Paul Bradford
Ceist:65 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education if she will give details of the Socrates EU Programme; and when it will become operative. [6692/95]
Written Answers. - Socrates EU Programme.
Socrates is the European Community action programme in education which will run from 1 January 1995 until 31 December 1999. All existing EU programmes in the field of education ERASMUS, ARION, LINGUA and EURYDICE will come within its ambit. The programme also includes a schools education component utilising the new competence in education under Article 126 of the Treaty.
The Programme is intended to contribute to the development of quality education and training and the creation of an open European area for co-operation in education.
"SOCRATES" is divided into three chapters:
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Chapter I |
Higher Education (ERASMUS) |
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Chapter II |
School Education (COMENIUS) |
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Chapter III |
Horizontal Measures: |
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language skills (LIMGUA) |
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Open and Distance Learning |
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Exchange of information and experience |
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(ARION and EURYDICE) |
Details of the contents of each Chapter are at Appendix 1.
The budget specified in the decision by the Council of Ministers is 850 MECU, about £680 million, of which around £10 million would be allocated to Ireland.
Article 4 of the decision provides for the establishment of a committee to assist the Commission in the implementation of "SOCRATES". This met for the first time on 28-29 March 1995 to consider the programme's policy objectives and implementation details.
Appendix 1
SOCRATES
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SOCRATES IS BROKEN DOWN INTO 3 CHAPTERS |
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CHAPTER |
1 HIGHER EDUCATION (ERASMUS) |
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CHAPTER |
2 SCHOOL EDUCATION (COMENIUS) |
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CHAPTER |
3 HORIZONTAL MEASURES |
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CHAPTER 1 |
HIGHER EDUCATION (ERASMUS) |
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ACTION 1 |
Promoting the European Dimension in Universities |
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ACTION 2 |
Student Mobility and Financing ERASMUS grants |
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ACTION 1: |
PROMOTING THE EUROPEAN DIMENSION IN UNIVERSITIES |
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1. |
Inter-university co-operation (ICP) |
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— mobility of students |
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— ECTS (European Course Credit Transfer System) |
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— joint development of curricula |
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— mobility of teachers |
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— short term education courses |
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2. |
Other Activities |
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— incorporating cultural, artistic, political etc. characteristics of other member states into the curriculum |
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— languages |
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3. |
Institutional contracts |
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4. |
University co-operation projects |
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ACTION 2: |
STUDENT MOBILITY AND FINANCING ERASMUS GRANTS |
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— direct financial aid to allow students study in another member state |
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CHAPTER 2 |
SCHOOL EDUCATION (COMENIUS) |
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ACTION 1 |
Partnership between schools |
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ACTION 2 |
Education for children of migrants, travellers and gypsies |
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ACTION 3 |
Updating skills of educational staff |
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ACTION 1 |
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1. |
Encouragement of multilateral partnerships between schools which are built around a European Education Project (EEP). |
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ACTION 2 |
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1. |
Promotion of the participation in school activities of the children of travellers, migrant workers etc. |
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ACTION 3 |
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1. |
Promotion of information and experience which adds a European dimension to the improvement of teachers skills. |
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CHAPTER 3 |
HORIZONTAL MEASURES |
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— these activities apply at all levels of education |
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ACTION 1 |
Promotion of language skills (LINGUA) |
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ACTION 2 |
Open and distance learning |
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ACTION 3 |
Exchange of information and experience (ARION AND EURYDICE) |
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ACTION 1 |
PROMOTION OF LANGUAGE SKILLS |
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Financial assistance may be allocated to projects involving the |
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— Development of European Co-operation Programmes for training of language teachers |
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— Immersion courses abroad for language teachers |
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— Assistantships abroad for future language teachers |
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— Development of curricula, materials and methods for language teaching |
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ACTION 2 |
PROMOTION OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING |
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Financial assistance may be allocated to projects involving |
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— co-operation between institutions in the field of distance learning |
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— enhancing of skills of teachers in techniques of distance learning |
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— improving the quality of distance education |
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— recognising qualifications |
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ACTION 3 |
PROMOTION OF EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE |
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— Questions of common educational policy interest |
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— Exchange of information (EURYDICE) |
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— Multilateral study visits for those in the educational field (ARION) |
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— Development of National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC) |
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— Promotion of European dimension in adult education. |