Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Improving the Quality of Teacher Education {SEC(2007) 931 SEC(2007)933} 
Date: 2007-08-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: education policy, teacher training, teaching quality

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.8.2007 
COM(2007) 392 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Improving the Quality of Teacher Education 

{SEC(2007) 931 
SEC(2007)933 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Improving the Quality of Teacher Education 

INTRODUCTION 

There  are  around  6.25  million  teachers  (full  time  equivalents)  in  Europe1.  Teachers  play  a 
vital role in helping people develop their talents and fulfil their potential for personal growth 
and well-being, and in helping them acquire the complex range of knowledge and skills that 
they will need as citizens and as workers. It is school teachers who mediate between a rapidly 
evolving world and the pupils who are about to enter it. 

The profession of teaching is becoming more and more complex. The demands placed upon 
teachers are increasing. The environments in which they work are more and more challenging. 

Many Member States are reviewing the ways in which teachers are prepared for the important 
tasks they perform on behalf of European society. 

The purpose of this Communication is to assess the current situation in the European Union as 
regards the education and training of teachers, and to propose a shared reflection about actions 
that can be taken at Member State level and how the European Union might support these2. 

1. 

CONTEXT 

1.1 

The Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs 

The Lisbon European Council in March 2000 stressed that people are Europe’s main asset and 
that “investing in people … will be crucial both to Europe's place in the knowledge economy 
and  for  ensuring  that  the  emergence  of  this  new  economy  does  not  compound  the  existing 
social problems3." 

The  Barcelona  Council  in  March  2002  adopted  concrete  objectives  for  improving  Member 
States’  education  and  training  systems,  including  improving  education  and  training  for 

1 

2 

3 

Study  Mobility  of  Teachers  and  Trainers,  undertaken  on  behalf  of  Directorate-General  for  Education 
and Culture, 2006 (http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/reports/doc/mobility.pdf). 
This  Communication  relates  to  teachers  in  general  education  and  in  initial  vocational  education;  for 
these  purposes  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 Member State. It excludes persons employed 
outside the formal systems of education and training because of the different nature and context of the 
tasks they undertake. 
See,  for  example,  the  integrated  guidelines  for  Growth  and  Jobs  which  recognise  the  importance  of 
competences  for  employment,  and  in  particular  guideline  No  23  on  the  need  to  adapt  education  and 
training systems in response to new competence requirements by, inter alia, ensuring the attractiveness, 
openness and high quality standards of education and training systems. 

EN 

2 

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teachers  and  trainers.  The  Council  in  March  2006  noted  that  'Education  and  training  are 
critical  factors  to  develop  the  EU's  long-term  potential  for  competitiveness  as  well  as  for 
social  cohesion';  it  added  that  'Reforms  must  also  be  stepped  up  to  ensure  high  quality 
education systems which are both efficient and equitable.' 

However, progress has been insufficient4 
towards  goals  such  as  reducing  the  number  of 
early school leavers, expanding the share of young people who finish upper-secondary school, 
or reducing the number of 15-year-olds with poor reading skills. 

The  quality  of  teaching  is  one  key  factor  in  determining  whether  the  European  Union  can 
increase  its  competitiveness  in  the  globalised  world.  Research  shows  that  teacher  quality  is 
significantly and positively correlated with pupil attainment5 
and  that  it  is  the  most 
important  within-school  aspect  explaining  student  performance6  (its  effects  are  much  larger 
than the effects of school organisation, leadership or financial conditions). Furthermore, other 
studies7 
have  found  positive  relationships  between  in-service  teacher  training  and 
student  achievement  and  ‘suggest  that  an  in-service  training  program  …  raised  children's 
achievement  …(and)  suggest  that  teacher  training  may  provide  a  less  costly  means  of 
increasing test scores than reducing class size or adding school hours’. 

In  2004,  the  Council  and  Commission  Joint  Report  on  progress  towards  the  Lisbon 
Objectives8 
in the fields of Education and Training called for the development of common 
European principles for the competences and qualifications needed by teachers and trainers. 
The  Council  in  November  2006  stated  that  'the  motivation,  skills  and  competences  of 
teachers,  trainers,  other  teaching  staff  and  guidance  and  welfare  services,  as  well  as  the 
quality of school leadership, are key factors in achieving high quality learning outcomes' and 
that  'The  efforts  of  teaching  staff  should  be  supported  by  continuous  professional 
development  and  by  good  cooperation  with  parents,  pupil  welfare  services  and  the  wider 
community.' 

Improving  the  quality  of  Teacher  Education  is,  therefore,  an  important  goal  for  Europe's 
education systems if quicker progress is to be made towards meeting the common objectives 
that have been established under the Education and Training 2010 programme. 

Ensuring  a  high  quality  of  Teacher  Education  is  also  important,  of  course,  to  secure  sound 
management  of  national  resources  and  good  value  for  money:  approximately  two  thirds  of 
expenditure on schools is allocated to teacher remuneration9. 

4 
5 

6 

7 

8 
9 

Commission annual report on progress towards the Lisbon objectives, 16 May 2006 
see,  for  example,  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 
Rivkin,  Hanushek,  and  Kain,  2000;  Hanushek,  Kain  and  Rivkin  2005,  ‘Teachers,  Schools,  and 
Academic Achievement’. 
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 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/jir_council_final.pdf 
OECD  report  Teachers  matter:  Attracting,  Developing  and  Retaining  Effective  Teachers,  2005; 
www.oecd/edu/teacherpolicy 

EN 

3 

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1.2 

Other policies and objectives of the Union 

Teacher Education policy is closely connected with other key European policy areas, notably: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Social policy with its emphasis on the role of education and training as a route out of 
poverty and a key factor of social inclusion, and the emphasis on 'core skills' in the 
Youth Pact;10 

Innovation policy11  with its emphasis on ensuring that teachers help young people to 
acquire a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. 

Research policy with its emphasis on improving the teaching of sciences at all levels 
of education in the Union12. 

Enterprise policy13  with its emphasis on the need for public authorities to promote 
education  for  entrepreneurship  to  heads  of  schools  and  teachers  through  initial  and 
in-service training; 

The Commission's New Framework Strategy for Multilingualism14 
promotes the value of language learning and which identifies the quality of language 
teaching and better training of language teachers as important challenges; and 

which 

Directive  2005/36/EC  on  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications,  which 
provides the legal framework for the professional mobility of teachers. 

1.3 

Changing demands 

Changes  in  education  and  in  society  place  new  demands  on  the  teaching  profession.  For 
example, as well as imparting basic knowledge, teachers are also increasingly called upon to 
help  young  people  become  fully  autonomous  learners  by  acquiring  key  skills,  rather  than 
memorising  information;  they  are  asked  to  develop  more  collaborative  and  constructive 
approaches to learning and expected to be facilitators and classroom managers rather than ex-
cathedra  trainers.  These  new  roles  require  education  in  a  range  of  teaching  approaches  and 
styles. Furthermore, classrooms now contain a more heterogeneous mix of young people from 
different backgrounds and with different levels of ability and disability. They are required to 
use  the  opportunities  offered  by  new  technologies  and  to  respond  to  the  demand  for 
individualised  learning;  and  they  may  also  have  to  take  on  additional  decision-taking  or 
managerial tasks consequent upon increased school autonomy. 

10 
11 

12 

13 

14 

The European Youth Pact, http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/84335.pdf 
as presented in the Communication Putting knowledge into practice: A broad-based innovation strategy 
for the EU COM(2006) 502 final 
A high level group chaired by Mr. Michel Rocard MEP has examined existing European and national 
innovative  ongoing  initiatives  activities  in  the  field  of  scientific  education.  Their  report,  available  at 
http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=1100&lang=,  calls 
for  the  introduction  of  a  new  approach  to  science  education  that  breaks  radically  with  traditional 
pedagogical methods. 
See Commission Communication Fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning 
COM(2006) 33 final 
COM(2005)596 of November 2005 

EN 

4 

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These  changes  require  teachers  not  only  to  acquire  new  knowledge  and  skills  but  also  to 
develop  them  continuously.  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  coherent 
process  of  continuous  professional  development  keeping  teachers  up  to  date  with  the  skills 
required in the knowledge based society. 

As  with  any  other  modern  profession,  teachers  also  have  a  responsibility  to  extend  the 
boundaries  of  professional  knowledge  through  a  commitment  to  reflective  practice,  through 
research, and through a systematic engagement in continuous professional development from 
the beginning to the end of their careers. Systems of education and training for teachers need 
to provide the necessary opportunities for this. 

1.4 

Skills shortages and limited training provision 

However,  systems  for  Teacher  Education  are  not  always  well  equipped  to  meet  these  new 
demands. 

In  a  recent  OECD  survey15,  almost  all  countries  report  shortfalls  in  teaching  skills,  and 
difficulties in updating teachers’ skills. Shortages relate especially to a lack of competence 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 ICT, and so on). 

In many Member States there is little systematic coordination between different elements of 
teacher  education,  leading  to  a  lack  of  coherence  and  continuity,  especially  between  a 
teacher's  initial  professional  education  and  subsequent  induction,  in-service  training  and 
professional  development;  nor  are  these  processes  often  linked  to  school  development  and 
improvement,  or  to  educational  research.  Incentives  for  teachers  to  carry  on  updating  their 
skills throughout their professional lives are weak. 

Investment  in  the  continuous  training  and  development  of  the  teaching  workforce  is  low 
across  the  European  Union  and  the  amount  of  in-service  training  available  to  practising 
teachers  is  limited.  In-service  training  for  teachers  is  compulsory  in  only  eleven  Member 
States;  teachers  are  not  explicitly  obliged  to  undertake  it  in  all  of  these  states16.  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  of  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. 

15 
16 

EN 

Teachers Matter, OECD 2005 
For a full explanation of the data on which these tables are based, and the definitions used, please refer 
to:  Key 
92-894-9422-0; 
ISBN 
http://www.eurydice.org/portal/page/portal/Eurydice/showPresentation?pubid=052EN 

2005,  Eurydice, 

on  Education 

in  Europe 

data 

5 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
Table 1 below shows whether in-service training is compulsory or optional. 

Status of in-service training for teachers  
in primary, general lower and upper secondary education, 2002/03 

AT

ISCED 3 

  Compulsory 

  Optional, but necessary for promotion 

  Optional 

BE de

CY

LU

MT

LI

Source: Eurydice. 

Table  2  below  shows  that  the  minimum  annual  time  allocation  for  compulsory  in-service 
training varies by country. 

Minimum annual time allocation (in hours) for compulsory in-service training in primary, general lower 
and upper secondary education, 2002/03 

BE fr  BE de  BE nl  DE 

EE 

LV 

LT 

HU  MT 

AT 

ISCED 1 

ISCED 2 

ISCED 3 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

14 

21 

21 

v 

32 

32 

32 

12 

12 

12 

18 

18 

18 

17 

17 

17 

21 

21 

21 

15 

15 

4 

x 

CZ, DK, EL, ES, FR, IE, IT, CY, LU, NL, PL, PT, SI, SK, SE, IS, NO and BG. 

FI 

18 

18 

18 

UK-ENG/ 
WLS/NIR 

UK- 
SCT 

LI 

RO 

v 

35 

35 

35 

v 

19 

19 

19 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
x In-service training is not compulsory   v Variable 

Source: Eurydice. 
Additional notes 
Belgium: Three days a year. 
Germany: The amount of compulsory in-service training varies from one Land to the next. 
Estonia: 160 hours over a five-year period. 
Lithuania: 15 days spread across five years of training. This corresponds to 90 hours spread over five years. 
Latvia: The central education authorities have laid down a minimum time allocation of 36 hours for three years.
Hungary: Every seven years, 60-120 hours of in-service training are compulsory. 
Malta:  Three  days  a  year  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  the  school  year.  Since  2001/02,  three  annual  two  hours 
sessions after school have been introduced. 
Netherlands: 10% of a teacher's annual working hours should be spent on the advancement of professionalism. 
This is a formally stipulated amount of time that is available for teachers to claim. 
Austria:  For  ISCED  level  2,  the  information  given  here  relates  to  teachers  working  in  Hauptschulen.  For 
teachers at allgemein bildenden höheren Schulen the amount of training is not specified. 
Finland: Three days a year of six hours each. 
United Kingdom (ENG/WLS/NIR): The five days in the school year when school sessions are not required 
are often used for in-service training. In addition, participation in arrangements for professional development is 
an essential aspect of professional duties. 
United Kingdom (SCT): There is a minimum of five days for in-service training. Teachers should also spend 
50 hours a year on planned activities; some of this time may also be used for in-service training. 
Liechtenstein: Teachers must participate in at least one training activity every two years. 
Romania: 95 hours every five years, unless teachers take professional degrees during this period. 
Explanatory note 

Calculation:  Unless  stated  otherwise  in  the  above  notes,  one  day  corresponds  to  seven  hours.  For  countries 
where a certain amount of training over several years is compulsory, the calculation is based on an average. 

Table 3 below shows that support measures for new teachers are still not widespread. In 2002, 
only half of all countries offered new teachers assistance during this period of their career. 

Regulations and/or recommendations on types of support and  
supervision available to new entrants to the teaching profession  
in primary education and (lower and upper) general secondary education, 2002/03 

TYPE OF SUPPORT 

CZ DE EL ES IE IT CY PL SK

UK-
ENG/ 
WLS 

UK
-
NI
R 

IS  LI  NO BG

Formal/semi-formal meetings  
(for the discussion of progress 
or problems) 

Opinions, information and 
informal discussion 

Assistance with the planning of 
lessons 
Assistance with the assessment 
of pupils/writing their school 
reports 
Participation in classroom 
activity and/or classroom 
observation 

o  o 

o  o  o  o 

o  o  o 

  o

o 

o  o  o  o  o  o  o 

o  o  o 

  o

o  o 

o 

o 

o 

o  o 

  o  o 

  o

o  o 

o  o  o 

o 

o  o  o 

o  o  o 

o 

  o 

  o

Advice concerning skills 

o  o 

o  o  o  o 

o  o 

  o

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Organisation of 
seminars/workshops/discussion 
groups 
Visits to other schools/resource 
centres 
Special compulsory training 
(with a minimum time 
allocation) 

Manual 

Pilot projects (implementation 
in hand) 

o 

o  o 

o  o  o 

  o

o 

o 

o
(1)

o
(2)

o
(3)

o
(4)

o 

o 

  o

No current measures 

Source: Eurydice. 

BE, DK, EE, FR, LV, LT, LU, HU, MT, NL, AT, PT, SI, 
FI, SE, RO 
(1) 100 hours    (2) variable    (3) 40 hours    (4) up to 24 
hours 

1.5 

Characteristics of the Teaching profession in the European Union 

Gender 

Table 4 below shows that the majority of teachers in both primary and secondary education 
are  women17.  In  2002  in  all  European  Union  countries  except  one,  over  70%  of  teachers  in 
primary  education  (ISCED  1)  were  women.  The  proportion  of  women  teachers  in  lower 
secondary education (ISCED 2) is not as high as in primary education. While the proportion 
of  women  in  upper  secondary  education  is  less  striking,  they  outnumber  men  in  nearly  all 
countries. 

17 

Key data on Education in Europe 2005, Eurydice, ISBN 92-894-9422-0 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
Percentage of women teachers in primary education (ISCED 1) and  
secondary education (ISCED 2 and 3), public and private sectors combined, 2001/02 

%

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

(:)
EU-25

BE

CZ

DK

DE

(:)
EE

(:)
EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

CY

LV

LT

LU

HU

(:)

MT

NL

AT

(:)
PL

PT

SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

IS

(:)
LI

NO

BG

RO

%

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

  ISCED 1 

  ISCED 2 

  ISCED 3 

  ISCED 1-2 

  ISCED 2-3 

EU-
25 

B
E 

C
Z 

D
K 

D
E 

E
E 

E
L  ES 

F
R  IE IT 

C
Y

L
V LT

L
U

H
U

M
T

N
L

A
T PL PT SI SK FI SE 

U
K  IS  LI 

N
O

B
G

R
O

(:) 

78.9  84.2 

(:)  82.4 

(:) 

(:)  71.0  78.7  85.4  95.3  81.9 97.1 98.2 67.9 85.7 86.8 80.1 90.5 (:)  81.2 96.3 92.9 74.2  80.2  81.8 

(:) 

(:) 

(:)  92.0 86.8

(:) 

(:) 

(:)  82.8 

(:)  59.4 

(:) 

(:)  59.8  63.0  59.0  73.8  66.3 84.7 81.3 (:)  82.7 58.8 (:)  66.2 (:)  69.0 77.0 77.0 71.4  62.8  59.2 

(:) 

(:) 

(:)  76.3 68.8

(:)  55.2 

(:)  42.2 

(:) 

(:)  45.4  50.6 

(:)  59.3  51.4 75.7 67.5 (:)  62.1 34.5 (:)  50.1 (:)  66.3 64.3 67.5 56.3  50.4  59.1  47.5 

(:)  45.3 75.1 62.3

65.3 

58.6 

Remuneration 

42.2

42.4

78.1 

72.8

The supply of teachers is affected by a number of factors, including remuneration. There are 
marked differences between countries in the wages of teachers relative to average wages and 
GDP.  In  Luxembourg  and  Germany,  teacher  salaries  are  high  relative  to  average  national 
incomes. The highest maximum salaries relative to per capita GDP are in Portugal, Cyprus, 
Greece, Luxembourg and Spain. 

The  differential  with  other  public  sector  professions  and  private  sector  pay  affects  the 
retention  of  teachers  in  the  teaching  workforce  and  is  in  turn  affected  by  general  labour 
market  conditions.  When  labour  demand  is  high,  more  teaching  graduates  opt  for  a  job 
outside  the  teaching  profession.  Comparative  wages  especially  influence  retention  rates  for 
men. 

A comparative study of teaching and other public sector professions or private sector posts for 
equivalent levels of qualifications18, has found that teachers who receive higher pay relative to 
other professions, are less likely to leave the profession. UK research found that the wages of 
teachers,  relative  to  other  professions  which  are  open  to  teacher  training  graduates,  are 

18 

Dolton, P. J. and Van der Klaauw, W. ‘Leaving teaching in the UK – a duration analysis’. Economic 
Journal 105 (429), 431-444, 1995. 

EN 

9 

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deemed  to  be  an  important  determinant  of  the  decision  to  take  up  and  remain  in  the 
profession. 

Age 

In  contrast  with  other  professions,  the  teaching  profession  has  a  high  percentage  of  older 
workers  (see  Table  5).  The  proportion  of  teachers  aged  between  45  and  64  is  over  40%  in 
many countries while as many as 30% of the teaching population are aged between 50 and 64 
years of age in some countries19. This has clear implications for teachers' (re)training needs. 

It will be important 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. 

Table 5: Age structure of all professionals and teachers (2005)20 

s
l
a
n
o
i
s
s
e
f
o
r
P
f
o
e
g
a
t
n
e
c
r
e
P

All Professionals 

Teaching 
Professionals 

Age Group 

Overall, there is a need to take necessary steps to recruit and retain sufficient numbers of well-
educated  and  motivated  men  and  women  in  the  profession,  in  particular  to  replace  the  age 
cohorts that are in decline. 

19 
20 

Study Mobility of Teachers and Trainers, Directorate-General for Education and Culture, 2006  
Idem 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
 
2 

A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 

2.1 

Current European Union support for teacher education 

Member  States  are  responsible  for  the  organisation  and  content  of  education  and  training 
systems. The role of the European Union is to support them. 

At  European  level,  Community  programmes  such  as  the  Comenius  and  Erasmus  actions 
within  the  Socrates  programme,  and  the  Leonardo  Da  Vinci  programme  have  provided 
support for projects to promote the development of teachers' competences. The new Lifelong 
Learning  Programme  (2007-2013)  will  increase  support  for  teacher  mobility  and  for 
cooperation projects between teacher education institutions21. 

The  European  Social  Fund  is  also  an  important  instrument  that  will  be  used  to  support  the 
modernisation  of  Education  and  Training  systems,  including  the  initial  and  continuing 
education of teachers in Member States. 

2.2 

Joint Work with Member States 

The  European  Commission  works  closely  with  Member  States  to  help  them  develop  and 
modernise  their  education  and  training  policies.  It  does  this  through  the  'Education  and 
Training  2010'  Work  Programme,  part  of  the  revised  Lisbon  Strategy,  which  facilitates  the 
exchange of information, data and best practice through mutual learning and peer review. 

In response to the Council's identification of teacher education as a key issue, the Commission 
in 2002 established a working group to reflect upon on improving the education of teachers 
and trainers, which brought together the representatives of the 31 countries that participate in 
the Education and Training 2010 work programme22. 

Subsequent  work  by  the  Commission  and  national  experts  showed  widespread  agreement 
about the changes required. A set of Common European Principles for Teacher Competences 
and Qualifications23  was  drawn  up  in  cooperation  with  experts  appointed  by  the  Member 
States  and  tested  in  2005  at  a  European  Conference  of  senior  policy  makers,  experts  in  the 
field of teacher education and major stakeholders. Many countries have already begun using 
the Common European Principles to enrich their reflection on policy development on teacher 
education. 

The  Commission  and  Member  States  have  continued  to  explore  responses  to  the  challenges 
identified, through the group on ‘Teachers and Trainers’, which comprises experts nominated 
by the 18 Member States which have expressed a particular concern to develop their policies 
on Teacher Education. It has organised a series of peer learning activities on areas of shared 
policy  concern,  including  systems  of  continuing  professional  development,  the  school  as  a 
learning  community  for  its  teachers,  School  Leadership,  preparing  teachers  for  culturally 

21 
22 

23 

Decision 1720/ 2006/ EC 
Working  Group  on  improving  the  education  of  teachers  and  trainers,  progress  reports  2003,  2004: 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/2010:objectives_en.html#training  
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/testingconf_en.html 

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diverse  classrooms,  and  partnerships  between  schools  and  companies.  Member  States  find 
that this kind of work provides useful learning opportunities. 

2.3 

Common principles 

The challenges facing the teaching profession are, in essence, common across the European 
Union. It is possible to arrive at a shared analysis of the issues and a shared vision of the kinds 
of skills that teachers require. 

The  Common  European  Principles  for  Teacher  Competences  and  Qualifications,  referred  to 
above,  were  written  on  the  basis  of  the  experience  of  teachers  and  teacher  educators  across 
Europe and validated by stakeholders. It describes a vision of a European teaching profession 
that has the following characteristics: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

it  is  well-qualified  profession:  all  teachers  are  graduates  from  higher  education 
institutions (and those working in the field of initial vocational education are highly 
qualified  in  their  professional  area  and  have  a  suitable  pedagogical  qualification). 
Every teacher has 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. 

it  is  a  profession  of  lifelong  learners:  teachers  are  supported  to  continue  their 
professional  development  throughout  their  careers.  They  and  their  employers 
recognise the importance of acquiring new knowledge, and are able to innovate and 
use evidence to inform their work. 

it  is  a  mobile  profession:  mobility  is  a  central  component  of  initial  and  continuing 
teacher  education  programmes.  Teachers  are  encouraged  to  work  or  study  in  other 
European countries for professional development purposes. 

it is a profession based on partnership: teacher education institutions organise their 
work  collaboratively  in  partnership  with  schools,  local  work  environments,  work-
based training providers and other stakeholders. 

In  line  with  these  principles,  and  in  the  light  of  the  foregoing  analysis,  the  Commission 
believes that the following policy steps could be addressed to improve the quality of Teacher 
Education in the European Union. 

2.3.1 

Lifelong learning 

Initial education cannot provide teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary for 
a life-time of teaching. The education and professional development of every teacher 
needs to be seen as a lifelong task, and be structured and resourced accordingly. 

Provision  for  teacher  education  and  development  will  be  more  effective  if  it  is 
coordinated  as  a  coherent  system  at  national  level,  and  is  adequately  funded.  The 
ideal  approach  would  be  to  set  up  a  seamless  continuum  of  provision  embracing 
initial  teacher  education,  induction  into  the  profession,  and  career-long  continuing 
professional  development  that  includes  formal,  informal  and  non-formal  learning 
opportunities. This would mean that all teachers: 

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– 

– 

– 

take part in an effective programme of induction during their first three years in 
post / in the profession; 

have  access  to  structured  guidance  and  mentoring  by  experienced  teachers  or 
other relevant professionals throughout their career; 

take part in regular discussions of their training and development needs, in the 
context of the wider development plan of the institution where they work. 

In addition, the Commission believes that all teachers would benefit if: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

they  are  encouraged  and  supported  throughout  their  careers  to  extend  and 
develop their competences via formal, informal and non-formal means, and are 
able to have their relevant formal and non-formal learning recognised; 

they  have  access 
to  other  opportunities  for  continuous  professional 
development,  such  as  exchanges  and  placements  (whether  or  not  funded 
through the Lifelong Learning Programme); and 

they have the opportunity and time to study for further qualifications, and take 
part in study and research at a higher education level. 

more  is  be  done  to  promote  creative  partnerships  between  the  institutions  in 
which  teachers  work,  the  world  of  work,  higher  education  and  research 
institutions,  and  other  agencies,  in  order  to  support  high  quality  training  and 
effective practice, and to develop networks of innovation at local and regional 
levels. 

2.3.2  Necessary skills 

Teachers have a key role to play in preparing pupils to take their place in society and 
in the world of work. At every point in their career, teachers need to have, or be able 
to acquire, the full range of subject knowledge, attitudes and pedagogic skills to be 
able  to  help  young  people  to  reach  their  full  potential.  In  particular  they  need  the 
skills necessary to: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

identify the specific needs of each individual learner, and respond to them by 
deploying a wide range of teaching strategies; 

support  the  development  of  young  people  into  fully  autonomous  lifelong 
learners; 

help young people to acquire the competences listed in the European Reference 
Framework of Key Competences24; 

work  in  multicultural  settings  (including  an  understanding  of  the  value  of 
diversity, and respect for difference); and 

24 

See Recommendation of the Parliament and the Council 2006/962/EC 

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– 

work in close collaboration with colleagues, parents and the wider community. 

Given  the  increasing  demands  placed  upon  school  leaders,  and  the  difficulties 
sometimes  experienced in  filling leadership posts, it would also be advantageous if 
teachers had adequate opportunities to acquire, develop and use skills of leadership. 

2.3.3 

Reflective practice and research 

Teachers help young people to take responsibility for mapping out their own learning 
pathways  throughout  life.  Teachers  should  be  able  to  take  charge  of  their  own 
learning  pathways  also.  Furthermore,  as  with  members  of  any  other  profession, 
teachers  have  a  responsibility  to  develop  new  knowledge  about  education  and 
their  professional 
training.  In  a  context  of  autonomous 
development implies that teachers: 

learning, 

lifelong 

– 

– 

– 

– 

continue to reflect on their practice in a systematic way; 

undertake classroom-based research; 

incorporate into their teaching the results of classroom and academic research; 

evaluate  the  effectiveness  of  their  teaching  strategies  and  amend  them 
accordingly; and 

– 

assess their own training needs. 

The incentives, resources and support systems necessary to achieve this would need 
to be put in place. 

2.3.4  Qualifications 

Given the complexity of the demands placed upon teachers, the range of knowledge 
and skills that they are required to master, and the need for them to have sufficient 
practical  experience  in  real  classrooms  as  a  part  of  their  initial  education,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  initial  Teacher  Education  courses  are  demanding.  In  18  Member 
States, initial Education courses for upper secondary teachers last at least five years 
and lead to a university level qualification (ISCED 5A); for lower secondary teachers 
12 Member States require initial education at university level of at least five years25. 

Consideration  could  be  given  to  moving  to  a  higher  level  qualification  policy,  as 
already adopted in some countries. 

2.3.5 

Teacher Education in Higher Education 

To ensure that there is adequate capacity within Higher Education to provide for the 
the 
quantity  and  quality  of  Teacher  Education  required,  and 

to  promote 

25 

Eurydice: Key Data on Education in Europe, 2005 

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professionalisation of teaching, teacher education programmes should be available in 
the Master and Doctorate (as well as the Bachelor) cycles of higher education. 

Links  between  teacher  educators,  practicing  teachers,  the  world  of  work  and  other 
agencies  need  to  be  strengthened.  Higher  Education  institutions  have  an  important 
role to play in developing effective partnerships with schools and other stakeholders 
to  ensure  that  their  Teacher  Education  courses  are  based  upon  solid  evidence  and 
good classroom practice. 

Those  responsible  for  educating  teachers  (and  for  educating  teacher  educators) 
should possess practical experience of classroom teaching and have attained a very 
high standard in the skills, attitudes and competences demanded of teachers. 

2.3.6 

Teaching in society 

Teachers act as role models. It is important for pupil attainment that the profession 
fully reflects the diversity of the society in which it operates (in terms, for example 
of  culture,  mother  tongue,  and  (dis)ability).  Member  States  could  take  measures  to 
ensure that the composition of the teaching workforce fully reflects the diversity of 
society, and in particular remove obstacles to culture and gender balance at all levels. 

3 

THE COMMISSION’S CONTRIBUTION 

In  order  to  support  Member  States  in  their  reforms  of  Teacher  Education,  the  Commission 
proposes to: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

ensure  that  the  new  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  and  the  European  Social  Fund 
support  Member  States'  efforts  to  improve  the  provision  and  content  of  teacher 
education, and to encourage the mobility of teachers and trainee teachers; 

develop  indicators  that  better  reflect  the  issues  involved  in  improving  education  and 
training  for  teachers  and  their  recruitment,  and  report  on  progress  in  the  quality  of 
teacher  education  through  the  biennial  reports  on  the  Education  and  Training  2010 
programme; 

contribute to the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in the field of teaching 
and  teacher  education;  and  support  Member  States  in  making  effective  use  of  it, 
through the Lifelong Learning Programme and the Research Framework Programme; 

support the development of initiatives that promote the European dimension of teacher 
education and the mobility of teachers; 

(5) 

review progress and bring forward further proposals. 

4 

CONCLUSIONS 

This  Communication  has  identified  the  quality  of  teaching  and  Teacher  Education  as  a  key 
factor in securing the quality of education and improving the educational attainment of young 
people. It has listed a number of steps that could now be taken in this field, and ways in which 
the Commission can support that work. 

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Taken together, these proposals would serve to: ensure that provision for teachers' education 
and professional development is coordinated, coherent, and adequately resourced; ensure that 
all  teachers  possess  the  knowledge,  attitudes  and  pedagogic  skills  that  they  require  to  be 
effective; support the professionalisation of teaching; promote a culture of reflective practice 
and  research  within  the  teaching  profession;  and  promote  the  status  and  recognition  of  the 
profession. 

In  doing  so,  they  will  contribute  to  improving  the  quality  of  education  for  all  and  help 
Member States achieve their Lisbon goals for social cohesion and economic competitiveness 
and growth. 

The Commission will seek to take forward these proposals within the Education and Training 
2010 programme, working with the ‘Teachers and Trainers’ Cluster of Member State experts. 
It will be assisted in this task by the forthcoming conferences organised in the framework of 
the Portuguese Presidency of the Council. 

The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  respond  to  the  issues 
outlined in this Communication. 

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