On 7 and 8 March, Sarah Kik, Assistant General Secretary of EFEE participated in the conference on “Transforming School Education”, organised by the European Commission to present the results of the previous set of ET2020 Working Group (WG) meetings on School Policy. Country delegations from EU Member States together with Social Partners and other stakeholders reflected on how to follow-up on the outcomes on initial teacher education and early school leaving.
The WG identified initial teacher education as a fundamental area for education policy to: support a shift towards new working cultures and teaching practices, lay the foundations for teachers’ capacity to adapt to changing contexts and circumstances, and increase the attractiveness of teaching as a career choice. The work of the WG contributed to the publication of a guide for policy-makers on “Shaping career-long perspectives on teaching. A guide on policies to improve initial teacher education”.
Regarding early school leaving, the WG took the perspective that a whole school approach is needed, in which the entire school community engages in a cohesive, collective and collaborative action, with strong cooperation with a range of external stakeholders. The WG published a report with policy messages describing the necessary policy conditions and steps for effective implementation. Furthermore examples of good practices and other resources are being made available to policy-makers and practitioners through the new ‘European Toolkit for Schools’. Promoting inclusive education and the whole school approach, the Toolkit covers a wide range of topics and will be updated and expanded on a continuous basis.