Coping with economic globalization: reform priorities in the fields of education, vocational training and lifelong learning Frank Vandenbroucke 3rd Belgium-Germany Conference EGMONT-Royal Institute for International Relations 17 April 2012

5 EU benchmarks: adequate, we need a “well skilled society”) By 2010: Share of low achievers in reading should decrease by 20% (to 17%) Share of early school leavers of no more than 10% should be reached At least 85% of 22-year-olds should have completed upper secondary education Total number of mathematics, science and technology (MST) graduates should increase by at least 15% and gender imbalance should decrease Participation in lifelong learning of working age population should at least reach 12.5% By 2020: At least 95% of children between 4 years old and starting age of compulsory education should participate in early childhood education Share of low achievers in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15% Share of early school leavers of no more than 10% should be reached Tertiary attainment of year-olds should at least reach 40% Participation in lifelong learning of working age population should at least reach 15%

5 EU benchmarks: adequate, we need a “well-skilled society” By 2010: Share of low achievers in reading should decrease by 20% (to 17%) Share of early school leavers of no more than 10% should be reached At least 85% of 22-year-olds should have completed upper secondary education Total number of mathematics, science and technology (MST) graduates should increase by at least 15% and gender imbalance should decrease Participation in lifelong learning of working age population should at least reach 12.5% By 2020: At least 95% of children between 4 years old and starting age of compulsory education should participate in early childhood education Share of low achievers in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15% Share of early school leavers of no more than 10% should be reached Tertiary attainment of year-olds should at least reach 40% Participation in lifelong learning of working age population should at least reach 15%

Public expenditure on education (percentage of GDP, 2008 and 1998) Source: Efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditure on tertiary education in the EU, EC

Public expenditure on education, breakdown by education level (%, 2008) Source: Eurostat (* 2005; ** 2007)

Belgium: early school leavers Worse performance (11.9% in 2010) than EU benchmark (no more than 10% in 2010/2020) Better performance than EU average (14.1% in 2010), mainly driven by Flanders (9.6% in 2010), via prevention, intervention and compensation measures: ◦Encouragement of nursery education participation ◦Truancy action plan, with involvement of parents ◦Full-time commitment in part-time learning systems ◦Second chance programmes ◦Better pupil guidance (decree planned by 2014) ◦Broader reform to make technical and professional education more attractive (under discussion) + Possible sanctions (e.g. school allowances linked to regular school attendance) Source: Analysis of the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) - Country analysis (2011), EC

Belgium: tertiary attainment Better performance (44.4% in 2010) than EU benchmark (at least 40% in 2020) and EU average (33.6% in 2010) New funding model in Flanders (2008): ◦Widening participation, in particular by attracting “non-traditional learners” ◦Providing appropriate guidance and counselling ◦Improving completion rate (e.g. through institution-funded premium for students from disadvantaged groups and working adult learners, equal treatment of full-time and part- time students and flexible study pathways) ◦Providing targeted allocations to reward achievement of agreed objectives for participation and completion rates (Pact 2020: “higher education participation rate of 60% for children from parents without a higher education degree”) ◦Shifting responsibility for study progress to student (e.g. possibly higher tuition fees or refused registration if performance remains below expected standards) Introduction of short-cycle higher vocational education programmes to help new groups of students to progress to bachelor’s programmes Source: Analysis of the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET2020) - Country analysis (2011), EC

Belgium: life long learning Worse performance (7.2% in 2010) than EU benchmark (at least 12.5%/15% in 2010/2020) and EU average (9.1% in 2010) Competence Agenda 2010 in Flanders (2007), agreed between Flemish Government, social partners and education providers and focusing on 10 priorities, including: ◦Acquiring competences through learning and working ◦Recognising acquired competences on labour market ◦Sound competence policy within companies and organisations ◦Age-conscious personnel policy ◦Developing competences of individual employees ◦Dealing with changing careers ◦Sectors as pivots in competence policy Flemish Qualifications Structure (2009)

Belgium: the skills mismatch “Technological education”: starts in primary education Need to reform secondary education Importance of “HBO5”

Germany & Belgium: above average impact of background SES From Vandenbroucke & Vleminckx, “Disappointing Poverty Trends: is the Social Investment State to Blame?”, Journal of European Social Policy, December 2011.