Learning without frontiers

Ever since the PISA study, it is well known that education is not only a task for the German federal government and the German federal states but is also significant in the European context.

Representatives of all parliamentary parties have embraced the European cooperation in the field of education. It is expected to reduce the school dropout rate Europe-wide and to promote vocational education and training.

As for the objectives related to education, the Europe 2020 strategy proposes to increase the amount of persons with a higher education qualification to 40 per cent, to enhance the attractiveness of vocational education and training and to reduce the school dropout rate to less than ten per cent.

In this context, it is very pleasing that in Germany, the rate of first-year students has increased to 46 per cent in the past year. In addition, vocational education and training is gaining importance.

According to the parliamentary party of the SPD (Social Democratic Party), European countries with a mostly academic vocational education system need to implement more practical experience.

The parliamentary party of Die Linke (The Left) claims that the European Commission should not only tackle the problem of early school leavers but also of dropouts of vocational training. The overall goal is to fight poverty and unemployment with a good education.