WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1122/96 by Bárbara DÜHRKOP DÜHRKOP to the Commission. Pilot projects under Chapter III, point 1 of the 'Socrates' Community action programme
Date: 1996-05-13
Institutions: DUEHRKOP DUEHRKOP, European Parliament
Subjects: European cooperation, education policy, exchange of information, project evaluation, teaching













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91996E1122

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1122/96 by Bárbara DÜHRKOP DÜHRKOP to the Commission. Pilot projects under Chapter III, point 1 of the 'Socrates' Community action programme  


Official Journal C 297 , 08/10/1996 P. 0089 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-1122/96 by Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSE) to the Commission (13 May 1996)Subject: Pilot projects under Chapter III, point 1 of the 'Socrates' Community action programmeThe Commission published the call for proposals relating to the implementation of Chapter III, action 3, point 1 (questions of mutual interest concerning educational policy) of the 'Socrates' Community action programme in OJ C 90 of 27 March 1996.It is specified in the second paragraph of point 4 that the implementation of pilot projects will remain excluded from the provision of financial support in the 1996 financial year. How does the Commission justify this decision?Does the Commission not agree that pilot projects are one means of optimizing actions under the Socrates programme?Answer given by Ms Cresson on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1996)The quality of teaching is a major political issue in all the Member States. It is also central to Article 126 of the EC Treaty, which stipulates that the Community must contribute to the development of a quality education system by encouraging cooperation between the Member States.On many occasions the Ministers for Education have emphasised their interest in broadening mutual knowledge on this subject at a European level by calling on the Community to look into this crucial question. The pilot projects carried out by the Commission in 1995 on further education have already shown the significant potential in cooperation on the quality appraisal front.Socrates action III.3.1 requires the Commission to initiate an exchange of information and experience amongst participating Member States in priority areas such as evaluating the quality of school education. To prepare the ground for the planned pilot projects, the Commission put in a great deal of work in 1995 and will make a further effort in 1996. These preliminary activities relate in particular to the preparation of studies and analyses, but also to activities of an operational nature such as study visits, exchanges of experts, seminars and workshops. The two meetings of the senior education officials organised by the French and Spanish presidencies on the theme of evaluation also likewise served to prepare the ground for the pilot projects.The Commission therefore intends to launch pilot projects from the beginning of 1997 based on the new knowledge and experience acquired from the various aforementioned preparatory activities. This intention was confirmed by the Education Council on 6 May 1996 and was endorsed in a Commission memo. This document has been forwarded directly to the Honourable Member and to the General Secretariat of the European Parliament.