RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL of 14 December 1989 on measures to combat failure at school (90/C 27/01)

THE COUNCIL AND THE MINISTERS FOREDUCATION, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL Convinced that the raising of the general level of education is one of the principal preconditions for economic, social and cultural development and for the true operation of a democracy, and that proper education should enable every individual to achieve independence, become a good citizen and find a place in society and in the world of work; Noting that failure at school is still affecting too many pupils in Europe, particularly children from socially and culturally under-privileged groups; that this is a serious problem both for the individual and collectively; that it leads to an individual failure in psychological and social terms and results in a high economic cost for Member States and for the Community; Convinced of the need for reinforcement of the means employed to combat failure at school, by aiming for the best possible development of each child's capabilities; Aware that the development of the multicultural dimension in educational systems would allow failure at school to be combated more effectively; Taking account of:- the resolution of 9 February 1976 comprising an action programme in the field of education and more particularly the section concerning the achievement of equal opportunity for free access to all forms of education,-the conclusions of the Council and of the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, of 14 May 1987 on failure at school and the fight against illiteracy,-the results of the pilot projects conducted as part of the programmes on young people's transition from education to working life, Noting:-the Commission communication on Education and Training in the European Community - Medium-Term Guidelines (1989 to 1992),-the study made at the request of the Commission on success and failure at school in Europe, highlighting the links between social and cultural background and educational success as well as the multi-dimensional aspect of action to be taken to reduce failure at school, HAVE ADOPTED THIS RESOLUTION: 1. The Member States, in the framework of their educational policies and constitutional structures, will make every effort to combat failure at school intensively and to develop their action in one or other of the following directions: 1.1. gaining greater knowledge of the phenomenon and of its causes, whether or not these are related to the educational system; 1.2.diversifying the strategies and methods proposed; 1.3.strengthening of pre-primary education, which contributes to a better subsequent performance at school, particularly in the case of children from disadvantaged backgrounds; 1.4.adapting the working of school systems, in particular by:- renewing content, back-up and methods of teaching and assessment,-implementing differentiated education,-improvement and diversification of timetabling, -reducing structural or functional breakdowns, by: - decompartmentalization and interdisciplinary teaching,-educational continuity from one class to another and from one cycle to another,-better guidance of pupils depending on their wishes and aptitudes,-organization of 'bridges' between different courses;-introduction of possibilities of individual assistance (support, tutoring),-diversification of forms of excellence, of equivalent level, at the end of compulsory schooling or at the end of the secondary cycle and of paths leading to the corresponding certificates,-staff working in teams,-better initial and continuing training of staff, as well as general support in their task as teachers,-improving the administration of schools,-development of teaching of the languages and cultures of children of Community and foreign origin; 1.5.increasing-the attention paid by schools to the cultural, social and economic context,-the receptiveness of schools to their environments,-the points of contact with society and working life; 1.6.arranging for curricular and extra-curricular activities to complement each other, taking particularly into account factors influencing school results (health, family, sports, leisure activities); 1.7.selectively increasing educational resources (curricular and extra-curricular) aimed at the least-favoured sections of the public by means of:-better qualified staff,-greater material resources; 1.8.mobilizing education managers and all those with responsibility at local level in a collective effort; 1.9.circulating information on methods of action and practical achievements; 1.10.initiating or intensifying specific training of those concerned, whether or not they belong within the educational system. 2. The Council and the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, hereby take note that the Commission will:- give wide circulation to the study on success and failure at school in Europe once its final form has been decided on,-submit as soon as possible the complete report on failure at school in the Community requested by the Council and the Ministers for Education, meeting within the Council, in their conclusions of 14 May 1987,-give all necessary assistance and play its full part as a catalyst in cooperation.The Commission's proposals in this respect will be examined by the Education Committee. In this connection, so as to contribute to Member States' action on the question of failure at school, measures could be envisaged at Community level in the following areas: - Organization of exchanges of information between Member States on current policies and practices:- those responsible for education should be more familiar with the policies applied in the Member States. They could usefully, at colloquia and working meetings, compare experiments conducted in the 12 Member States with a view to benefiting from them at the individual national level, -teachers, researchers and others concerned might also take part in field-study visits to gain knowledge of innovative methods used in the various countries;-Conducting of detailed studies by experts: -case studies concerning situations representative of the typical trends of educational policies of the Member States, -thematic studies across the Member States.