Vol. 401 No. 6
4 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Education the number of meetings of the Council of Education Ministers which she chaired during the Irish Presidency of the EC; the matters discussed; the decisions reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The Council of Education Ministers holds one formal meeting during each Presidency. I chaired the meeting of the Council held on 31 May 1990.
The Council adopted (1) a Resolution regarding the integration of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education. Member states in the resolution agreed to intensify, where necessary, their efforts to integrate or encourage integration of pupils and students with disabilities, in all appropriate cases into the ordinary education system within the framework of their respective education policies and taking due account of their respective education systems. (2) Conclusions on the enhanced treatment of equality of educational opportunity for girls and boys in the initial and in-service training of teachers. The conclusions reaffirm the commitment of member states to the objective of achieving equality of opportunity for girls and boys in education, recognise the fundamental role which teachers have to play in achieving that objective as well as the importance of the nature and quality of their initial and in-service training. Actions to be taken at the level of both the member states and the Community are set out in the conclusions. (3) Conclusions on regular meetings of senior officials in the education sector aimed at improving mutual understanding of the various educational systems in the Community as well as the discussion of policy issues and problems which are of common concern to member states with a view to improving the quality of educational systems in the Community. (4) Conclusions which will allow work to commence on the preparation of the draft of a new convention relating to the operation of the European schools. The new convention should be finalised by an intergovernmental conference at ministerial level to be held before the end of 1991 and opened for signature, with subsequent ratification by member states in conformity with their respective constitutional rules.
In addition, Ministers had a wide ranging exchange of views on distance education and training and education for enterprise on the basis of papers on these topics prepared by the Presidency. On distance education and training, the Council and the Ministers expressed the wish that their comments be taken into account by the Commission when preparing the communication which it intends to submit to the Council at the end of the year. On education for enterprise, the Commission was requested to take account of the suggestions made as regards any possible action in this area at Community level.
In the lead up to the formal meeting of Education Ministers I had a series of bilateral meetings with a number of my EC colleagues and my Eastern European colleagues. On 21 March 1990 I addressed the Parliament Commission on Education in Brussels.
I had discussions with members of the European Trade Union Committee for Education in Dublin on 5 April 1990 and addressed the executive board of the union on 20 June last in Brussels.
I am also pleased to say that my Italian colleague, Professor Mattarella, will be in Dublin next week to continue the very successful series of bilateral meetings and to develop the initiatives taken during the Irish Presidency.
Arising from the Irish Presidency, what benefits will accrue to Irish students at first, second and third level, in the Minister's view?
The immediacy of the six months was that it hastened the regard and importance of the role of education within European affairs. As the Deputy knows, under the Treaty of Rome there is no specific competency and, perhaps in the discussions which will start next December, that measure will be looked at. In time the conclusions regarding integration and equality will benefit students at first and second level.
The Lingua programme which I did not mention in my reply but which we also discussed, has now been set up and will start in January. Other measures, such as COMET, ERASMUS, FORCE and TEMPUS — the Eastern European programme — will also benefit third level students. I am satisfied that we advanced the cause of education during our six months' Presidency.
We must now have a reply to Question No. 5, in the name of Deputy John Bruton. The last sentence should read: "and if she will outline her views on these proposals and on their possible applicability here".
