MJS - mouvement des jeunes socialistes

Résolution du Students Network ECOSY au Summer Camp ECOSY - Juillet 2005

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ECOSY Students Network Summer Camp Declaration

ECOSY summer camp: education 4 all!

Students from all over Europe face many challenges. Governments are advocating privitisation, are increasing tuition fees and cutting back educational (welfare) standards. The overall aim of ECOSY – Young European Socialists is to establsh free and equal access to education all through Europe. 1500 young socialists and social democrats united in Figuiera da Foz Portugal lanched the campaign "Education 4 All" to improve the educational conditions in Europe and overcome the many challenges posed by the member states of the EU. In the overall strive for a Social Europe for Everyone the ECOSY students network emphasise the following elements:

Free and equal access
Education and globalization
Democracy at university
Non formal education
Education for development of education

1. Free and equall access For socialists and social democrats education is a vital tool for social and economical development of the society. Therefore free and equal access is one of the main principles of young socialists and social democrats. High tuition fees and intake exams should not be accepted since it undermines our basic principle. ECOSY calls for the imidiate end of the misuseage of the Bologna process in reforming education and the fair implementation of the strategy. The main Lisbon objective is to establish the stongest knowledge based economy in the world and by that creating more and better jobs. Limiting the accessibility to education will not contribute to that strategy. In fact without strengtened investments in education the goal will never be achieved.

2. Education and globalisation Today students live in a globalised world and a globalised educational dimension needs to be established. Unfortunately this dimension has only been identified according to a global market perspective. The creation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) during the upcoming ministerial conference of the WTO is a reflection of this perspective. Other modalities for the global dimension need to be established and the ongoing negotiation process altered. Article 51 of the GATS agreement needs to be abolished for the education pillar, one of the elements in GATS. Next to that any commitment done under GATS in relation to education can not be accepted when it undermines the principles of non-excludibility and all-inclusivness related to global public goods. In 2000 governements committed themselves to achieve universal primary education as part of the millennium declaration. Unfortunately the current commitment, and especially in the education fast track initiative, will not enable fulfilment of the goals by 2015. During the UN+5 summit in September 2005 governments have to ensure the achievement of this goal.

3. Democracy at university Students have to be part of the decision making process in universities and schools, with a democratic legitimation. Unfortunately this is not true for all of Europe and in several states the students participation is very low. For this a new student participation charter needs to be issued by the European commission in paralell to other educational developments in the European context. The charter needs to specify the right to participate in the decision making process as well as the legtimate rights of students in the process. Students must be recognized as equal partners in all decision making processes concerning higher education and the student social standard.

4. Non-formal education Non-formal education and life long learning are important in the continiously developing world. This is not only needed to strengthen the labour market but also to offer possibilities to individuals for personal development. Govenments need to strenghten non-formal education policies. Including providing extra financing to enable free and equal access for all. In collective agreements between employers and eployees, and individual employment contracts, the provision of non-formal education needs to be unconditionally foreseen. Unemployed people need to be offered access to non-formal education to enable greater access to the labour market.

5. Education for development of education Everyone must have the possibility to part in quality education. Yet many countries are facing problems in reforming their education systems within Europe. Therefore our main task is to foster cooperation to enhance the quality of education systems within Europe. We have to be aware that only with good cooperation and willingness to share best practices, fostering teachers and students mobility we can achieve a harmonized higher education area in Europe.

The above mentioned elements need to be mainstreamed in every European policy concerning education. Therefor ECOSY launched the campaign "EDUCATION 4 ALL" as a cornerstone towards a Social Europe for Everyone. ECOSY calls upon all member organizations to actively take part in the future activities of the ECOSY student network in the campaign "EDUCATION 4 ALL".

Only together we can ensure free and equal access to education and by this contribute to a more social Europe.