92001E3541

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3541/01

by Gérard Caudron (PSE) to the Commission

(8 January 2002)

Subject: Nursery school education for five-year olds

At a time when Europe is debating its future and its future institutions, the teaching of European integration in the education systems of the Member States of the Union is becoming crucial to developing a genuine European citizenship.

The subject should be introduced in nursery schools as from the age of five, in appropriate forms, and continue into higher education in all disciplines.

Above all, it should also be made a compulsory and permanent part of the curriculum at the different stages of each education system with a programme that is developed and adjusted to the level of education provided.

Could the Commission begin by carrying out a survey on this issue in the Member States and candidate countries?

Once this analysis has been done, would the next step not be to draw the consequences and invite the governments to introduce the measures required to achieve the desired results?

Does the Commission not see this as a crucial challenge for the democratic future of the Union, namely to give real substance at last to European citizenship for the younger generations of today and tomorrow?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(8 February 2002)

The Socrates programme on education helps to fund many European citizenship projects, for example under Comenius 1 and 2 for schools, from nursery education to the end of secondary education. Moreover, this is one of the 13 priority areas in the 2002 call for proposals for the creation of Comenius networks (Comenius 3).

However, it is not the Commission but the Member States which have sole responsibility for education programmes. It is therefore not among the Commission's priorities to carry out a survey. Within its remit, the Commission will continue to take resolute action to develop European citizenship in education and in other areas.