HC Deb 13 May 1996 vol 277 c337W
Mr. French

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the outcome of the Council of EC Education Ministers held on 6 May. [29513]

Mr. Forth

On 6 May, the Council of EC Education Ministers adopted conclusions on the European Commission White Paper "Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society" and held a public debate on this topic. The Council also adopted conclusions on the synergies between academic recognition and professional recognition of qualifications within the community and a resolution on multimedia educational software.

Ministers received information from the European Commission on the assessment of quality of higher and non-higher education; the European Year of Lifelong learning; co-operation with third countries; the progress of work on the forthcoming Commission green paper on obstacles to mobility; and the Commission publication "Key Data on Education in the European Union 1995". Ministers received a communication from the Greek delegation about the proposed European centre classical literature and were briefed by the presidency on the outcome of the conference on "Cultural Diversity and Social Integration" held in Turin on 11 to 13 April 1996.

A copy of the official minutes of the Council will be placed in the Library when they become available.