Financing Schools in Europe: Mechanisms, Methods and Criteria in Public Funding

Eurydice has just published a comprehensive report that provides a framework for understanding the structure of funding systems of primary and general secondary education in Europe. It delivers an analysis of authority levels involved and the methods and criteria used for determining the level of resources for financing school education. It covers 27 of the 28 EU Member States as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey. The authority levels involved in the transfers and provision of school funding is inextricably linked to the political and administrative set-up in individual countries themselves. With the help of national diagrams on funding flows, the report explains the different mechanisms, methods and priorities when it comes to funding staff, operational goods and services and capital goods.

Commission urges Member States to improve quality and access to early childhood education and care

Only eight European countries - Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Malta, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and Norway - guarantee a legal right to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) soon after a child's birth, normally after the end of paid maternity or parental leave. In all other countries, the gap between the end of maternity / parental leave and legal entitlement to ECEC is more than two years (see figure 1). This is one of the main findings of a new report published by the European Commission.

European Online Education and Training Monitor

The annual report Education and Training Monitor presented every autumn by the commission, sets out the progress on the ET 2020 benchmarks and core indicators, including the Europe 2020 headline target on education and training.

It illustrates the evolution of education and training systems across Europe, with a particular focus on the country-specific recommendations adopted in the field of education and training, and contributes to the analytical basis for the next European Semester.

Teaching Reading in Europe - Eurydice Report

For the first time, a pan-European study offers a comprehensive picture of reading literacy and identifies some of the key factors impacting on the acquisition of reading skills for 3-15 year olds. It addresses four key topics: teaching approaches, tackling reading difficulties, teacher education and the promotion of reading outside school. It investigates each key topic in the light of the results of academic research, the latest results of international surveys and an in-depth review of national policies, programmes and best practices.

This new Eurydice study shows what countries are doing to improve reading literacy – and where they are falling short. The study, which covers 31 countries (EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey), reveals that while most have made progress in developing literacy policies, they often lack focus on the groups most at risk, such as boys, children from disadvantaged households and migrant children. EU Education Ministers have set a target to reduce the share of poor readers from 20 % to less than 15 % by 2020. Only Belgium (Flemish Community), Denmark, Estonia, Poland and Finland have already achieved this target.

Science Education in Europe - Eurydice Report

The study examines the organisation of science teaching in Europe and provides an overview of existing policies and strategies that aim at improving and fostering science teaching and learning today. It looks at support measures available to teachers and schools for boosting students' motivation and interest in science. The study also contains a literature review on science education, main findings from the international surveys PISA and TIMSS as well as results from a Eurydice pilot survey (SITEP) on the content of initial teacher education programmes.

The Nordic Countries in Educational key figures

The Nordic Cooperation has published a collection of statistics on education from day care to higher education in the member countries as compared to the whole of Europe, the USA and Korea. Although it is from 2010 it is still very useful. You can make your own evaluation since there is no explanation, just pure data.

New publication on adult illiteracy

One in five 15-year-olds in Europe, as well as many adults, lack basic reading and writing skills, which makes it harder for them to find a job and puts them at risk of social exclusion. New publication by Lit.Voc tackles these problems. - We have to ask what does this mean for their children?

Facts and Figures on Education

When does the school year start in Latvia? When does it end in Austria? When do students go on autumn holidays in Germany? Whether you are planning on studying a semester abroad or simply planning your next holiday, the updated and downloadable annual overview of the school and academic calendars in Europe 2012/13, published by Eurydice, can help!