#EYEhearings: CULT Committee focuses on education and mobility
A follow up of the European Youth Event (EYE2014) took place in the European Parliament this week. Youth representatives made recommendations at a series of “speed hearings” at different committees of European Parliament, among them the Committee of culture and education (CULT) focusing on education and mobility. The Parliament was very engaged in the conversation and concrete suggestions for a better future for young people were made.
European Commissioner for education, culture, youth and sport Tibor Navracsics had an exchange of views with the committee just before the speed hearing saying, “Young people are the future of Europe. Leaving them aside, being frustrated, would be a disaster.” Navracsics highlighted the Commission’s “strategic alliance” with the European Youth Forum and youth organisations. The objective of the Commission’s work, he pointed out, should be to reach out to more young people through social media and other platforms to foster youth participation.
The Commissioner also reflected on the need to increase employability of young people and recommended influencing national education through country specific recommendations (CSRs) of the European semester. He added the cooperation between employers and education providers is crucial for improving the situation of young people today.
The EYE speed hearing kicked off with suggestions for better education in Europe, including an education system, which integrates citizenship education. MEP Curzio Maltese (Nordic Green Left) commented: “Education should foster citizenship and not match only labour market needs.” And Sabine Verheven (German EPP) stated, “we should look more in depth into the German model to build a true added value for a European scheme.” The youth representatives responded to MEPs saying that young people felt that practical experience would lead to a better transition towards jobs for today’s youth. Loredana Urzica from Romania suggests civic education in European curricula and more exchange experiences.
The question of mobility of young people was also on agenda at the CULT speed hearing. The youth representatives called for the introduction of a ‘European student mobility card’ that would allow access for all young people to travel freely through out the 28 member states with discount rates and free access to all libraries on any campus.
CULT Committee chair Silvia Costa ended the hearings on a very positive note saying that hearing from young people in person is much more powerful than talking about them in a meeting. The Youth Forum looks forward to seeing how the European parliament utilises the recommendations from the young representatives that have come out to the EYE and these hearings.
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