1. Ex-ante conditionality self-assessment for investment priority „Preventing and reducing early school-leaving“
Birgit Lao-Peetersoo
Deputy Head of Structural Funds Department
13th of June 2012 ESF TWG, Brussels

2. Focus
Thematic objective 9 “Investing in skills, education and lifelong learning“.
Investment priority „Preventing and reducing early school-leaving (ESL)“.
Most challenging investment priority under this thematic objective.
Planned measures for ESL in general and vocational education only, thus no pre-school or measures for higher education foreseen.

3. Structure A system for collecting and analysing data and information.
Brief overview of main statistical figures, major researches and its findings.
How ESL is treated in general and VET sector and main measures taken so far.
All mention can be written more briefly if needed.

4. Lessons
Probably assessed too deeply – the rationale of chosen approach, problems could be included in OP than in ex-ante conditionality assessment.
Text is rather descriptive, thus avoided any direct valuation of measures taken so far – focused on measures taken and fulfilled so far.
What kind of valuation or judgement of taken measures are expected? By whom?

5. Concerns (1) Seems rather an extra administrative burden:
Annually updated country information available in EYRIPEDIA (European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems – EC initiative) – focuses on Education in Europe 2020 Strategy. Link:
Maybe information already available could be linked and used as a part of an assessment?

6. EYRIPEDIA 1 Headline targets for education and training
1.1 Early leavers from education and training
1.2 Tertiary education attainment
1.3 Adult participation in lifelong learning
1.4 Share of adults without any professional education
2 Country specific recommendation (CSR4)
3 Investments
4 Annual Growth Survey 2012
4.1 Young people who are not in employment, education or training
4.2 Quality apprenticeships and traineeship contracts and entrepreneurial skills, including vocational training dimension in tertiary education
4.3 Adapting education and training systems to reflect labour market conditions and skills demand
4.4 Quality and funding of universities
5 New skills and jobs
6 Legislative references

7. Concerns (2)
Criteria of fulfilment: involves all policy sectors and stakeholders that are relevant to address ESL.
All policy sectors besides educational policy i.e. social policy?
Stakeholders in ESL: activity level - schools (council and governing body), pupils, local municipality? Or stakeholders on policy level?
Many sector specific strategies will be out date by 2014 – major renewing process on state level already started > no direct measures yet to assess – what to describe? Planned measures?

8. Conclusions
Relevancy of the criteria – must focus on criteria directly linked to proposed measures.
Possibility to link excising data already available in EC – less administrative burden.
For consideration: include ex-ante conditionality assessment obligation to OP text (Identification of the investment priorities and description of the corresponding specific objectives). Thus not to have it seprately done.

9. Tänan kuulamast!