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 1.1
DISPARITIES AND CONVERGENCE'S
The delegations gathered here today represent
a vast region of the world, whose diversity would at
first sight appear to be accentuated by their geography
and recent history.
Until 1990, the stability of Europe was
assured by a bi-polar form of organization, which of
course ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall, a highly
symbolic event, and one which was powerfully projected
as such by the media. Since then, more than half of
the countries of Europe, with few exceptions, have embarked
peacefully on a period of accelerated transition which
has caused transformations and upheavals on a scale
unimaginable only a few years ago.
This movement has profoundly reshaped
our space, caused old connections to reappear and brought
about new convergences.
1.1.1
REALITIES AND CULTURAL ISSUES.
Some examples: the inheritance of a core
of shared culture, as can be seen, for example, in the
richness of our European heritage; the population migrations
which have made Europe and North America regions of
coexistence, cousinhood and interbreeding of populations
and cultures; and the fact that national and regional
identities have nevertheless remained strong, as expressed
in particular by the vigour and diversity of modern
languages and of traditions.
One fact which has sometimes been lost
sight of should no longer be overlooked: the fundamental
characteristic of our region is its human diversity,
which we must learn to manage in all its dimensions
- ethnic, cultural and linguistic. With today's developments
in mobility, exchanges and the flow of information,
we shall witness the construction of a space that is
increasingly open, distinguished by its multicultural
and multilingual dimension.
Our societies, while retaining their
distinctive roots, must adjust to this trend.
It may be perceived as a threat or as an
asset. If Europe wishes to regain its stability and
influence in the long term, it can do it only by developing
a body of values founded on respect for others, the
acceptance of differences and recognition of others'
membership of the community. We should therefore ensure
that it is "basic" for all to adhere, both in school
and outside the formal school system, to the values
of tolerance, respect for others and solidarity, all
values which are by nature deeply democratic, and form
one of the pillars of citizenship. This will
be the subject of Round Table No. 6.
In addition to the aspects that we have
just mentioned, it seems particularly important to bear
in mind two points: since the very beginning of the
eighteenth century, our region, especially the more
westerly part of it, has been the centre of democratic
innovation, both through the work of its intellectuals
and through the concrete emergence of the earliest systems
of parliamentary democracy; similarly it has been at
the source of all social theory, and its first testing
ground.
This explains without any doubt the profound
attachment of our fellow citizens to concepts of equality
and social justice, as well as to the responsibility
for public service which is required of the State. To
take an example from education, it is clear that many
of our countries expect their governments to guarantee
access to education to all citizens, and to reduce inequalities
of all kinds, especially those with financial causes
- which explains, as we have seen, the deep-rooted attachment
to free provision of education - to control the quality
of the education provided, and finally to promote the
effectiveness of education as an instrument of social
advancement. These historical and cultural roots weigh
heavily, as we know, on the education debate in many
of our countries.
1.1.2
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL CONVERGENCE.
As we have recalled above, the countries
of the westernmost part of the region are anchored in
an ancient, well-established democratic tradition. Broadly
speaking, they have enjoyed the benefits, over a long
period and almost without interruption, of stable institutions,
of parliamentary or presidential electoral systems,
and freedom of expression, association and enterprise.
Albeit with subtle differences from country to country,
they also have long-established market economies (although
distinctions could be drawn between the strongly liberal
Anglo-Saxon alternative and a European variant known
as "market socialism").
This stability has made it possible to
accumulate experience which as a rule has been translated
into processes of pragmatic reform in the implementation
and fine-tuning of even the most innovative policies.
This is essential, and explains why, in these countries,
educational issues are generally approached in terms
of initiatives, projects or targeted reforms but never
as reforms of the entire sector.
On the other hand, in the eastern parts
of the region, change has occurred more globally, and
faster: considerable reforms were put in place in an
extremely short time, sometimes deliberately as strategic
breaks with the past. This period, known as one of transition,
was characterized by the setting up of democratic institutions,
and by very rapid conversion to a market economy.
In the field of education, many countries
(Poland, Romania and Russia, for example) undertook
global reforms of the sector, in order to build an education
system appropriate to the democratic and economic changes.
Education explicitly appears as a major factor in the
construction of a new society. Thus the Russian Federation
aims not only to develop its people but "to create a
new society by bringing about the necessary changes
in ideology, content and teaching methods". Bulgaria
sees the fundamental mission of education as "to prepare
young people for a full and active life in a democratic
society and a market economy". Poland is equally explicit,
seeking as it does to distance itself from a neopositivist
model of education marked by the primacy of information
over the acquisition of skills, by collectivism to the
detriment of personal development, and by a compartmentalization
of disciplines and highly specialized vocational training.
A complete overhaul of the system is presented as essential
in order to adapt to new institutions and the new international
context. Most of the country reports incline towards
this view.
These brief examples show a clear tendency:
the will to establish a "democratic school" (and
the references to the Declaration of Jomtien are frequent),
to be simultaneously the means and the result of
the strengthening of the democratization of institutions.
On this point, there is a strong element of convergence
with the philosophy and purposes of the education systems
of the other countries of the region, and the emphasis
laid on the personal development and self-reliance of
individuals is very clear.
On the other hand, the idea that education
should be largely geared to economic needs remains very
prominent, and the concern to integrate into European
and world economic circuits, and to take advantage of
communication and information technologies in particular,
constitutes a strong trend in those countries "in transition".
1.2
DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSITION, DIFFICULTIES OF ADJUSTMENT
However, while it is true that the transition
in the eastern part of Europe has proceeded peacefully,
except in the Balkans, it has not been achieved without
many economic and social difficulties. Of the countries
of this region, only three today enjoy a level of GDP
comparable to or higher than that of 1990. Rapid privatizations
have simultaneously increased unemployment, enriched
certain segments of the population, and impoverished
the masses. The problems encountered have thus been
particularly formidable in all sectors and at all levels:
in the field of education, these economic difficulties
have weighed heavily on the protection of past achievements
in terms of access, which has been maintained overall,
but undoubtedly to the detriment of the quality of education,
as the UNICEF study suggests.
In the western part of the region, and
in particular in Europe, the same difficulties have
appeared, owing to rapid economic adjustment: the liberalization
of the economy, begun in the 1980s but considerably
accentuated in the 1990s (GATT Agreements) has caused
many mergers and the reorganization of whole sectors,
and the loss of activities as they have been moved to
countries with cheap labour, without being replaced
by other, higher technology activities, as was the case
at the end of the 1980s in the United States. Many European
countries have suffered, and continue to suffer (although
there have been some clear signs of improvement) from
high unemployment affecting young people, women and
older workers in particular. In spite of the introduction
in many countries of increasingly costly social support
and remedial measures, these countries had to face acute
social problems: increases in serious poverty, rising
social violence, especially in the suburbs around large
cities, and the weakening of many families. This context
has, of course, weighed heavily on the education system,
on the one hand by giving credence to the idea that
schools can no longer guarantee social advancement,
and on the other by penetrating the educational milieu:
the number of children and teenagers in difficulties
has increased, as well as failure and drop-out rates,
while violence has become a phenomenon in a number of
schools. This rise in social tensions poses considerable
problems, and we shall see what attempts have been made
to respond to it. These problems linked to poverty and
exclusion are the subject of Round Table No. 5.
1.3 FALLING DEMOGRAPHIC PRESSURE: A GENERAL TREND
One of the characteristics common to the
whole of our region is the radical change in the structure
of its population, and in particular of the age pyramid.
What has often been called "demographic decline" in
fact masks a complex reality: we find a general drop
in the average European birthrate, from 1.2% in 1993
to 1% in 1999, and from 1.6% to 1.4% in North America
during the same period. Young people under the age of
15 now represent a declining proportion of the age pyramid:
from 20% of the total population of Europe in 1993 to
18% in 1999. The same phenomenon is observed in the
Russian Federation (from 23% to 20%), and in North America
(from 22% to 21%).*
There is sufficiently broad agreement that
this phenomenon is the consequence of several trends:
a profound transformation of lifestyles, particularly
the general tendency for women to work outside the home;
widespread use of birth control techniques, now well
accepted by couples, and especially by women; and finally
the rise in the general level of education, which has
contributed to the development of the first two phenomena.
At the same time, the general health of
the population is improving, life expectancy is growing
regularly, and age is not necessarily any longer a handicap,
particularly in societies with well-developed tertiary
sectors, and even in the knowledge-based societies which
some observers see taking shape today. This general
trend is fully apparent, and lends both human and economic
weight and legitimacy to the development of "lifelong
learning". This vision needs, however, to be tempered
by a reminder of how the medical condition of those
families and groups affected by job insecurity or extreme
poverty deterioriates. This is a real medical and social
problem, which adds to the problems of educational decline
mentioned above. Here again, it is governments which
intervene, often assisted by the voluntary sector (Round
Table No. 5).
The effects of these demographic
trends on education are of three types:
- a reduction in inflows into the education system
can help to loosen budgetary constraints a little,
and as long as the funds devoted to education are
maintained overall, can provide additional room for
manoeuvre to allow new actions to be undertaken. This
aspect is emphasized very explicitly in certain reports,
such as those of Italy and Poland. It can also help
to mitigate the effects of funding cuts for the countries
experiencing periods of financial difficulty;
- in economies which are once again experiencing sustainable
growth, at least in the westernmost part of the region,
the labour force is apparently shrinking: many experts
agree that in many cases it will be necessary to call
upon external labour resources. This phenomenon, if
it occurs, will pose the problem of integrating the
children of these immigrant populations into the education
systems of those countries which adopt such policies,
and will further accentuate their multicultural and
multilingual character (Round Table No.°6);
- finally, these developments will undoubtedly be
conducive to progress towards "lifelong learning",
and will provide arguments, if any were needed, for
those who see in the establishment and extension of
this process one of the essential ways in which advanced
societies may be developed, for "humanistic" reasons
as well as on grounds of straightforward economic
realism.
1.4
SOME EFFECTS OF "GLOBALISATION" ON EDUCATION
It seems impossible to be unaware of the
subject of "globalisation", and in one way some of the
observations reported above could already be imputed
to this. We shall confine ourselves here to a few remarks
of direct concern to questions of education.
1.4.1.
As regards economics: it may appear irrelevant to
mention the "globalization" of the economy in connection
with a debate on basic education. Globalization consists,
ultimately, in the expansion of a deregulated market
economy which allows capital freedom of movement practically
in real time, and enables people, goods and services
to circulate at very high speed. However, it should
be observed that the only rationale governing this expansion
is that of excellence, and that one of the routes to
excellence is the mastery of profitable, competitive,
high-performance skills and knowledge.
From the point of view which occupies
us here, we shall restrict ourselves to observing:
- that such a rationale widens, and will widen still
more in the future, the gap between competitive countries
and the others, and that it contributes in a mechanical
way to reinforcing economic marginalization and increasing
poverty. This process involves obviously considerable
risks, human scale as well as political. A first step
in the direction of correcting this extremely worrying
trend would be to make significant efforts to foster
development in general, and more especially that of
quality basic education. This is clearly an area
for solidarity and high-priority cooperation.
- that for the advanced countries involved in this
race for competitiveness, the fact remains that quality
basic education, as well as the greatest possible
educational and cultural awareness in their societies,
constitutes the only true base on which to
build strategies of excellence.
1.4.2
As regards access to knowledge: of all that is often
said on the subject of "globalization", one idea we
encounter particularly frequently is that which consists
in noting that "the school" no longer has a monopoly
on the transmission of knowledge, because of the multiplication
of information sources and the multiplicity of points
of access (in particular the Internet, but also other
media) which lie outside it. This subject deserves to
be examined with caution.
It is absolutely clear that the speedy
development of information and communication technology
has a considerable impact on the whole process of learning,
within the institution of the school and outside it.
It is probable, moreover, that this movement will only
grow and diversify, far beyond anything we can imagine
today. This calls for a twofold observation:
- on the one hand, it is essential to
take into account the impact of these technologies,
and this undeniable reality justifies all the efforts
made to introduce these technologies into the curriculum
reforms undertaken in many countries, even if those
efforts flow from appreciably different viewpoints and
objectives, ranging from a response to the needs of
the labour market (a marked tendency in Eastern Europe,
undoubtedly due to the preoccupation with economic integration),
to the development of exchanges and an interdisciplinary
approach, to research and self-teaching activities (which
appear more in the reports from those countries which
lay greater stress on personal development). What comes
to light in the country reports is a very clear perception
of the tremendous variety of the possibilities on offer,
provided that these new tools can be mastered.
This range of possibilities also
justifies the financial boost given to equipping schools.
-
on the other, it is equally essential that schools
remain places for teaching, learning and equality of
opportunity: the much-discussed impact of these
technologies and their enormous potential should not
let us forget three essential points:
- first, schools have never had a monopoly on access
to knowledge: families have always constituted the
best place for acquiring and passing on knowledge,
and this is still the case; and their degree of cohesion
and level of general culture (and of equipment, in
particular in computer technology) are still key factors
in the academic success or learning difficulties of
children and young people. We must therefore take
care not to forget that neither these new instruments
of access to knowledge, nor the old ones, nor any
future ones, actually make a difference to the issue
of guaranteeing equality of opportunity, which is
one of the essential missions of basic education.
- second, we must guard against any "supermarket of
knowledge" effect, whereby anyone would be able to
come and select whatever they needed. To take full
advantage of these new opportunities and to exploit
them usefully, they must be controlled and integrated
in an overall process of personal development. Basic
education, in the sense intended here, must be the
number one vehicle for such development.
- third, the question of multiple points of access
to knowledge also refers us to broader problems, which
have been studied at length in the World Bank's World
Development Report in 1998-1999 entitled: "Knowledge
for Development". One of the essential matters covered
by this study relates to the access, management and
sharing of knowledge: it makes it abundantly clear
that access to knowledge, in the most traditional
societies and practices, constitutes a powerful lever
for change and development. If one tackles the subjects
of international solidarity and cooperation, the question
of access to and sharing of knowledge becomes essential,
as it can be just as much an aggravating factor worsening
inequalities between countries and regions of the
world, as it can be an instrument for rapid progress.
In any case, such strategies of access to and sharing
of knowledge for development become meaningful only
if a platform of basic education has first been
established. This remark constitutes an additional
argument for the development of basic education for
all, and in our view is part of the worldwide set
of problems to be addressed by the forthcoming Dakar
Conference.
1.4.3.
As regards mobility: a final aspect of the major
changes that have affected our region is that of receptive
attitudes and physical or "virtual" mobility. Indeed,
mobility is not limited to the movement of capital,
goods and services, which is growing considerably. It
equally concerns ideas and people, and should be made
available to all, as widely as possible, and particularly
to young people. As regards education, the UNICEF document
emphasizes young people's thirst for openness in the
countries of Eastern Europe. In the same way, the European
programmes SOCRATES and LEONARDO include an important
mobility constituent for teachers, students and young
workers. The same applies to the YOUTH FOR EUROPE programme.
Certain elements of these programmes, such as COMENIUS,
encourage projects of common interest between schools,
both primary and secondary, which are commended by some
country reports (Italy, for example).
Openness, mobility and the multiplication
of exchanges constitute one of the strengths of the
new situations of our region, and one of the vehicles
for its development. This is obviously valid for
all economic sectors, but also for education at all
levels: openness to the international dimension, and,
as our first concern, to the European dimension, will
probably soon cease to be a marginal aspect of education
and become a major factor in the permanent enrichment
of the education of everyone.
1.5 BASIC EDUCATION: A FIRM FOUNDATION IN A CHANGING
WORLD
During the past decade, great changes have
occurred in the world, especially in our region. The
elements briefly mentioned above (the construction of
democratic regimes, the transition to a market economy,
demographic trends, access to knowledge, the increasing
internationalization of exchanges) are converging: political,
economic and cultural developments in the region have
led, despite the stress laid on this or that aspect,
to fairly convergent visions of the ultimate purpose
of education, and of the role of basic education in
the process as a whole: clearly, there is a search for
coherence between political projects (democratic institutions),
economic organization (the market economy) and education
policies ("civic" education).
A "civic education" must:
- recognize the right to education, without discrimination
of any kind, and bring about all the conditions necessary
for that right to be fully exercised;
- provide for the development of the person, in terms
of autonomy, but also in terms of respect for the
values held by the community, so as to bring about
harmonious and active social integration;
- allow access by individuals to the knowledge, skills
and qualifications required by the degree of economic
and social development of their milieu.
Our societies are moving - with subtle differences
between them, owing to some cultures' being more individualistic
than others, or subject to more pressing economic concerns
- towards the pursuit of these objectives, which constitute
the foundation of basic education and the cornerstone
of all subsequent development.
It is now necessary to measure the progress
made in this direction, to take into account the advances
made and the obstacles encountered and to identify the
most promising initiatives and policies for the future.
*"Populations et Sociétés", INED (Institut National
d'études démographiques), No. 282, August-September
1993, and No. 348, July-August 1999.
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