FIRST MEETING OF THE STANDING CONFERENCE ON UNIVERSITY PROBLEMS

There are a number of international organizations or bodies, which create a framework for international co‐operation in higher education in the European region. (In some cases such co‐operation may involve only some of these countries, while in other instances it may cut across the outer boundaries of the European region).

In 1978 a new organization was created by the Council of Europe's Standing Conference on University Problems (CC‐PU) whose terms of reference are: “as a committee of experts under the authority of the new Council for Cultural Co‐operation (CDCC):

• to organize or encourage cooperation among European nations in the field of higher education and research;

• to propose activities to the CDCC for inclusion in the annual programme of activities;

• to promote relations among European universities and institutions

  of higher education and research”.

The first meeting of CC‐PU was held from 20 to 21 December 1978 in Strasbourg. Professor Dominique Rivier, Rector of the University of Lausanne was elected as its Chairman and as its Vice‐chairman, Professor Paul Sabourin from the Cabinet du Ministre aux Universites (France).

The following information concerns issues discussed during the first meeting of the Conference; these were the Council's Cultural Co‐operation (CDCC) activities in promoting student mobility in the countries of the European Community3 and interrelations between employment and training.     

PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION ESTABLISHING A TRANS‐EUROPEAN MOBILITY SCHEME FOR UNIVERSITY STUDIES “TEMPUS"

This article is a reprint of the explanatory memorandum of a proposal formulated by the Commission of the European Communities for the establishment of a mobility scheme intended to enable students, teachers, and researchers to participate in education and training programmes similar to those in the Community. A principal goal is to develop links between central and eastearnn Europe and such . European Community programmes as ERASMUS, COMETT, LINGUA, and SPES. The indicative calendar presented assumes that the scheme will be in operation as of the 1990‐1991 academic year.

     

7th GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF CRE

One of the important events relevant for higher education in Europe which took place in 1979 was the 7th General Assembly of CRE ‐the Standing Conference of Rectors and Vice‐Chancellors of the European Universities (13‐17 August 1979, Helsinki).

The present membership of CRE includes 352 universities and institutes of higher education in 23 European countries.

The following article, written by Dr. Andris Barblan, Secretary General of CRE, reflects major problems discussed during the General Assembly (Editor's Note: This article is based on the paper presented by Dr. A. Barblan at the Seminar “University Today” which was held on 28 August 1979 in Dubrovnik).

For CEPES participation at this conference see page 42 of this Bulletin.     

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY ‐ COMMON DEVELOPMENTS AND NEED OF. CO‐OPERATION

In addition to the exchange of students and teaching and research staff, co‐operation among administrators in institutions of higher education is an essential part of inter‐university co‐operation.

The following article is based on the ‘findings of a study concerning the situation of the administrative staff in institutions of higher education in the countries of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the need of international cooperation in this field. The study wcs conducted by Mr. G. Lockwood, Registrar and Secretary of the University of Sussex and Dr. H.J. Schuster, Kanzler of the University of Saarland.     

CREATION OF A CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL CO‐OPERATION AND SERVICES AT THE OPEN UNIVERSITY

During the late 1960s the United Kingdom was one of many countries which faced a potential educational crisis arising from a growing demand for post‐secondary education linked with inadequate resources for its conventional provision.

“Distance learning” techniques, providing an alternative form of study based on multi‐media methods outside formal educational systems, have emerged in response to this new demand.

Within the sector of higher education the Open University of the United Kingdom is one of the most comprehensive distance learning systems.

Many requests have been made to the University for information on distance education and for advice and assistance in establishing similar ventures elsewhere. In response to these developments the University Senate has created recently a Centre for International Co‐operation and Services (CICS).

We give below information on the main functions of this Centre within the framework of the Open University activities.     

THE DECLARATION OF HELSINKI AND THE UNIVERSITIES OF EUROPE

The 13th Bi‐annual Conference of the Standing Conference of Rectors and Vice‐Chancellors of European Universities (CRE), held on 21‐22 October 1976 in Athens, discussed the problem of co‐operation between European universities in view of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The participants put more emphasis on the removal of obstacles to existing forms of links between universities than on seeking new ways of inter‐university co‐operation.

Two papers were presented during the conference:

• “Necessity and evolution in the European Scientific Community” by Professor Zygmunt Rybicki, Rector of Warsaw University;

• “Difficulties in European Inter‐University Co‐Operation” by Professor Jean Tuscoz, President of Nice University.

The Bureau of CRE prepared a report “The Declaration of Helsinki and the Universities in Europe”, on which the information below is based, It gives an idea of the present state of development of relations between universities in Eastern and Western Europe.     

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COURSE CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM∗

ECTS, the European Community Course Credit Transfer System established under the ERASMUS Programme, is currently being tested in a pilot scheme involving 145 higher education institutions in all the European Union member states and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. It is operating in five subject areas: Business Administration, Chemistry, History, Mechanical Engineering, and Medicine. The pilot project will run through 1994/1995.

     

Early Years in Europe: the development of European Union policy

The last 15 years has seen a new player on the field of early years policy ‐‐ the European Union. Originating in the Treaty of Rome in 1956, which founded the six country European Economic Community, the EU now consists of 15 member states and has its own institutions, including the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Court of Justice and the Council of Ministers. While economic objectives have always been at the heart of this enterprise, the EU also has a social dimension with social goals, set out in broad terms in the Maastricht Treaty on European Union:

The Community shall have as its task.. to promote throughout the Community a harmonious and balanced development of economic activities, sustainable and non‐inflationary growth respecting the environment, a high degree of convergence of economic performance, a high level of employment and of social protection, the raising of the standard of living and quality of life, and economic and social cohesion and solidarity among Member States (my emphasis) (Article 2)

In this paper I shall review the development of early years policy as part of this European social agenda, and consider some of the issues raised for policy making by this new and unique involvement of an international political entity.     

Between Tradition and Progress: Oldenburg University's Model Plan for Comprehensive Teacher Training

Since early 1974, a pilot project for integrated teacher training has been in progress at Oldenburg University. This is currently the only extensive teacher training reform which exist in the German Federal Republic.

All plans for this integrated training program are designed to provide training normally encompassed by the traditional two‐stage programm.

The integrated training program includes:

- studies in the areas of education and social science;

- studies in two major subjects which are later to be taught at school;

- practical studies and activities.

The new model leads to the following degrees:

- nine semesters of study for a Certificate of Qualification for primary and lower‐level secondary school;

- eleven semesters for a Certificate of Qualification for higher‐level secon dary school and the education of exceptional children.

Theoretic training in major subject areas and related didactic training as well as education and social studies take place chiefly in the form of projects. A basic assumption is that interdisciplinary projects which are practice‐ and problemoriented permit a highly desirable integration of theory and practice on the whole.

In the project, contact teachers are an essential link between field practice at school and academic training at the university. Contact teachers are under contact to the university for an extended period of time (generally three years). In place of remunation, their teaching loads are reduced by ten hours per week.

In 1978/79 the project will be put to the test as the first generation of students prepares for State Board Examinations.     

A EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT

The project of CRE for a European institutional audit of higher education institutions is presented, justified, and briefly described. It responds to the increasing concerns of all actors involved in higher education with quality in every meaning of the word. As the integration of Europe proceeds, as course programmes increasingly emphasize inter‐disciplinarity, as students and teachers become increasingly mobile, the role and importance of such a Europe‐wide audit is enhanced.

     

Teacher Education in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

Teacher education in Czechoslovakia is part of a unified national provision of education; this covers in‐service as well as pre‐service training. The basis is that of training at Higher education level followed by life‐long upgrading.

The Marxist‐Leninist view is that the quality of the teacher is central to the educational process. Consequently, the initial and in‐service training of the teacher are of paramount importance, and the Czechoslovak system aims at an integrated approach to the entire process. In this process, acquisition of ideological, as well as professional, maturity, is seen as essential. Equally, the teacher must master his chosen discipline (s) in the scientific sense.

Additionally, it is important that the teacher be able to participate actively in the community—in, for example, family education, health care and concern for the environment.

Against this background of goals, the author outlines the Czechoslovak institutional provision for initial training, conditions for enrolment and the process of obtaining a post, before providing an in‐depth examination of the country's provision of in‐service education. A final section emphasises the position of the teacher in society, and specifically in socialist society. The teacher is, quite simply, a key figure and teacher education has to be built around this fact.

Svatopluk S. Petrá?ek is Professor of Education and Director of the European Centre of the Charles University for Further Education of Teachers.     

Social Studies as a form and medium of education in the Greek kindergarten

It is known that one of the major goals of preschool education, if not the most important one, is the socialisation of children. In kindergarten socialisation is mainly achieved through social studies activities.

There is worldwide research concerning the application of social studies to kindergarten. In Greece, specifically, there is no relevant data about this subject.

Therefore, the current study was carried out in order to find out, interalia, I) whether kindergarten teachers occupy students with social studies activities, 2) if they do occupy them, in what social studies activities children engage more frequently and 3) the self‐assessed adequacy of the kindergarten teachers’ training and their attitudes concerning the application of social studies activities to kindergarten.

In order to collect the necessary data for this study, three hundred kindergarten teachers, from urban and non‐urban areas of Greece, were given a questionnaire and the conclusions drawn from their answers form the basis of the study.

In order to gain greater data validity, the recorded answers were cross‐referenced with informal observations in classrooms of teachers who participated in the study.     

CRE CONFERENCE ON FOREIGN STUDENTS AND THEIR ACCESS TO UNIVERSITIES

The subject of the 12th Biannual Conference of the Standing Conference of Rectors and Vice‐Chancellors of European Universities (CRE) held on 8‐9 April 1976 in Munich, was “Foreign students and their access to universities”. The Conference analysed this theme on the basis of the following three papers:

• “Reflections on the Problem of Student Mobility in Europe” by Professor Dr. Hansgerd Schulte, President of the German Academic Exchange Service, Bonn

• “Reflections on Problems of Student Mobility from the Third World” by Professor Dr. Gerhard Grohs, Berlin

• “Mobility of Students and Mutual Recognition of Diplomas in the European Community” by Karl H. Massoth, Head of Division, Directorate‐General for Research, Science and Education, Commission of the European Communities, Brussels

Information on UNESCO's involvement with the subject of the Conference and on the objectives and activities of the UNESCO European Centre for Higher Education was given by its Director (see page 30).

We give below the main elements of the three above‐mentioned papers.     

THE UNIVERSITY OF TOMORROW AND ITS PLANNING

It can be expected that the dynamics of change acting upon education will require substantial modification of the objectives of higher education and its institutions.

Affected will be the teaching function as well as research activities. The main changes will most probably occur in the communities’ rôle in higher education. This also imposes changes in the role of managers and planners of higher education as well as new financial and legal problems which are thus created.

The article presented below discusses the extent to which planning in the universities, especially in relation‐to their facilities, shall be determined by the dynamics of the processes mentioned above. It is an extract from an article entitled “Planning the Facilities for the University of Tomorrow” which was written by Michel Woitrin from the Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain‐la‐Beuve, Belgium.     

UNDERGRADUATE COMPETENCIES WHICH FACULTY VALUE

Concern about the quality of higher education in the United States has led to vigorous debate about desired outcomes and assessment methods. Identifying desired outcomes in behavioural terms is one way to proceed to evaluation.

What general competencies should undergraduates attain? The purpose of this research was to identify the commonalities in what faculty value as desired characteristic behaviours for undergraduate students.

Performance evaluation provides a specific method for Identifying explicit behaviours which are associated with successful performance of a given role. Faculty at Drake University in Des Molnes, Iowa, were asked to rate the Importance of 111 selected behaviours. Factor analysis was used to analyse the data. The first seven factors were Personal Development, Research Activities, Conscientiousness, Self‐Confidence, Student Activities and Community Service, Oral Communication Skills, and Questioning.

Comparison of these research results with desired outcomes Identified by four other American universities shows many similarities. This method could be used by other universities to provide faculty with a research‐based beginning toward formulating competencies for a common core curriculum for undergraduates.     

HIGHER EDUCATION IN RELATION TO PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT

The first Intergovernmental Conference on Environmental Education convened by Unesco was held in Tbilisi (the Georgian SSRT USSR) from 14 to 26 October 1977. The Conference was organized by. Unesco in . co‐operation with the United Nations Environment “Programme (UNEP).

The Conference had the following main points on its agenda: major environmental problems in contemporary society; role of education in facing the challenges of environmental problems; current efforts at the national and international levels for the development of environmental education; strategies for the development of environmental education at the national level; regional and international co‐operation for the development of environmental education: needs and modalities.

The following information is based on those parts of the Final Report of this Conference which are of special importance in the planning, formulation and organization of environmental education in higher education institutions in the European region.     

Education and Work in a European Framework

In industrialised countries education and work are no longer two opposing realities, there now being greater and greater mutual dependence between them. One the one hand, the working world demands higher levels of training and continuous refresher courses or retraining. On the other hand, the educational system is forced to adapt its teaching to the changing demands of the labour market.

In this paper an analysis if is made of both the most representative trends of this phenomenon and present day answers to an ‘education for work’ in the environment of the countries of the European Economic Community.     

Teacher Education in Denmark

The paper describes the national roots of Danish teacher education, its position as being regulated by parliamentary legislation, and lists the types of institutions giving teacher education for various school forms.

It concentrates on teacher education for the main school, Primary and lower Secondary, age range 6‐16, which is given in colleges of education, whose entrance qualifications are the same as those of universities.

It goes on to describe the legal basis and practical functioning of this type of teacher education, giving information about overall aims and objectives, and curricula in the concurrent Danish system. The democratic agents regulating the education on the local as well as national level are described. Subsequently, it describes the relationship between theory and practice, and after this Danish teacher education is placed in the European picture.

Finally, the paper describes aspects of Danish teacher education as seen from the writer's position as subject area manager for English.     

The Official Institutions for the Promotion of Educational Change in Italy

The author describes the formal structures which have been established to support the process of educational change in Italy.

There is a sound legislative base: a series of laws passed since 1973 create both a new model of school and the procedures and organisations designed to facilitate its emergence, including councils at the class and school level. The right and duty of teachers to engage on in‐service education is firmly recognised as an essential component in school development.

The European Centre for Education and the Pedagogical Documentation Library are mentioned, but the author dwells at greater length on the Regional Institutes for Educational Research, Experimentation and In‐Service Training (IRRSAE). He provides a detailed explanation of the duties of the IRRSAE and of their organisation and functioning.

The IRRSAE are widely regarded as key institutions in educational development in Italy.