Learning in the Information Society - Moving forward
Within the context of the Commission's Action Plan "Learning in the Information Society", it is planned to launch, in early 1998, a European Foundation for Educational Multimedia, grouping private and public undertakings as well as educational authorities from the Member States of the European Union. At the initiative of Commissioner Edith Cresson, thirteen companies from the information technology and communication sectors have come together to offer concrete answers to specific needs in the educational sector, including the connection of schools, the technical maintenance of equipment, training teachers and developing multimedia content. At present, the "European Education Partnership" is composed of Apple Computers, Averbode Editors, Belgacom, British Telecom, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Microsoft, Oracle, Portugal Telecom, Schoolsoft and Sun Microsystems. Public/private partnerships are perceived today as more and more indispensable in order to enable all educational institutions to participate in the multimedia revolution. In this respect, the "European Education Partnership" will contribute to the creation of a European Foundation for educational multimedia, which will bring together the main actors in the multimedia, audiovisual, telecommunications and educational fields in order to enhance the use of new technologies in schools. The role of the Foundation, which has received the support of the fifteen Education Ministers of the European Union, will be to coordinate the interests of industrialists, organizations and public authorities in the framework of a flexible structure which will be set up by key players themselves. The Foundation will serve as a think tank on the evolution of technologies and educational practices. It will act as a reference and exchange point between the actors for the dissemination of good practices in the field of public/private partnerships at European level. Further tasks will be to encourage the creation of new types of partnerships within the Member States and the regions, and to stimulate the inter-connection of associations already operating at local or national level. In this respect, the Foundation will be invited to play an active role in sponsoring educational projects to promote the use of information and communication networks, and will be particularly active in the implementation of future Netday operations. The foundation should be inaugurated at the beginning of 1998, and will be located in a centre dedicated to creativity and technological innovation.