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.