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Dear Educators! To your attention - a new publication of Eurydice on education: Key Data on Education in Europe 2012. Several Member States, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Belgium, may face serious teacher shortages in the future, according to a new report published by the European Commission.
The report, entitled 'Key Data on Education in Europe 2012', was presented to EU Education Ministers at their meeting in Brussels on 10 February. It shows that the number of graduates specialising in education is falling at a time when many current teachers are approaching retirement age. But it also highlights encouraging signs: funding for education is stable in most Member States and it underlines that higher education remains the best insurance policy against unemployment, with graduates more likely to find a job faster than non-graduates.
"This report is an invaluable resource for policy-makers and provides important guidance for future decisions. The professional development of teachers is a key factor in ensuring high quality education for our students. That's why Erasmus for All [the Commission's proposed new programme for education, training and youth] aims to strengthen the professional development of teaching staff while at the same time modernising education systems," commented Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth.
The report finds that targeted training for teachers, such as mentoring, guidance for assessment and classroom observation, is now more widespread across Europe. However, these measures have not been sufficient to increase the attractiveness of teaching.
The report finds that the share of the population with a tertiary qualification has risen and that graduates find jobs twice as quickly as people with lower qualifications (5 months compared to 9.8 months). This finding shows that the European Union's 2020 target for a 40% level of higher education attainment is supported by solid evidence; however it is also clear that graduates are increasingly over-qualified for their jobs and that some professions offer better employment perspectives than others; the choice of course is therefore increasingly important.
Resourse: European Commission: Education and Training
More information at http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/key_data_en.php
Other useful publications at http://ec.europa.eu/education/more-information/reports-and-studies_en.htm
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