong learning which includes initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development , as they cannot be expected to possess all the necessary competences on completing their initial teacher education.

Recommendations to national and regional policy makers

To implement policies in line with these Common European principles, the following recommendations are made to those responsible for policy-making at national or regional levels:

1. The teaching profession should be well qualified.

- teachers should be graduates from a higher education institution or equivalent;

- those teaching in the field of initial vocational education should be highly qualified in their professional area and have a suitable teaching qualification;

- teacher education programmes should be delivered in all three cycles[30] of higher education in order to ensure their place in the European higher education area and to increase the opportunity for advancement and mobility within the profession;

- the contribution of research and evidence based practice to the development of new knowledge about education and training should be promoted.

2. The teaching profession should be seen as a continuum which includes initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development.

- coherent and adequately resourced lifelong learning strategies, covering formal and non-formal development activities are needed to deliver continuous professional development for teachers. These activities, which include subject-based and pedagogical training, should be available throughout their careers and be recognised appropriately.

- the content of initial and continuous professional development programmes should reflect the importance of interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to learning.

3. A mobile teaching profession should be encouraged.

- mobility projects for teachers should be facilitated and promoted as an integral part of initial and continuous professional development programmes.

- initial and continuous professional development programmes should ensure that teachers have the knowledge and experience of European co-operation to enable them to value and respect cultural diversity and to educate learners to become EU citizens and globally responsible.

- opportunities to study European languages, including the use of specialist vocabulary, during initial teacher education and in continuous professional development programmes should be available and promoted.

- priority should be given to developing greater trust and transparency of teacher qualifications within Europe to allow for mutual recognition and increased mobility.

4. The teaching profession should work in partnership with other stakeholders.

- partnerships between institutions where teachers will be employed, industry, training providers and higher education institutions should be encouraged in order to support high quality training and effective practice, and to develop networks of innovation at local and regional levels.

Annexe III: Testing Conference: Participation

COUNTRY | NAME | Organisation |

BELGIUM (FR) | LEPAGE Yvan | Conseil De L'education Et De La Formation - Ministere De La Communaute Francaise De Belgique |

MELON Christophe | Institut De La Formation En Cours De Carriere - Ifc |

BECKERS Jacqueline | Universite De Liege |

JARDON Dorothee | Universite De Liege |

BELGIUM (VL) | HOSTENS Gaby | Ministry Of The Flemish Community/Education Department |

MEYSMAN Hilde | Section Of General Secondary Teacher Education |

DEPUTTER Marleen– | Ministry Of The Flemish Community/Education Department |

CZECH EPUBLIC | KRMICKOVA | In-Service Teachers Training Unit - Ministry Of Education, Youth And Sport |

KALOUSKOVA Jarmila | Ministry Of Education, Youth And Sport |

DENMARK | ERIKSEN Christian | Ministry Of Education |

CHRISTENSEN Tyge Skovgaard | Cvu - Center For Further Education |

GERMANY | KRÜGER Michael | Hessisches Kultursministerium |

KRUG Peter | Ministerium Für Wissenschaft, Weiterbildung, Forschung Und Kultur |

VOLKER Ihde | Bundesministerium Für Bildung Und Forschung |

DEMMER Marianne | Stellvertretende Vorsitzende Der Gew |

KUNZ Norbert | Bundesministerium Für Bildung Und Forschung |

ESTONIA | MATTISEN Heli | Tallinn Pedagogical University (Tpu) |

EISENSCHMIDT Eve | Tallinn University |

SALUVEER Vilja | Higher Education Department-Ministry Of Education And Research |

GREECE | MAKRI-BOTSARI Evi | Pedagogical Institute |

SPAIN | MORENO GONZALES Antonio | Higher Institute For In-Service Teacher Training - Minister Of Education And Science |

PEREZ IRUELA Jose | Ministry Of Education And Science - Centro De Investigacion y Documentacion Educativa (Cide) |

SOLEDAD IGLESIAS | Ministry Of Education And Science |

CERVELLO COLLAZOS Josep | Universiada Complutense De Madrid - Facultad De Educacion |

GARCIA-VELASCO GARCIA Javier | Ministry Of Education And Science |

FRANCE | CORNU Bernard | Ict Department - Inrp |

ROBIN Isabelle | Direction De L'enseignement Superieur |

SIMONI Germaine | Bureau De La Formation Continue Des Enseignants - Direction De L'enseignement Scolaire |

CLEMENT Serge | Formation Des Personnels - Academie De Creteil |

GELIN Dominique | Directrice Adjointe De L'iufm De Creteil |

VAISSADE Christiane | Ministère De L’education Nationale |

IRELAND | LALLY Martin | Department Of Education And Science |

DRUDY Sheelagh | University College Dublin |

RYAN Paul | Department Of Education And Science |

HARKIN Sean | Department Of Education And Science, International Section |

ITALY | BIFERALE Nicoletta | Miur - Dg Formazione |

DI NICUOLO Giulia | D.G. International Affairs |

CASTELLETTI Chiara | Dg For School Staff |

CYPRUS | KOUTSELINI Mary | University Of Cyprus, Department Of Education |

LATVIA | BERZINA Arija | Department Of General Education |

VADONE Inta | Ministry Of Education And Science, Vocational And Continuing Education Department |

VIKSNA Sarmite | Jelgava's Regional Adult Education Center |

LITHUANIA | BALCIUNIENE Jolanta | Lietuvos Nuolatine Astvybe Europos Sajungoje |

BRIEDIS Mindaugas | Ministry Of Education And Science Of Lithuania |

ARUNAS Pliksnys | Ministry Of Education And Science Of Lithuania |

LUXEMBOURG | FANDEL Jean-Claude | Departement Des Evaluations Et Des Statistiques, Ministere De L'education Et De La Formation Professionnelle |

ENGEL Gilbert | Ministere De L'education Nationale Et De La Formation Professionnelle |

WEBER Jean- Marie | Universite Du Luxembourg |

HUNGARY | MILOTAY | Ministry Of Education |

NAGY Maria | National Institute Of Public Education |

MALTA | CAMILLERI Raymond | Curriculum Dept., Ministry Of Education Youth And Employment |

GATT Frank | Training & Staff Development, Ministry Of Education, Youth And Employment |

NETHERLANDS | SNOEK Marco | Educatieve Faculteit Amsterdam |

JANSMA Frank | Stichting Sbl |

HABERMEHL Nico | Ministerie Van Onderwijs, Cultuur En Wetenschap - |

AUSTRIA | MAYR Thomas | Ibw- Institut Für Bildungsforschung Der Wirtschaft |

SCHRATZ Michael | Universität Innsbruck - Institut Für Lehrer/Innenbildung Und Schulforschung |

FORTHUBER Peter | Bundesministerium Für Bildung Wissenschaft Und Kultur |

FISCHL Alfred | Bundesministerium Für Bildung Wissenschaft Und Kultur |

POLAND | GORZELAK | National In-Service Teacher Training Centre |

SIELATYCKI Miroslaw | National In-Service Teacher Training Centre |

DAKOWICZ-NAWROCKA Anna | Department For In-Service Teacher Training - Ministry Of National Education And Sport |

PORTUGAL | LEITAO JOSE Alberto | National Centre For Training Of Trainers - Institute Of Employment And Professional Training - Ministry Of Work And Social Solidarity |

GONCALVES Idalete | Ministry Of Education |

PERALTA Helena | University Of Lisboa- Faculty Of Psychology And Education Sciences |

GALVAO Maria | Education Comm. Delegate - Bureau For European Affairs And International Relations - Portugese Ministry Of Education |

SLOVENIA | ZGAGA Pavel | Faculty Of Education - University Of Ljubljana |

RAZDEVSEK-PUCKO Cveta | Faculty Of Education - University Of Ljubljana |

RETAR Iztok | Ministry Of Education And Sport |

PEKLAJ Cirila | University Of Ljubljana, Faculty Of Arts |

SLOVAKIA | NOVAK Milos | Pedagogy Center |

CERNOTOVA Marta | Ministry Of Education |

FINLAND | MIKKOLA Armi | Ministry Of Education |

JAKKU-SIHVONEN Ritva | University Of Helsinki, Faculty Of Behavioural Sciences |

VALIJARVI Jouni | Institute For Educational Research |

NIEMI Hannele | University Of Helsinki |

SWEDEN | SMITT Myrna | Ministry Of Education, Research And Culture |

ARNKVIST Anders | Chair Of The Convention -Se |

UNITED KINGDOM | EDGE Susan | Lifelong Learning Uk |

GORDON Samuel Ian | Inspection Services Branch, Northern Ireland |

HENDERSON Donald | Teachers Division, Scottish Executive |

McIVER Matthew | General Teaching Council Of Scotland |

BLANDFORD Sonia | Canterbury Kent University College |

NUNN Jacquie | Itt Support Group - Teacher Training Agency |

WEBB Edwin | Post Compulsory Education And Training (Pcet)-University Of Greenwich |

BULGARIA | DIMITROVA Emiliana | Ministry Of Education And Science - Policy In Vocational Training Department |

ROMANIA | MARINAS Laura | Ministry Of Education And Research-Directorate For European Integration And Community Programmes |

IUCU Romita | University Of Bucharest |

TURKEY | YALIN Halil Ibrahim | Ministry Of National Education |

ICELAND | MYRDAL Sigurjon | Ministry Of Education, Science And Culture, Division Of Curriculum |

JOHANNSSON Olafur | Iceland University Of Education |

LIECHTENSTEIN | DINKELMANN Jürg | Office Of Education |

NORWAY | HAUGE Frode | Ministry Of Education And Research |

RIISE Torun | Ministry Of Education And Research |

ATEE | KILLEAVY Maureen | Atee - Association For Teacher Education In Europe |

ESHA | GRIFFIN Kate | Esha (European Secondary Heads'association |

CIDREE | SLEURS Willy | Consortium Of Institutions For Development And Researche In Education In Europe |

CEEP | LANE Graham | Ceep (European Center Of Enterprises With Public Participation And Enterprises With General Economic Interest |

ENTEP | GASSNER Otmar | Entep - European Network On Teacher Education Policies |

ETUCE | FREDRIKSSON Ulf | Mid Sweden Universtity, Utv |

FALKTOFT Annemarie | Etuce |

EUNEC | HERPELINCK Roos | Eunec - European Network Of Education Councils |

TNTEE | ASTRAND Bjorn | Tntee |

OBESSU | CEDEREGREN Patrick | Board Member - Obessu |

OBESSU | SCARPIELLO Luca | Board Member - Obessu |

CEDEFOP | DE BLIGNIERES Anne | Cedefop -Universite De Paris Dauphine |

EURYDICE | FORTSHUBER Bernadette | Eurydice |

RAPPORTEUR GENERAL | BRUMFITT Keith |

JUBA Nicholas |

[1] 5980/01, Education Committee 14 February 2001

[2] http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/objectives_en.html

[3] Commission annual report on progress towards the Lisbon objectives, 16 May 2006

[4] Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain , 2000

[5] Darling Hammond et al 2005, Does teacher preparation matter? Evidence about teacher certification , Teach for America, and teacher effectiveness. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 13 (42) 16-17, 20

[6] Angrist and Lavy, 2001, Does Teacher Training Affect Pupil Learning ? Evidence from Matched Comparisons in Jerusalem Public Schools Journal of Labor Economics , 19, 2, 343-69

[7] Darling-Hammond and Falk, 1997, 192

[8] Teachers Matter , OECD 2005

[9] For example, Nickell, Stephen and Quintini, Glenda, 2002, The Consequences of the Decline in Public Sector Pay in Britain: A Little Bit of Evidence , Economic Journal, 112 (477), pp. 107-118) suggests that the ‘ability’ of teachers in the UK (as measured by tests they did as children) has fallen over time.

[10] Eurydice Key data on Education in Europe 2005

[11] Study Mobility of Teachers and Trainers , Directorate-General for Education and Culture, 2006 (http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/reports/doc/mobility.pdf).

[12] Idem

[13] http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/jir_council_final.pdf

[14] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/pri/en/oj/dat/2002/c_142/c_14220020614en00010022.pdf

[15] Little, 1993 Professional community in comprehensive high schools: the two worlds of academic and vocational teachers ; Gilroy & Day, 1993 The erosion of INSET in England and Wales: analysis and proposals for a redefinition , Journal of Education for Teaching, 19, pp. 151-157.

[16] Shields, Marsh & Adelman, 1998, Evaluation of NSF’s Statewide Systemic Initiatives Program: the SSIs impact on classroom practice , Menlo Park, CA; Weiss, Montgomery, Ridgeway & Bond, 1998: Local systemic change through teacher enhancement: Year three cross-site report , Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research

[17] Boyle et al., 2005

[18] Dale, Robertson and Derouet, 2007

[19] ibid

[20] Cordingly et al (2006) The impact of collaborative CPD on classroom teaching and learning . Review: What do teacher impact data tell us about collaborative CPD ? In: Research Evidence in Education Library . London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London

[21] Tickle, 1991, Weiss & Weiss, 1999: Beginning teacher induction, ERIC digest , Washington DC, Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education; Harrison, 2002: The induction of newly qualified teachers in secondary schools , Journal of In-service Education, 28(2), 255-275

[22] Simco, 2000: Succeeding in the Induction Year , Exeter: Learning Matters.

[23] Glickman & Bay, 1990; Smethem & Adey, 2005: Some effects of statutory induction on the professional development of newly qualified teachers: a comparative study of pre- and post-induction experiences , Journal of Education for Teaching, Vol. 31, n° 3, August, 187-200

[24] as shown by surveys of the percentage of the population aged 25-64 who have participated in education and training in the prior four weeks (taken from COM (2003) 685 final – Implementation of the Education and Training 2010 programme)

[25] A teacher should be considered as someone who is acknowledged as having the status of a teacher (or equivalent) according to the legislation and the regulations of a given country. The word “equivalent” is needed because in some countries there could be groups of teachers with different titles but holding the same status. In some countries a teacher could also work with school-aged pupils and young adults following vocational programmes in schools, colleges, companies or training organisations.

[26] In this paper a teacher is a person who is acknowledged as having the status of a teacher (or equivalent) according to the legislation and practice of a given country. The word “equivalent” is needed because in some countries there could be groups of teachers with different titles but holding the same status. In some countries a teacher could also be a trainer who works with school-aged pupils and young adults following vocational programmes in schools, colleges, companies or training organisations.

[27] Education and Training 2010 – The Success of the Lisbon Strategy Hinges on Urgent Reforms was adopted jointly by the Council and the Commission on 26 February 2004. This report recommended that European common references and principles in a number of areas, including the competences and qualifications of teachers and trainers, should be developed ‘as a matter of priority’, p.28.

[28] Teachers’ qualifications and achievements should be understood within the European Qualifications Framework.

[29] Teachers’ lifelong learning could be formal, non-formal and informal. It includes education, training, retraining, updating in schools and in public and private institutions. Training can occur in all matters which influence the learning process of the individual such as subject knowledge, teaching and learning methods, pedagogy, psychology, organisational approaches, theories and practices.

[30] Bachelor, masters and doctorate within the meaning of the Bologna Process