Commission launches 'e-Learning' initiative
Viviane Reding, the Commissioner for Education and Culture, has launched the eLearning initiative to speed up the adjustment of education and training in Europe to meet the needs of the information society. The details will be presented to the Council meeting of education Ministers on 8 June, and will contribute to discussions at the special European Council meeting on 'A Europe of Innovation and Knowledge' as well as the Ministerial Conference to launch the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes. 'The global economy is gradually moving towards an innovation and knowledge society which has enormous growth and employment potential,' said Ms Reding. 'But I find that Europe is not taking advantage of this potential, in particular because it does not have enough people skilled in the information and communication technologies.' The eLearning initiative aims to ensure all schools have access to the Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2001, and that all teachers are equipped and skilled in their use be the end of 2002. For 2003, all pupils should be digitally literate by the time they leave school. 'The Commission's objectives are particularly ambitious and will require extra efforts from most Member States,' said Ms Reding. 'If they are achieved, they will enable Europeans to make up much of the ground on the United States.' The Commission will also be taking action through existing initiatives, such as eEurope, launched by Commission President Romano Prodi last year. The eLearning initiative will implement and supplement the eEurope initiative in the areas of education and training. One of the objectives of eEurope is to make digital literacy one of the basic skills of every young European. To this end, the Commission hopes to equip schools with multimedia computers, train European teachers in digital technologies, develop European educational services and software, and speed up the networking of schools and teachers. Most of the funding will be national, with assistance from the European Structural Fund and other Community programmes in eligible areas. Two million Europeans - most of them young people - will be helped to acquire new skills and learn other languages through the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth mobility programmes, which run over seven years. A conference to launch these programmes will take place in Lisbon on 17 and 18 March in the presence of Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio, Prime Minister Antonio Guterres and Ms Reding as well as education ministers from Member States.