748^th meeting – 3 April 2001

Item 7.1 

Non-formal education – Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1437 (2000)
(Recommendation 1437 (2000), CM/Del/Dec(2000)698/3.1) 

Decision 

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1437 (2000): 

“The Committee of Ministers studied Recommendation 1437 (2000) of the Parliamentary Assembly on non-formal education with great interest. It stresses that non-formal education has already been for several years at the core of the activities of the Youth Sector of the Council of Europe through its programmes of educational activities organised in the European Youth Centres for non governmental youth organisations – study sessions, training courses, symposia, consultative meetings – and multilateral projects financed by the European Youth Foundation (see also Appendix II to this reply). Non-formal education has also been a significant element in the activity of the Education Committee. 

In the Final Declaration of the 5^th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Youth (Bucharest, April 1998), Council of Europe member states were encouraged to promote equality of opportunities by recognising the training and skills acquired through non-formal education. Following this Declaration, the European Steering Committee on Youth (CDEJ) set up a Working Group on non-formal education in order to form a precise picture of what non-formal education should be at European level. Consequently, the CDEJ pursued its work in this field, in particular by organising a symposium on 13-15 October 2000 in Strasbourg which provided an opportunity to discuss the different aspects of the broader concept of non-formal education and ways of its practical implementation. Within the framework of the covenant with the European Union, the Youth and Sport Directorate also works on the quality standards and curriculum for European youth worker training.

The Committee shares the Parliamentary Assembly's view that investing in education is important for promoting active citizenship and combating social exclusion, two objectives which were chosen as the main theme of the 20th Session of the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education (Poland, October 2000). The Conference adopted a Declaration on this main theme, and the Committee of Ministers has recently taken note of it and transmitted it to the Council for Cultural Co-operation so that it be taken into account in the implementation of the CDCC's programme for 2001 and in the drafting of its programme for 2002. 

The Committee of Ministers also cannot but agree that non-formal education must be regarded as a partner in the lifelong learning process and taken into account in the overall assessment of educational and vocational paths. Nonetheless, it supports the point of view of the Education Committee (see Appendix I to this reply) that the principle of awarding a quality label is likely to involve administrative procedures that could affect the dynamic and innovatory quality of non-formal education which needs to adapt quickly to new requirements and developments at local and regional level. That is why the Committee of Ministers supports, in this context, the Assembly's view that much benefit may arise from encouraging local and regional coordination of the different agencies and institutions working in the field (7.iv). 

The Committee of Ministers shares also the Assembly's view that new information technology could play a positive role in non-formal education and points out that in June 1999 the Education Committee held a seminar in Jurmala (Latvia) to discuss the impact of new information technology on the education system. The seminar emphasised the role that could be played by new technology as a factor of change in the context of measures taken to reform and open up the formal education system, notably by developing a new approach to teaching both within and beyond the education system itself. Following the conclusions of the round table on new forms of youth participation (Biel, 4-6 May 2000), the CDEJ working group on youth participation and active democratic citizenship should also work on new technologies and youth participation. 

It should be noted in general that the conclusions of the Education Committee's work on adult education placed special emphasis on the importance of incorporating it into a consistent and continuous process of lifelong learning.

Generally speaking, with regard to the recommendations concerning the Council of Europe's work programme, a large proportion of the work connected with the “Education for democratic citizenship” project is concerned with analysing and describing examples of good practice on the basis of the citizenship sites concept. Such sites are good examples of largely non-formal education projects allowing for a global approach to democratic citizenship that is open to the social, economic, cultural and political environment. A creation of a prize or diploma for projects on citizenship education is foreseen in 2001. 

More specifically, the new medium-term programme of the Youth Sector takes account of this very decisive role of non-formal education. In the framework of its Programme of Activities for 2001, the Committee of Ministers has adopted Programme 4.c “Non-formal education and civil society”, the overall objective of which is “to reinforce civil society in Europe through non-formal education and support to various forms of participation in society, with respect to the Council of Europe values”. One of the aims in the field of Youth and Sport is “to develop democratic citizenship learning through sport and youth associations, within the framework of non-formal education”. Both political and pedagogical structures of the youth sector are implementing this aim through the training of youth leaders in this field, as well as the finalisation of a Recommendation on non-formal education. 

The Committee of Ministers agrees that non-formal education should be available to all (7.ii). Apart from the training activities organised for youth leaders in 2001, it is also foreseen to establish a “Trainers' Pool” in the field of youth information and to develop a European network of national youth centres where methods of non-formal education could be implemented, in line with the criteria set up for the training activities of the European Youth Centres. 

On a more specific subject, (7.iii), the Committee of Ministers agrees that further training of trainers and teachers in non-formal education should be improved, but wishes to emphasise, along with the Education Committee, that this special form of training needs to be incorporated in the initial and further training of teachers generally and could be implemented in co-operation with the youth sector in order to contribute to lifelong learning policies. 

In compliance with the recommendations of the Assembly (8.i and 8.ii), a comparative study on links between formal and non-formal education should be finalised by the end of 2001 by the CDEJ in co-operation with the Education Committee.”

Appendix I 

Opinion of the Education Committee on Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1437 (2000) on non-formal education 

1.         The Education Committee welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly's Recommendation on non-formal education.  Both the spirit and the letter of the Recommendation are in line with the general approach adopted by the Education Committee and the decisions taken on implementing some of its projects. 

2.         The Education Committee shares the Parliamentary Assembly's view that investing in education is important for promoting active citizenship and combating social exclusion, which have in fact been chosen as the main themes of the 20^th session of the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education (Poland, October 2000). 

3.         On numerous occasions in the past, particularly in the context of work on lifelong learning and adult education, attention has been drawn to the need to develop out-of-school activities alongside formal education. 

4.         This need has been felt in relation to school-based education, insofar as the introduction of out-of-school activities offers a particularly helpful and flexible way of rising to current educational challenges, particularly when such activities serve to promote « project-based » teaching, an inter-disciplinary approach and, above all, a greater degree of openness in schools towards their economic, social, political and cultural surroundings. 

5.         The conclusions of the Education Committee's work on adult education placed special emphasis on the importance of incorporating it into a consistent and continuous process of lifelong learning. 

6.         The Education Committee shares the Assembly's view that new information technology could play a positive role in this context and points out that in June 1999 it held a seminar in Jurmala (Latvia) to discuss the impact of new information technology on the education system.  The seminar emphasised the role that could be played by new technology as a factor of change in the context of measures taken to reform and open up the formal education system, notably by developing a new approach to teaching both within and beyond the education system itself.

7.            Concerning the Parliamentary Assembly's recommendations: 

i.          The Education Committee shares the Assembly's view that non-formal education must be regarded as a partner in the lifelong learning process and taken into account in the overall assessment of educational and vocational paths.  However, the Committee has more reservations as regards the principle of awarding a quality label, which is likely to involve administrative procedures that could affect the dynamic and innovatory quality of non-formal education which needs to be able to adapt quickly to new requirements and developments at local and regional level. 

ii.          With regard to 7.ii, the Committee shares the Assembly's concern that non-formal education should be available to all, given that it is particularly well-suited to the needs of the severely disadvantaged. 

iii.         With regard to 7.iii, while sharing the Parliamentary Assembly's view that further training of trainers and teachers in non-formal education should be improved, the Education Committee is keen to emphasise that this special form of training needs to be incorporated in the initial and further training of teachers generally, including those in the formal education sector. 

iv.         With regard to 7.iv, the Committee draws attention to the benefits that would be gained from encouraging local and regional coordination of the different agencies and institutions working in this field, and in particular resource centres dealing with methodology and educational materials. 

v.         With regard to the recommendations concerning the Council of Europe's work programme, a large proportion of the work connected with the « Education for democratic citizenship » project is concerned with analysing and describing examples of good practice on the basis of the citizenship sites concept. Such sites are good examples of largely informal education projects allowing for a global approach to democratic citizenship that is open to the social, economic, cultural and political environment. 

vi.            Education's contribution to social cohesion is to be discussed at the 20^th session of the Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education scheduled to take place in Cracow in October 2000.  The new medium-term programme of the Education Committee, which will be submitted to the Ministers for discussion, will take account of the very decisive role of non-formal education in this regard.

Appendix II 

Opinion of the CDEJ on Recommendation 1437 of the Parliamentary Assembly on non-formal education 

Non-formal education has already been at the core of the activities of the youth sector of the Council of Europe, but the training thus given was not recognised. In the Final Declaration of the 5^th Conference of European Ministers responsible for youth (Bucharest, April 1998), European countries were encouraged to promote equality of opportunities by recognising the training and skills acquired through non-formal education and by finding various ways of endorsing the experience and qualifications acquired in this way. 

Following this Declaration, the European Steering Committee on Youth set-up a working group on non-formal education in order to form a clear picture of what non-formal education should be at European level, as a learning process outside the prescribed classroom curricula or training programmes leading to some form of validated certification. This working group then met Mr Dumitrescu, the Parliamentarian in charge of the drafting of the report on non-formal education, and could contribute to this report, in particular through documents and information. 

Recommendation 1437 adopted on 24^th January 2000, acknowledged that formal educational systems alone cannot respond to rapid and constant technological, social and economic change in society, and that they should be reinforced by non-formal educational practices. It also recommended that the Committee of Ministers promote non-formal education in the work programme of the Council of Europe and in particular in the youth sector. Its statutory bodies welcomed this recommendation which recognises and supports their action, as the Joint Council (CDEJ and Advisory Council) decided in October 1999 that non-formal education would be, along with participation, education to human rights and stability in South-East Europe, the four priorities of the youth sector for 2000-2003. 

Consequently, the European Steering Committee on Youth pursued its work in this field, in particular by organising (13-15 October 2000 in Strasbourg) a symposium to provide the opportunity to discuss the different aspects of the broader concept of non-formal education and provide practical proposals in this field, in particular in recognition of non formal education, social exclusion and employability, education for democracy, and conflict resolution, and provide new objectives to its next working group which are in line with the recommendations of the Assembly: 

- to set-up the guidelines for a regulatory framework, taking into account the recognition at European level of the competencies acquired through non-formal education, in co-operation with all the appropriate education and training bodies and with the intergovernmental organisations interested dealing with these questions, how to raise awareness with NGOs, governments, universities, employers; what is the implication on youth policies?;

- how to develop instruments and policies on the whole issue of non-formal education as a tool to improve participation and social integration of young people;

- to provide examples of good practice in this field, especially aimed at forms of participatory learning, education for citizenship, intercultural learning, as non-formal education is an active participatory method for NGYOs; 

- to provide examples of good practice in this field, combating risk behaviour and marginalisation, fight against violence and intolerance, conflict resolution and mediation, in particular as a method of education to human rights, but also in the framework of the activities for stability in South-East Europe. 

Apart from the fact that a CDEJ working group is focusing on this activity, a more global approach of this field by the youth sector is implemented, which can lead to a political and pedagogical approach in co-operation with other relevant sectors of the Organisation, such as the Directorate of Education, the Directorate of Social Affairs (Committee on the promotion of access to employment). Within the framework of the covenant with the European Union, a working group also works on the quality standards in the field of youth work in order to set up European criteria in this field.