At a press conference held on Thursday morning, Björklund, who had chaired the meeting in his role as representative of the Swedish EU Presidency, noted the importance of EU ministers meeting and discussing these very issues.

“This is the first time we have ever sat down for two days just to discuss the quality of education. Traditionally, when it comes to schooling, the EU has never involved itself to any great extent, but there are reasons to reconsider this position. Schools are of strategic importance to the future of Europe”, said Mr Björklund.

Support for newly qualified teachers

How newly qualified teachers are to be gradually introduced into working life was one of the main issues discussed at the two-day meeting. A common problem, which crosses European national borders, is how to provide teachers with the support they need when they are still new in their chosen profession.

”There is far too little guidance available to new teachers. As they enter working life, they are thrown right in at the deep end”, said Jan Björklund.

The European Commissioner for Education, Culture and Youth Ján Figel’ also participated in the press conference. He agreed on the importance of EU measures to encourage more countries to establish induction programmes for newly qualified teachers.

“In two-thirds of all EU countries there are no such programmes at all. The new teachers keep afloat because they have learnt how to swim, but not much more”, said Mr Figel'.

The European Commissioner also emphasised that it is not a matter of the EU governing the education policy of individual countries, but rather a matter of the need for common, cross-border measures.

“It is not about harmonisation, but rather a mosaic”, he said.

European network in the works

Discussions during the meeting also focused on training and professional development for teachers. In the EU, a large proportion of the teaching body is over fifty years old, which brings to the fore the question of how to recruit more teachers while still maintaining top quality. The Swedish Presidency is asking the European Commission to draft a proposal on how a European network could increase mobility for school staff and improve the conditions for in-service training.

On Thursday afternoon, the ministers listened to a speech by Sir Michael Barber, the author of a study that maintains, inter alia, that head teachers should spend less time working on administrative tasks and more time developing teachers.

“We need school leaders who are educational leaders, not administrative directors”, commented Jan Björklund.