Key Data on Education in Europe 2002 [antikvár]

PREFACE Now that European cooperation in education fias adopted a worl< programme on the follow-up of the future objectives of education and training systems in Europe, the Commission is more than ever convinced of the need not only to have available a varied range of readily comparable reliable, statistical indicators on education systems but also information on how those systems are organised and the way they function. Since 1994, the report Key Data on Education in Europe has provided all European citizens with a report on changes In the operation of education systems, participation in their activities, demographic trends and the transition to the job market. This fifth edition has been enhanced with new indicators concerning fields of special importance for European cooperation, such as foreign language learning and the teaching profession. A particularly novel feature is the incorporation of a new chapter on financing which provides a clear picture of financial investment in different levels of the education system. The chapter also offers a supplementary analysis of the levels at which responsibility for budget management lies and the variety of management methods adopted, which is essential if data on the actual amounts involved is to be properly understood and interpreted. In accordance with the elearning action plan, the chapter which was devoted to basic indicators on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the previous edition was the subject of a separate publication in September 2001. It will be updated and enhanced with fresh data by the Eurydice Network in 2003. The present report is the outcome of close collaboration between Eurydice, the information network on education in Europe and Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union. It is to be hoped that the variety, interest and reliability of the data in the report, as well as the complementary nature of its various elements, will make a valuable contribution to debate at national and European levels on the quality of education and its development in relation to lifelong learning. Viviane Reding Pedro Solbes Mira Commissioner Commissioner Education & Culture Economic & Monetary Affairs