Magazine / Society / School in Europe / From the press | 19/12/2007

Schools, teachers, curricula

What should be taught in school? How well are immigrant children integrated? What does school contribute to society and what impact does society have on school? Views from Europe's schools.

euro|topics-Dossier on education

Main focus of Friday, 30. November 2007

Tests for Europe's schoolchildren

Two new studies have reignited the debate about educational standards in schools: the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and the OECD's Pisa study. ... » more

Schools in the EU member-states

Belgium

De Standaard - Belgium | Thursday, 13. July 2006

Belgian must not prohibit the veil at school

"Are teachers who wear a head scarf a danger to the students they teach ?", asks Peter Vandermeersch. "Those who want to outlaw the head ... » more

Bulgaria

Monitor - Bulgaria | Tuesday, 20. November 2007

Another teachers strike in Bulgaria

Bulgarian teachers have decided to stage another major strike in the current school year. This time the goal will be not only higher salaries but ... » more

Sega - Bulgaria | Wednesday, 17. October 2007

Bulgaria's students have grown up

Ljuben Obretenov tries to explain why, contrary to all expectations, the teachers' strike has now gone on for three weeks. "The similarities with the events ... » more

Sega - Bulgaria | Monday, 15. October 2007

The teachers' strike will decide Bulgaria's future

Bulgaria's teachers have been on strike for three weeks now. Ivaylo Ditchev considers that fundamental issues are at stake: "The outcome of this conflict will ... » more

Dnevnik - Bulgaria | Friday, 12. October 2007

Bulgaria's teachers call for the government's resignation

Bulgaria's largest demonstration in ten years took place yesterday. Following three weeks of fruitless negotiations with the government, tens of thousands of teachers gathered to ... » more

Kultura - Bulgaria | Tuesday, 9. October 2007

Democratisation through schools

Teachers in Bulgaria are striking for better payment and better schools. Rumen Petrov concludes that without school reforms there can be no major changes within ... » more

Dnevnik - Bulgaria | Friday, 5. October 2007

The teachers' strike in Bulgaria

According to Georgi Gospodinov, the teachers' strike which has gone on for ten days now is about more than higher salaries and educational reforms: "The ... » more

Dnevnik - Bulgaria | Wednesday, 26. September 2007

Teachers on strike in Bulgaria

Bulgaria's teachers have been on strike since Monday in a bid to have their salaries doubled from an average of 170 euros per month. However ... » more

Denmark

Politiken - Denmark | Tuesday, 5. June 2007

Ethnic segregation at schools?

According to Danish studies, children of immigrants are particularly prone to problems with reading and spelling. Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of the Social Democrats, has therefore ... » more

Politiken - Denmark | Thursday, 10. August 2006

Separate classes in Danish schools

A row has broken out at the beginning of the school year in Denmark. A Copenhagen school wanted to introduce separate classes for the children ... » more

Germany

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany | Wednesday, 5. April 2006

The integration of immigrants

Heribert Prantl is deeply concerned about the debate about the integration of immigrant children in German schools after a school in Berlin felt compelled to ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Monday, 3. April 2006

Integration policies at German schools

Correspondent Eric Gujer examines the debate on the integration of children of immigrants in schools, an issue which is currently the subject of heated discussion ... » more

Die Zeit - Germany | Thursday, 26. January 2006

Compulsory German on the Playground

A school in Berlin has made headlines in the debate about the integration of immigrants, because it made speaking German on the playground compulsory. "The ... » more

Finland

Hufvudstadsbladet - Finland | Wednesday, 5. December 2007

Pisa winner Finland wants to do even better

Once again Finland occupied a top position in the Pisa study. Johanna Westman reflects on how the country can maintain its ranking: "One of the ... » more

France

Le Nouvel Observateur - France | Thursday, 27. September 2007

Jean Daniel on school and the Church as means of integration in France

Jean Daniel, chief editor of the weekly, considers that "France would never have bcome the most marvellous machine in the world for fabricating French people ... » more

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 22. October 2007

A farewell letter as compulsory reading?

As of today, the farewell letter written by the young resistance fighter Guy Môquet will be required reading at French schools. In an interview with ... » more

Le Soir - Belgium | Thursday, 12. January 2006

Teaching and philosophy

Albert Jacquard, a geneticist and philosopher, gives an interview led by William Bourton in which he stresses the importance of philosophy in school curricula. "In one ... » more

Greece

Ta Nea - Greece | Wednesday, 24. October 2007

Greek school children are occupying schools

The daily notes how Greek school teenagers are not taking part in the traditional national holiday celebrations this coming October 28th. "They no longer see ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Thursday, 26. October 2006

The crisis in Greece's education system

Amalia van Gent, the newspaper's correspondent in Greece, reports on the current crisis affecting Greece's entire education system – with demonstrations, strikes and the occupation ... » more

To Vima - Greece | Thursday, 7. September 2006

Greek government agains confession at school

"The Ministry of Education and Religion's bill asking for confession in school to be dropped is causing an uproar, under-lines the daily." This announcement has ... » more

I Kathimerini - Greece | Wednesday, 30. August 2006

Crisis in Greece's education system

"Greece's education system has been in crisis, much in the manner of the naked emperor: Everyone could see the crisis was coming, but no one ... » more

Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Thursday, 12. April 2007

The dispute over a Greek history book

Amalia van Gent reports that a new history textbook brought out by the Greek Ministry of Education is causing a stir. The Orthodox Church has ... » more

Britain

The Times - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 10. July 2007

Debt management in the classroom

Libby Purves lauds the announcement that 'economic wellbeing and financial capability' will be introduced into British mathematics curricula. "New Labour has spent ten years presiding ... » more

Italy

La Repubblica - Italy | Thursday, 6. September 2007

How to improve Italian schooling ?

The professor of Law History, Aldo Schiavone reflects on the role of school in Italy. "The real problem with education in Italy is the conflict ... » more

La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 3. July 2007

Italian teachers are an under-proletariat

Columnist Pietro Citati remembers that during his childhood teachers weren't very rich. Their instruction, on the other hand, was irreproachable, thanks to an education system ... » more

Malta

Times of Malta - Malta | Wednesday, 5. December 2007

Learning about Maltese identity

Henry Frendo, a Maltese professor of History, presents the case for introducing Maltese studies into national education as a means of better establishing Maltese ... » more

Austria

Der Standard - Austria | Wednesday, 5. December 2007

Poland as a role model for Austria

While Austria still occupies a middling position in the Pisa study, Poland has leapt from the bottom of the ranking to a leading position as ... » more

Poland

Dziennik - Poland | Thursday, 30. August 2007

Praise for the school uniform

Poland is introducing the compulsory use of school uniforms as of September 3, the first day of the new school year. TV journalist Dorota Gawryluk ... » more

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Wednesday, 25. July 2007

Poland's government in row over required reading at schools

Poland's ruling coalition has been locked in a dispute for months now over required reading at schools. Polish Minister of Education Roman Giertych, leader of ... » more

Portugal

Diário de Notícias - Portugal | Friday, 30. December 2005

Blogs enter the classroom

"The blogosphere is a brilliant tool for teachers. It is with this idea in mind that a group of inspired teachers have started the BLOPE ... » more

Romania

Gândul - Romania | Tuesday, 20. November 2007

Education budget cuts

Melania Mandas Vergu comments on the cuts in Romania's education budget: "For eleven months we've been almost deafened by the praise for Tarceanu's Cabinet - ... » more

Gândul - Romania | Tuesday, 25. September 2007

Bribery at schools

Last week a Romanian school teacher was caught taking a hefty bribe from a pupil in exchange for a good grade during an exam. Melania ... » more

Gândul - Romania | Friday, 3. August 2007

Compulsory nursery schooling in Romania?

In the recent Pisa study Romania came 34th out of 43 countries. Education Minister Cristian Adomnitei now plans to reform the education system and introduce ... » more

Sweden

Expressen - Sweden | Tuesday, 20. November 2007

Advertising strategies on Sweden's school market

For Sweden's schools, parents and children are coveted customers in an open market: the state funding allocated to each child for its education goes to ... » more

Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Friday, 26. January 2007

Language rules at Swedish schools

A school in the southern Swedish city of Landskrona recently banned pupils from speaking languages other than Swedish on the school grounds. The school management ... » more

Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Tuesday, 1. August 2006

The debate about a Swedish literary canon

The Swedish party Folkpartiet has proposed the introduction of a compulsory literary canon and triggered a nationwide debate. Stefan Jonsson rejects the proposal, saying it ... » more

Slovenia

Večer - Slovenia | Thursday, 5. January 2006

Roma in School

In a primary school in the Slovenian town of Novo Mesto, Roma children are now being taught separately from the other children in maths, Slovenian ... » more

Delo - Slovenia | Thursday, 22. February 2007

Debate in Slovenia about primary school curriculum

The Slovenian ministry of education plans to drastically reduce the number of optional subjects on offer in the last three years of primary school. Until ... » more

Spain

El País - Spain | Wednesday, 12. September 2007

School ghettos are emerging in Spain

This September 12th, 7.2 million little Spaniards are going back to school. Whereas in 1996 only 0.7% of pupils were immigrants, there are 9.4% of ... » more

Czech Republic

Lidové noviny - Czech Republic | Wednesday, 26. September 2007

Czech pupils no longer learn German

"Young Czechs are no longer interested in learning German," Jana Machalkova notes. "The kids at schools mostly want to learn English. They choose either Spanish ... » more

Hungary

Népszabadság - Hungary | Tuesday, 7. February 2006

Roma children at schools in Hungary

A few days ago, opposition leader Viktor Orban said in a speech that he understood parents who didn't want to send their children to schools ... » more

Cyprus

Cyprus Mail - Cyprus | Tuesday, 17. July 2007

New clothes for failing students

The new public school uniforms revealed by Cypriot education minister Akis Kleanthous on Friday, July 18th, hailed as modern and flexible, are put in perspective ... » more

Further articles on the subject » Education, » Europe
More from the press review on the subject » Education, » Europe