Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-10-12-Speech-3-213"
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".
Mr President, I wish to begin by congratulating Mr Portas on his report, as it makes a relevant contribution to an important debate.
To conclude, let me thank Mr Portas again for his inspiring report and ideas, which I will look at carefully with my colleagues. I therefore look forward to our forthcoming discussions.
The situation in Europe has changed substantially since the adoption of the last directive on the education of children of migrant workers in 1977. Since then, the number of migrant workers and the range of languages spoken by migrants in the Union have increased considerably, and the Union itself has increased.
Moreover, the assumption that migrants and their children would return to their countries of origin is no longer valid. Migrants stay in the host countries. The teaching needs of migrant children are different and more complex, now covering second and third generations. Europe has become a truly multilingual area and it is in this context that we must promote languages and language learning.
Mr Portas’ report gives me the opportunity to provide you with some information on what we are already doing and what we intend to do in the future. Firstly, the work programme on the objectives of education and training systems in Europe sets concrete goals. In this context, the general objective of improving active citizenship, equal opportunities and social cohesion covers issues such as the access of immigrants and their children to education and training.
Three of the five EU benchmarks are particularly relevant in this context with regard to immigrant populations. The first is to reduce the number of early school leavers; the second is to increase education attainment levels, and the last benchmark in relation to migrants is to reduce the number of low achievers in reading literacy.
We are also implementing the ‘Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity’ Action Plan, which was adopted in 2003. Let me recall its key underlining principles. First, language learning is a lifelong activity and should be extended to all citizens. Everybody should learn their mother tongue plus two other languages from an early age. Second, a range of languages should be available, including migrant languages. Third, parents and teaching staff need better information on the benefits of early foreign language learning. Fourth, content and language-integrated learning, in which pupils learn a subject in a foreign language, has a major contribution to make to the Union’s language learning goals.
The Community programme, in particular the Comenius, Grundtvig and Lingua actions of the Socrates programme, provide support to a wide range of projects, from class and teacher exchanges to the development and dissemination of teaching methodologies. The future integrated lifelong learning programme will bring new opportunities. Promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity is a specific objective of the future new programme. Transversal action will support networks in the field of language learning and linguistic diversity. The European network of schools, which is mentioned in Mr Portas’ report, could be very well supported by the programme. Funding could be made available on a multiannual basis, which would ensure stability and continuity of funding.
The Culture 2000 Programme encourages intercultural dialogue and exchanges between European and non-European cultures. This dimension will be further reinforced in the Culture 2007 Programme.
I would like to mention two initiatives in the cultural field which are in line with the report. First, last week I proposed, and the Commission adopted, a proposal to declare 2008 the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. I hope to submit to the College before the end of the year a new approach for multilingualism, the first policy paper on multilingualism in the European Union."@en1
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