The Lifelong Learning Programme - Report 2010

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THE LIFELONG LEARNING

ERASMUS COMENIUS Leonardo da Vinci Grundtvig Study visits eTwinning

Foundation for the Development of the Educ ation System

Europass Eurydice European Language Label

REPORT 2010

ERASMUS COMENIUS Leonardo da Vinci Grundtvig Study visits eTwinning Europass Eurydice European Language Label

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6 THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME

Marcin Rolnik

Mirosław Marczewski

Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme

General Director of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System

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It is of paramount importance for us to ensure that our programmes are efficiently implemented and that beneficiaries feel they have our support. We did attain that in 2010, which has been proven by external audits conducted by the European Court of Auditors and the European Commission.

Comenius 16 eRASMUS 24 Leonardo da Vinci 32 Grundvig 40 Study visits 46 eTwinning 50 Europass 52 Eurydice 54 European Language Label 58 EVENTS 70 DISSEMINATION AND EXPLOITATION OF RESULTS 72 THEMATIC NETWORKING PROJECTS

What has been the subject of the audit?

Our functional and organisational capacity for the implementation of EU programmes have been audited. The National Agency has obtained positive assessment, both from the Court of Auditors and the Commission. As a result, we are positive that that our method of implementing the programmes is correct, and this is a vital piece of information for us. Obviously, we also provide information and deal with promotion, but it is the programme implementation that is the key responsibility of the Agency. It is our role to select and support projects, which in the best way meet EU goals, such as the development and modernisation of the education system, improving its effectiveness, enhancing mobility, building key competencies and developing organisations and institutions that operate in the education sector. And we do succeed in that.

of contracts and well-organised grant settlement, Poland is in the lead in terms of the number of project applications. Only last year, we obtained more than EUR 3 million in additional subsidies. Other countries have not managed to use these funds.

You can efficiently manage funds, but apart from accountancy, you should also evaluate the actual impact of a given programme on the development of education. Are attainments in this field measured and assessed?

It is difficult to prove direct impact of Agency’s operations on the system of education, to mention legislation in this field, although we regularly give our opinion in this respect. You can, however, assess the programme’s impact on the development of key competencies in its participants. And this impact is indeed profound, which has been proven by a report prepared at the halfway point of the Lifelong Learning Programme implementation. I believe that thousands of programme participants who have left abroad did benefit from this. Students better fare in the labour market and education staff have acquired new skills.

What is also important, the programme have proven supportive for individual organisations and institutions, and their development stands for the development of the education system as a whole.

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Apart from satisfaction, are there other benefits of the positive assessment?

Yes, absolutely. We obtain more funds from the Union. Thanks to efficient selection of projects, smooth signing

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The year 2010 saw further expansion of FRSE’s programme offer. We have launched activities aimed to support Swiss-Polish Research Programme. In cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and Swiss Embassy in Warsaw, we have launched Fellowship Fund Office to support fellowships by Polish doctoral students and junior researchers in Switzerland. Aside from well-known Erasmus, EEA/ Norway Grants Scholarship and Training Fund, a new programme to support mobility in higher education has appeared.

The year 2010 was a special time for LLP sub-programmes, as we have reached their halfway point.

That’s right. It is a good time to re-examine our achievements. I believe that the most important fact is that unlike other countries we have no difficulty with acquiring the sufficient number of quality projects. Our major challenge is to obtain enough funds to finance all valuable initiatives. The end result is such that in many categories we have become European leader in the implementation of LLP sub-programmes, which translates not only to prestige, but also to notable benefits. Last year, we obtained 5% more funds that had been earmarked for Poland at the beginning of the year.

This would not have been possible if not for the commitment of beneficiaries, i.e. students, teachers, academic staff, NGO employees and the Foundation officers.

I am pleased that our work is highly rated by supervisory bodies, that is the Ministries and the European Commission. In 2010, 22 inspections and audits were carried out at the Foundation and they have come out very well. We consistently work to improve the quality and effectiveness of our activities to the benefit of our beneficiaries. In the weeks to come, we intend to launch ISO 9001 certification process, which will crown our activities to this end.

The year 2010 is not only the halfway point, but also a groundbreaking period for the future of the programmes. The Commission has launched Youth on the Move initiative. What changes will it bring after 2013?

Youth on the Move is one of seven flagship initiatives of the EC related to Europe 2020 strategy. The principles of the strategy relate to educational challenges faced by the European Union.

As its name indicates, the leitmotif of the initiative is boosting educational mobility of young people by removing obstacles and increasing opportunities for taking up education abroad. Due to growing requirements that employees need to satisfy, we need to ensure that possibly the largest number of students complete higher education studies.

University education graduates who complete a part of their studies abroad stand a fair chance of being easily employed. On the other side, R eport

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the strategy raises the question of poorly educated school drop outs. It is expected that by 2020, the number of higher education graduates will grow up to 40% and the number of school drop outs will decrease to 10% as a result of strategy implementation. European programmes, both the Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action that are currently implemented, as well as their successors to be launched after 2013 will support the Europe 2020 strategy and Youth on the Move initiative. The European Commission together with experts and National Agencies work on possible changes in the new perspective. Discussions are held to decide whether the two programmes should be combined into one initiative and included in the Youth on the Move or should stay as independent beings in the years 2014-2020.

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Anna Atłas

Mirosław Sielatycki Secretary of State,

Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme

Last year, we launched two interesting projects; we have staged seminars for language teachers presenting broad opportunities offered by LLP and we have taken steps to establish LLP networks, which will link various institutions that are vital from the point of view of educational offer users, that is HEIs, private companies and training centres.

What are you particularly proud of when you look at the accomplishments of LLP in 2010?

We should boast our expert and quality driven activities. Regardless of supporting our beneficiaries in the implementation of top quality projects, officers at our agency participate in the development and provide advice on various education-related initiatives. We care that programmes managed by FRSE become an inherent part of European and national strategy. We have taken an active part in the preparations for Polish presidency, during which we will emphasise the role our programmes play in the promotion of educational mobility and the impact they have on improving linguistic competencies. As far as my area is concerned, I would like to emphasise the fact that we have launched two interesting projects; we have staged seminars for language teachers presenting broad opportunities offered

by LLP and we have taken steps to establish LLP networks, which will link various institutions that are vital from the point of view of educational offer f O U N D A T I O N

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Ministry of National Education

emphasised that the status of our administrative teams, which deal with programme implementation, has been raised, and today they play a leading role in project life cycle management.

users, that is HEIs, private companies and training centres. Moreover, we are recognised experts. We have participated in works on the document entitled Lifelong Learning Perspective and provided expert knowledge thereto.

Do you receive many invitations to cooperation?

As representatives of LLP, we are invited to various expert teams. We participate in many working groups appointed by the European Commission. At present, we implement several interesting thematic networking projects. We are invited to act as advisors to several ministries. Contribution of LLP is broadly appreciated for its practical dimension and the fact that Poland implements specific European strategies and guidelines at the project level. A growing number of high level decision makers become aware of the potential of LLP. We are visible not only thanks to the funds that are earmarked for project implementation, but also thanks to the results of projects we finance and their contribution to the development of the system of education.

What has been the largest achievement of the Lifelong Learning Programme in 2010?

This is a difficult question, as the programme is a long-term process, the success of which each year is based on individual attainments of persons committed to individual sector programmes; Erasmus, Grundtvig, Comenius and Leonardo da Vinci. And each of these programmes has achieved its major goals last year and as a result contributed to the development of education in our country. I draw satisfaction from the fact that Comenius Regio has been successfully introduced in Poland. This is a new initiative that fills a gap and includes local governments and non-governmental institutions in the structure. The programme has

You have talked about external aspects of your work, but LLP has undergone internal changes.

It is true. Last year, we have worked to streamline the organisation and to improve procedures and team management. We have introduced a new distribution of tasks between the administrative and financial teams.

We work to improve the consistency of our procedures. It should be D E V E L O P M E N T

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In the future, European programmes should become an element of relationship building with our eastern neighbours, Ukraine and Georgia for example. This will be one of our postulates in the debate on the shape of Union’s educational initiatives in the years to come. The fact that prior to launching the discussion and on the eve of Polish presidency we can boast excellent results of the Lifelong Learning Programme implementation makes Poland even more credible partner in the debate. This may help us convince others to our ideas.

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conveyed an impulse for the establishment of partnerships between local governments, NGOs and schools, which results in streamlined cooperation.

How can our successes in the Lifelong Learning Programme implementation strengthen Poland’s position in the European Union?

Promotion of mobility is one of EU’s and Polish presidency’s priorities. Due to the fact that we have rapidly learnt how to use the opportunities offered by the programmes, we can act as a reliable expert to others. This facilitates finding support for our point of view. We will learn about this during Polish presidency when the debate on the future of programmes addressed to youth is launched. We will attempt to show that these programmes and Youth in Action initiative can form a major part of cooperation within the EU and with our eastern neighbours.

If the Foundation for the Development of the Education System was to cease to exist, what would you miss most?

But that’s impossible! The Foundation is a highly efficient operator, which is indispensable for the implementation of EU programmes in the field of education. It attracts top experts, thanks to whom the Foundation plays a pivotal role as an institution responsible for the development of Polish system of education. And here I mean not only sectoral programmes, but also other initiatives. For example, the role of Eurydice network cannot be overestimated.

I am convinced that the year 2011 will once again prove my words true.

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lifelong learning programme in poland LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME IN POLAND Being a Member State of the European Union, Poland participates in the implementation of Community Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) established pursuant to the Decision No. 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and Council of 15 November 2006. LLP implementation period is forecasted for the years 2007-2013. The Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE), which is a state treasury foundation, acts as the National Agency of the Programme in Poland. FRSE implements LLP decentralised actions under an agreement signed with the European Commission and agreements concluded with Polish Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Science and Higher Education. LLP centralised actions are managed by Executive Agency of the European Commission seated in Brussels.

STRUCTURE OF THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME The Lifelong Learning Programme comprises the following sectoral programmes: • Comenius - school education, • Erasmus - higher education, • Grundtvig - adult education, • Leonardo da Vinci - vocational education and training, • Study Visits - action within the Transversal Programme addressed to policy-makers in charge of general, vocational and lifelong education, as well as social partners and executives responsible for human resources development.

Programmes/initiatives supporting the implementation of the objectives of the Lifelong Learning Programme: European Language Label (ELL) - is a European label awarded in recognition of innovations in the field of foreign language teaching and learning. eTwinning - eTwinning promotes European cooperation between schools with the use of information and communications technology (ICT).

Europass is an initiative of the European Commisf O U N D A T I O N

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sion, which makes it possible for all European citizens to present their qualifications and vocational skills in a more effective manner.

EURYDICE - Information Network on Education in Europe. It comprises national units established by ministries of education in individual states, and the coordinating unit (EACEA P9) established by the European Commission.

GOALS OF THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME a) to support the implementation of European area of lifelong learning; b) to improve the quality, attractiveness and accessibility of Lifelong Learning opportunities available within Member States; c) to reinforce the contribution of Lifelong Learning to social cohesion, active citizenship, intercultural dialogue, gender equality and personal fulfilment; d) to promote creativity, competitiveness, employability and the growth of entrepreneurial spirit; e) to increase participation in lifelong learning by people of all ages, including those with special educational needs and disadvantaged groups, regardless of their socio-economic background; f) to promote language learning and linguistic diversity; g) to develop innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practices for lifelong learning; h) to reinforce the role of lifelong learning in creating a sense of European citizenship based on understanding and respect for human rights and democracy, and encouraging tolerance and respect for nations and culture; i) to cooperate on quality assurance in all sectors of education and training in Europe; j) to use results, innovative products and processes, and to exchange good practices in the field covered by the Lifelong Learning Programme in order to improve the quality of education and training.

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Budget 2010 Implementation Sectoral programme - decentralised actions

Sectoral programme budget

Number of submitNumber of apTabelka ted applications proved applications

Funding granted in EUR

Comenius

12 115 000

3645

1652

12 115 000

Erasmus

39 207 000

331

309

39 207 000

Leonardo da Vinci

17 364 00

927

362

17 364 00

Grundtvig

2 419 000

619

281

2 419 000

252 000

339

163

252 000

71 357 000

5861

2767

71 357 000

Study Visits Total

The budget of the Lifelong Learning Programme for 31 countries covered by the programme in 2010 amounted to EUR 889,899,940.00.

Budget allocation for Poland amounted to EUR 71,357,000.00. The European Commission allocated funds for individual sectoral programmes to individual EU member states based on the rule of minimum allocations, and the percentage for individual programmes amounted to: Comenius 16.66%, Erasmus 50.10%, Leonardo da Vinci 28.75%, Grundtvig 4.04%, Study Visits 0.45%.

INFORMATION, PUBLICITY AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES FRSE conducts information, publicity and training activities on a large scale. In 2010, as it was the case in 2009, these activities were addressed to 20,000 recipients.

Moreover, several thousand leaflets, brochures, guides and studies presenting good practices in decentralised actions of the Lifelong Learning Programme were published and distributed.

comenius School education

erasmus Higher education

Leonardo da Vinci Vocational education and training

grundtvig Adult education

Study visits Decentralised action within the Transversal Programme

PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES European Language Label (ELL), eTwinning, Europass, EURYDICE, Bologna Experts Team R eport

FRSE also regularly organised open days and individual consultations for beneficiaries and all persons interested in the Programme. Representatives of FRSE participated in numerous conferences, seminars and meetings, where they presented the achievements of the programme.

Main Accomplishments of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System in 2010 include: • achieving a high level of interest in the programme (reflected in the number of submitted applications for implementation of institutional projects and beneficiary mobilities) thanks to a broad-scale publicity, information and training activities; • participation of National Agency representatives in working groups of the European Commission on the future of the Lifelong Learning Programme; • committing all Foundation employees to the preparations for events organised as part of Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2011; • participation of National Agency representatives in advisory teams on the national and European level; • active cooperation of Polish National Agency on the European level, including the participation in interagency projects; • successful identification of good practice examples in the projects implemented as part of decentralised actions aimed at consistent improving the quality of implemented projects under the programme; • commencing cooperation with coordinators of centralised projects implemented in Poland; • reinforcing synergies between the programmes and initiatives implemented by FRSE, also by staging preparations for the certification of quality management system.

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Comenius is one of the four sectoral programmes of the Lifelong Learning Programme.

It aims to improve the quality and reinforce the European dimension of education in all EU member states. Comenius helps pupils and teachers acquire and raise skills and competences that are indispensable for personal development, successful professional life and active European citizenship.

Comenius www.comenius.org.pl

Our greatest success last year was joining the Individual Pupil Mobility action. This initiative aims at boosting mobility of young people and encourage them to use similar opportunities in the future under the Erasmus or Leonardo programme.

Launching a new venture was a serious challenge for us.

This is a difficult action and only some EU countries participate in it. We have decided to give it a try before it becomes compulsory. First pupils from Poland will leave abroad later this year. We are very excited about that and look forward to this moment. For any 14-year old going abroad on one’s own will definitely be a formidable challenge.

Aleksandra Długosz Deputy Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme for Comenius programme

How long can participants stay abroad?

Mobilities last 3-10 months, so actually you can leave for the whole school year. I wonder what parents will say to this proposal. In fact, the success of our action rests in their courage.

Photo from FRSE’s archives f O U N D A T I O N

How many young Poles will participate in the new action in the upcoming school year?

Twenty, in the least. However, schools which have not yet decided to join the action may do so at any time. The applications we have approved envisage mobilities to France, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Italy and Lithuania. Polish pupils will stay at local families and attend local schools along with their peers. We hope that this will help them learn the language, become independent, open to the world, discover other cultures and become acquainted with different teaching methods. Individual Pupil Mobility action is our ‘small Erasmus’.

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Frankly, I have wondered what I would feel if my child was to leave for abroad. However, I am confident that it is worth it. It is a formidable challenge for any child, which may change them for the better and even beyond recognition.

Not only pupils, but also teachers leave abroad with Comenius.

That’s right. If we are to expect top quality education, it is of paramount importance that we provide our teachers with the best opportunities for expanding their skills. I think we carried out our tasks properly in 2010. We obtained nearly 1800 applications, out of which 850 Polish teachers obtained grants. This is a good result.

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11 Number of grant applications submitted and approved under Teaching Staff Mobility as per each submission deadline in 2010

Comenius programme Call for Proposals 2010 results Number of submitted applications

Number of approved applications

Funding granted in EUR

Multilateral Projects

952

434

Bilateral Projects

101

40

Regio Projects

33

21

678 785,63

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6

Information on allocated budget will be available in May

Teaching Staff Mobility

1798

889

1 891 580

Data source: FRSE,

Assistantship – assistants

351

95

666 884

own data of 2010

Assistantship – host schools

161

27

0

Preparatory Visits

225

141

The final amount of awarded funding is not yet known, as some of the visits are still under way.

Decentralised Action

Individual Pupil Mobility

Submission Deadline

Submitted Applications

Approved Applications (%)

Deadline I

509

57

8 088 000

Deadline II

210

24

705 000

Deadline III

170

19

Total

889

100

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Table no 1.

Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010

School Partnerships In 2010, initiatives taken in Poland as part of the School Partnerships action of the Comenius programme were mainly devoted to European Citizenship and European Dimension in Education, as 148 projects were devoted to these topics.

Next in the popularity rating were Science and Foreign Language Learning, as well as Cultural Heritage. The two topics were included in 132 applications. Also European Community were selected by 99 project authors. As many as 92 projects provided for activities related to Environment and Sustainable Development. In the previous years this thematic area was not as popular, although it is still no match for Interdisciplinary Studies, which in 2010 ranked fifth

Number of applications for participation in Preparatory Visits and Contact Seminars submitted to National Agency under 2010 Call for proposals Rejected 84 (not approved for funding) Approved for funding: 141 including: – Contact Seminars 31 – Preparatory Visits 110 Total 225 Table no 2.

Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010

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(with 98 schools and nursery schools implementing them).

In total, in 2010, 1053 applications for cofunding of Comenius school partnership projects were filed with the Agency. Secondary schools filed 488 applications, primary schools filed 335, vocational schools filed 109, special needs schools filed 26, nursery schools filed 26, and other educational institutions filed 69. Finally, 422 projects were implemented; 215 at secondary schools, 156 at primary schools, 12 at special needs schools, 9 at , nursery schools, and 30 at other educational institutions.

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Multilateral School Partnerships Multilateral School Partnerships support international cooperation of at least three partner schools focused on teaching programmes and methods, students’ interests, and general school administration. Development of new, creative approach to teaching and learning constitutes added value of the projects. The multi-directional programmes, which are integrated with traditional teaching programmes are of special importance and have proven extremely successful.

Comenius partnerships produce tangible results in the form of brochures, leaflets, and DVDs/CDROMs. Very often, students themselves prepare exhibitions of local products and crafts, give performances, and make films. Project results also include experiences gained by pupils and teachers committed to cooperation. The year 2010 saw project results of superior quality. Out of 397 completed multilateral cooperation projects, 72 were ranked as good practice examples. Co-financing was granted for 434 new multilateral school partnerships.

Bilateral School Partnerships Bilateral School Partnerships consist in cooperation between two schools from two different countries, which comprises visits of at least 10-days by groups of at least 10 students over the age of 12. Projects of this type aim at establishing close cooperation between schools, and providing opportunities for using a foreign language in real-life situations. As a result, project participants improve their language skills and their motivation for further language learning is boosted. Students should be actively involved in the planning, observation and evaluation stages.

In 2010, based on presented final reports, seven Bilateral School Partnerships were ranked as good practice examples. In 2010-2012, 40 Bilateral School Partnerships are implemented thanks to co-financing under the Comenius programme.

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Photo from FRSE’s archives

Regio Partnerships Regio Partnerships consist in cooperation between local or regional educational authorities and schools, nursery schools, and organisations operating in the education sector. Projects are implemented by two consortia coming from different countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme. At least one local government agency or education authority and school or educational organisation must be consortium partners.

Regio Partnerships should aim at strengthening European dimension in education, and as a result enrich educational offer for pupils. Comenius Regio Partnerships provide opportunities for peer learning, exchange of best practices, and development of structures for international cooperation.

Regio Partnerships may focus on any issue related to school education, which is of importance to the partners. So far, the most popular topics have included school management, cooperation between schools and local partners, entrepreneurship and integration of pupils coming from migrant families. In 2010, 33 applications were filed for the co-financing of Comenius Regio Partnerships, 21 of which were approved.

Preparatory Visits and Contact Seminars Contact seminars are meetings devoted to individual thematic areas and organised by National Agencies. They are organised for representatives of schools and organisations interested in establishing partnerships and project implementation. During a training lasting a few days, the participants become acquainted with one another, exchange experiences and work on projects, which they intend to implement.

Preparatory Visits are offered to representatives of schools and organisations who already have a concept for cooperation and have found partners willing to implement it, and who wish to meet in order to fill in the application form together prior to submitting it.

Preparatory Visits and Contact Seminars play a significant role in the creation of many School Partnership and Regio Partnership projects. Participants discuss issues of common interest, agree the thematic scope, and define the objectives and time schedule for project activities, as well as project implementation mode.

Individual Pupil Mobility New Action!

This action provides opportunities for lower and higher secondary school pupils to attend a school abroad. During a stay abroad, which lasts from 3 to 10 months, young people learn along with their peers, which broadens their understanding of the diversity of European cultures and languages and helps them to acquire the skills they need for their personal development.

Mobilities are organised between lower and higher secondary schools, which have been involved in Comenius School Partnerships.

Partner schools must be located in the countries participating in the action, and pupils must be at least 14 on the departure date. Contact teacher appointed by the sending school is responsible for the organisation of mobility. Host school, on the other hand, appoints a mentor who supports pupils during their stay abroad. Incoming pupils stay at host families whose child or children attend the host school.

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13 Number of Regio Partnership beneficiaries as of January 2011

Number of School Partnership beneficiaries as of January 2011 Voivodeship

Multilateral School Partnerships

Bilateral School Partnerships

Total

Funds in EUR

Voivodeship

Number of projects

Minimum number of mobilities

Funds in EUR

mazowieckie

40

3

43

800 000

mazowieckie

1

24

41 896

świętokrzyskie

16

3

19

325 000

świętokrzyskie

3

72

109 403

podlaskie

19

0

19

340 000

podlaskie

0

0

0

wielkopolskie

22

5

27

500 000

wielkopolskie

4

96

126 522

zachodniopomorskie

14

2

16

295 000

zachodniopomorskie

0

0

0

pomorskie

16

2

18

335 000

pomorskie

0

0

0

łódzkie

21

3

24

465 000

łódzkie

0

0

0

małopolskie

29

3

32

605 000

małopolskie

1

24

38 750

śląskie

129

10

139

2 558 000

śląskie

7

125

196 957,13

lubelskie

22

1

23

445 000

lubelskie

0

0

0

podkarpackie

32

2

34

635 000

podkarpackie

2

48

69 550

lubuskie

10

1

11

210 000

lubuskie

1

24

23 750

dolnośląskie

11

2

13

250 000

dolnośląskie

0

0

0

opolskie

13

1

14

245 000

opolskie

1

24

38 750

kujawsko-pomorskie

23

2

25

465 000

Table no 5.

kujawsko-pomorskie

0

0

0

warmińsko-mazurskie

167

0

17

320 000

Data source: FRSE,

warmińsko-mazurskie

1

24

33 207,50

Total

434

40

474

8 793 000

own data of 2010.

Total

21

480

678 785,63

Table no 4.

Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010.

Prior to pupil’s departure, the two schools and the pupil sign a learning agreement and the sending school is obliged to recognise the studies the pupil carries out during the stay abroad based on a report consistent with the provisions of the learning agreement.

The year 2010 was the first year of action implementation in Poland. Seven schools filed applications for co-financing and six projects have been approved. As a result, at least 18 pupils will leave for France, Spain, Latvia, Slovenia, Sweden and Italy.

Teaching Staff Mobility Teaching Staff Mobility promotes activities related to improving professional qualifications of teaching and education staff by financing individual study tours abroad. Eligible individuals may participate in three different forms of in-service training; seminars/ conferences, training courses, and work placements, which are referred to as ‘job shadowing’. The duration of specific forms of in-service training is varied.

Conferences and seminars last one or two days, and duration of training courses and job shadowing may vary from five days up to six weeks. Training courses are devoted to various aspects of professional qualifications raising. They include language courses, methodology and language training, and thematic courses. The profile of the training must be consistent with professional profile of the applicant. Job shadowing is a form of work placement, the goal of which is to become acquainted with work in a given position by observing the tasks performed by colleagues employed in the education sector abroad.

Training can be staged in EU member states,

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as well as Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Turkey.

Co-financing covers the reimbursement of travel expenses (including costs of obtaining a visa where necessary), subsistence costs, course fees, as well as additional costs related to linguistic training and special needs, where necessary.

Teaching Staff Mobility aims to provide conditions for teaching staff to deepen their knowledge, raise qualifications and competences, become acquainted with modern and innovative pedagogical methods, and establish international cooperation with European educational institutions. Participation in the course positively impacts not only the professional and personal development of the beneficiary, but also their home institution, and in several cases other cooperating institutions as well.

The European Commission has set three deadlines for filing applications. The first round enjoyed the greatest popularity. National Agency received 1251 applications, 509 of which (57%) obtained co-financing. This large number of applications is not surprising, as this round allowed for staging mobility during the holidays, which was of great importance for teachers who formed the largest group of beneficiaries of Comenius Teaching Staff Mobility action.

To many of them going abroad during the school year is virtually impossible.

Comenius Assistantships – Assistants and Host Schools Comenius Assistantships are pedagogical and vocational placements for future teachers held at European schools and lasting from 13 to 45 weeks.

The action is addressed to students and graduates T H E

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of teaching related studies who have not taught at school before and to schools willing to host a Comenius assistant coming from another European country. Two calls for proposals are organised as part of the action; Comenius Assistantship – Assistants and Comenius Assistantship – Host Schools.

Comenius assistants receive funding in accordance with rates established by the European Commission. Host schools do not receive any funds, but they benefit from the presence of the assistants.

Promotion and Dissemination of the Comenius Programme Results Information on the Comenius programme, its goals, addressees, funding application procedures, partner searching methods and good practice examples can be found on the programme’s website at www.comenius.org.pl. The website features Comenius newsletter, where National Agency provides information on current events, and Comenius Assistantship blog, where assistants describe activities and initiatives taken as part of project implementation. This is where the examples of good practices can be presented and promoted in a highly effective way. Comenius forum, where nearly 1500 active users are registered, also enjoys great popularity.

In 2010, the Comenius website was visited more than four million times.

The European Shared Treasure database (www. est.org.pl), which has operated since 2004 and which forms a vast archive of projects implemented by Polish schools under the Comenius programme, has also been expanded. A new graphic layout created for all language versions, which

also adjusted the database to the requirements of sectoral programme beneficiaries (Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig) has proven effective at the stage of making entries by beneficiaries who completed the implementation of their projects in 2010.

As part of promotional and dissemination activities, ten good practice examples have been submitted to the European Commission as EST Star Projects, which will facilitate the promotion and dissemination of Polish teachers’ achievements on the European arena (also via European EVE database – http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/ eve/about_en.htm).

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15 Comenius | good practice example

Comenius | good practice example

Freedom and Support – Creative Methods for Teaching English I HAVE LEARNT A LOT IN EVERY RESPECT; BE IT PROFESSIONAL, LINGUISTIC, SOCIAL AND PERSONAL ONE. BUT MOST OF ALL, I HAVE FULLY IMMERSED IN THE LOCAL CULTURE, THIS IS HOW NATALIA BANASIK, A BENEFICIARY OF COMENIUS ASSISTANTSHIP PROGRAMME DESCRIBES HER STAY IN SPAIN. Comenius Assistantship is a unique opportunity for acquiring knowledge and starting a teaching career.

The popularity of this form of placement is so huge probably due to its supranational character, which helps participants not only to become acquainted with the education system of the host country, but also improve the knowledge of foreign languages, establish international cooperation and develop pedagogical and methodological skills. Having the above mentioned factors in mind, I have decided to use the opportunity and acquire new skills or rather boost my self-esteem in Spain.

During my Assistantship, I have fully immersed in the local culture.

I have attended several cultural events, taken an active part in the life of local community, and socialised with other teachers after work. Thanks to staying in touch with other teachers (my room mate also worked in the education sector), I have learnt a lot about Spanish system of education, both at and outside the school, and most of all about lower secondary education, as well as secondary, higher and vocational education.

Montse, my mentor, was wonderful.

Already on the first day, she introduced me to all school employees, made sure that I have accommodation, found me a room mate and took me to a supermarket to shop for bare necessities. Little by little, we have improved my work. If I felt something went not quite well, I could always count on her feedback. I was free to act and was supported at the same time. And I have learnt a lot in every respect; be it professional, linguistic, social and personal one. I have learnt about the culture, history, arts, cuisine, traditions, customs and the language of Spain and the Canary Islands. f O U N D A T I O N

F O R

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Photo from FRSE’s archives

It was of great help to me that prior to my assistantship I had read many books on methodology and teaching.

It took me four weeks to collect at libraries and bookshops materials on foreign language teaching, also teaching Polish as a foreign language, and brochures promoting Poland, which would prove helpful when presenting our culture. I also contacted other assistants and future assistants to exchange ideas with them.

MAJOR SUCCESSES OF MY ASSISTANTSHIP INCLUDE: • Teaching Polish: I have taught Polish as part of a course attended by students and teachers. A group of 12 have regularly attended my classes and learnt to read phonetically individual words written in Polish. They have become acquainted with basic communication strategies. Language games and plays have helped them consolidate their knowledge, practice the language in communicative context and learn several new elements.

I believe that I have aroused enthusiasm in course participants for further D E V E L O P M E N T

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learning of Polish, which is quite an exotic language for them!

• promoting Polish Culture: I have gradually, but consistently introduced information about Poland, not only during my Polish classes and MultiKulti Club, but also made it visible and accessible for other students and teachers at the school. My activities were related with national holidays in Poland, such as the anniversary of Poland’s regaining independence, and holidays, to mention Christmas celebrations. I have staged a Polish cuisine workshop and a competition on the knowledge of Poland with prizes in the form of T-shirts with Polish symbols imprinted on them. Other activities included a Polish week with an exhibition devoted to our country, artistic workshop, Polish food sampling, screening of the Pianist film and presentation of Polish music.

• Learning and Improving Teaching Methods: I have taught English, German and Polish. Knowledge that I have acquired does not relate to an individual subject but general teaching methods, i.e. methodology of teaching. However, I have learnt a lot about Physics and Chemistry, i.e. subjects covered by a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) mini-project I have implemented.

IMPACT OF ASSISTANTSHIP ON THE ATTAINMENT OF PERSONAL GOALS, PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS AND LANGUAGE COMPETENCIES During the Assistantship, in order to maximise development opportunities, I have enquired about training available for teachers and applied to participate in it. I have completed two specialist courses.

One training was staged in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and was organised by CEP – Centro de Educaccion de Profesorado (Teacher Training Centre). It lasted E D U C A T I O N A L

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three days and was devoted to the use of creative methods in teaching English.

I believe that apart from new ideas and development of creativity in language teaching, I have learnt that it is worth to continue education and establish contacts with people working not only in your own, but also in related professions. You can always learn something new and attractive, which will not only improve our work, but also help our students learn more efficiently.

The other training, which lasted six weeks was staged in Puerto del Rosario and was devoted to CLIL. It was organised in a form of an interactive seminar, at the end of which participants presented their projects consisting in CLIL teaching modules. When I attended the course, I had already been in the course of staging my CLIL project at the IES school in Puerto del Rosario. Together with chemistry and physics teachers, we have staged lessons in English, which were devoted to laboratory equipment and homogenous and heterogeneous mixtures. The lessons involved physical movement and performing specific tasks and were complementary to the school curriculum. However, knowledge in individual subjects was also verified. Thanks to the project, I have not only learnt how to implement practical, interdisciplinary ideas, but also had an opportunity to initiate a project and inspire my co-workers to similar activity. This has been a very beneficial experience!

Thanks to teaching, experimenting, implementing my own ideas and these found in the guide for assistants, books, and on Internet for, as well as these provided by other assistants, I have learnt to adapt inspiring ideas to the needs of individual student groups in a creative and interesting manner, and with taking into consideration their educational needs and other elements.

I have become proficient in the use of teaching materials coming from various sources and materials which have not been originally intended as such.

Upon my departure for Spain, my knowledge of Spanish was roughly on the B1 level. Today, I can say that my skills have been improved to C1 and I think about taking the DELE examination at the Superior level, which is the highest one.

IN-SERVICE TRAINING AT ANY AGE I HAVE BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH MANY INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE WORK TECHNIQUES AND METHODS. I HAVE LEARNT TO APPLY ACTIVATION METHODS, WHICH BOOST EFFECTIVENESS AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF CLASSES, SAYS EWA RUŁAN, BENEFICIARY OF COMENIUS TEACHING STAFF MOBILITY PROGRAMME AND PARTICIPANT OF CLIL - TEACHING OTHER SUBJECTS THROUGH ENGLISH COURSE HELD IN CANTERBURY. Course participants were teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry, information and communications technology, and vocational subjects. I teach ICT vocational subjects in English Photo from FRSE’s archives at No. 1 General and Technical School Compound in Warsaw.

Why have I decided to attend the course? Because it was a language and methodology course focused on the needs in the scope of English and vocational subject teaching and it was staged by CLIL experts. It concerned content and language integrated learning, which is recommended by the European Commission as part of its activities aimed at the promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity.

Course programme included group work methods, tasks that provided for different types of students’ intelligence, learning through various sensory channels, application of source materials adequate for CLIL teaching, vocabulary indispensable at any CLIL lesson, and the use of foreign and native language in CLIL. Various methods were used during practical training: group teaching, team work, and workshops. ICT, video presentations, music and images were also used. Work was conducted mainly in pairs and in groups. Training mainly took the form of workshops, which allowed for practi-

cal use of theoretical knowledge.

How have I benefited from the course?

I have become acquainted with many innovative and creative work techniques and methods. I have learnt to apply activation methods, which boost effectiveness and attractiveness of classes.

I think that the experience gained during the course will help me draw even more satisfaction from my work and face new challenges.

The course has helped me overcome barriers in communicating in a foreign language, discover the culture and spoken language and, allowed for intercultural dialogue. I have become acquainted with a country, its history, architecture, traditions and landscapes.

The course abroad was of great value to me not only in professional terms.

It was pleasurable and I derived a lot of satisfaction from it. Being a chartered teacher, I have noticed that many of my peers lack motivation for further development and skill improvement.

I believe that regardless of one’s age, you can and you should improve your qualifications. Pro-active approach of a form teacher affects the shaping of open and active attitudes of students and boosts the prestige of the school and teaching profession in Poland.

I encourage all teachers to apply for a Comenius grant and participate in mobility. It is truly worth it!

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17 Erasmus is an EU programme addressed to higher education institutions. It fosters student and teaching staff mobility and cooperation between higher education institutions originating from various countries participating in the programme. Since, 2007 Erasmus has formed a part of the Lifelong Learning Programme. In the years 1995-2007, Erasmus constituted an element of a larger and already closed SOCRATES programme.

Erasmus www.erasmus.org.pl

The year 2010 has once again shown that Poles are anything but passive, at least some of them. I am proud that we have so many enthusiasts at HEIs who are proponents of the mobility concept.

All the employees of the National Agency are also promoters of mobility. It is thanks to its supporters that Erasmus in Poland has been even more successful than previous year and has used almost 100% of funds allocated for mobility.

We should also emphasise the fact that we have observed a 50% growth in student placement mobility.

Not all the countries may boast such a spectacular result.

Beata Skibińska Deputy Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme Coordinator of Erasmus, Erasmus Mundus and Tempus programme

Any examples?

The year 2010 has shown that young people would rather leave abroad for traineeship or placement than for studies. They want to verify skills they acquire, as they know that work experience gained during studies will boost their prospects for being offered a good job after graduation.

In academic year 2009/2010, the number of

Photo from FRSE’s archives f O U N D A T I O N

It seems that enthusiasm for Erasmus is lost in Europe. Are we facing the same trend in Poland?

Erasmus in Poland undergoes changes, but does not sink into apathy. It is true that the number of mobilities for studies does not grow as strongly as we could observe it in the previous years, but this results mainly from the fact that we do not receive more funds for the programme, so you cannot expect that any records will be set. However, there are other actions, which observe spectacular growth.

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students who left abroad for traineeship or placement has grown by 50% to 2,400! And these are relatively new actions, which have been implemented since academic year 2007/2008.

As funds allocated to Erasmus are limited, you must distribute them well. How do you do that?

We can attribute our success to work organisation. We collect from HEIs information on the use of funds and spend the amounts they have not managed to use up. As a result, despite quite sophisticated rules for EU grant settlement, each year, we manage to expend nearly 100% of funds allocated for mobility. Not all the countries can do that, as many of them pay back 3%, 5% and even 10% of attributed funds. And I am very proud that we manage the funds so well.

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A growing number of young Europeans benefits from mobilities for studies. ‘Erasmus generation’ proves that mobility is beneficial for scientific and personal development and facilitates finding a job after graduation. As part of the Youth on the Move initiative, we intend to expand this successful European project so that each young person has an opportunity to participate in it.

Androulla Vassiliou

Ola, student of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, 2010

who in academic year 2009/10 studied at Paisij Chilendarski University in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

ERASMUS OFFER Higher education institutions. Higher education institutions cooperating within the Erasmus programme may carry out student and teacher exchanges, organize intensive programmes, i.e. courses for international groups of students, and implement educational projects in various areas together with institutions coming from various countries. For a higher education institution, participation in Erasmus stands for a possibility to make their studies more attractive to prospective students.

In order to participate in the programme, a higher education institution must hold an Erasmus University Charter granted by the European Commission, under which this institution may apply for funds.

Students. Students constitute the largest target group of the Erasmus programme. Erasmus offers students mobilities for placements or studies at a higher education institution abroad.

Both mobilities may last from three months up to one academic or calendar year.

The participation of home university in the Erasmus programme is a prerequisite for applying for an Erasmus grant.

Students are also offered other opportunities to participate in mobility and international cooperation. They can attend an Erasmus intensive programme, provided that their department participates in the project, and that the programme relates to their field of study. They can also attend guest lectures and other classes conducted by foreign teachers and professionals who visit the university under the Erasmus programme.

Higher Education Institution Staff. Academic teachers can visit partner higher education institutions abroad to teach there. Other higher education institution staff can apply for training staged at higher education institutions or other institutions abroad. Higher education institution staff can also participate in intensive programmes, multilateral projects, and Erasmus networks in which their home institution is involved. f O U N D A T I O N

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Erasmus mobility was one of the greatest experiences in my life. A true school of life. I have had an opportunity to meet wonderful people and get to know myself.

It was an unforgettable experience to spend six months in a country, about which I had learnt for two years.

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ACTIONS SUPPORTED UNDER ERASMUS PROGRAMME Actions supported under the Erasmus programme can be divided into two groups; these coordinated

by National Agencies and those coordinated by the European Commission, for which technical support is provided by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency.

Actions coordinated by National Agencies: • Student Mobility (mobility for studies or placement abroad), • Staff Mobility (teaching period or staff training in a higher education institution abroad), • Erasmus Intensive Programmes (IP), • Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILC).

Actions coordinated by the European Commission: • Multilateral Projects (where higher education institutions are partners) concerning: • development of cooperation between higher education institutions and enterprises, organisations, professional associations, chambers of industry and commerce, social partners, etc; • enhancing accessibility of higher education, especially to defavourised groups; • mobility development, removal of barriers to mobility; • modernisation of curricula and institutional solutions at higher education institutions; • development of teaching and research potential of HEIs, boosting innovativeness and improving the quality of teaching, strengthening links between education and research; • Networks, • Accompanying measures.

Erasmus in Poland Poland has participated in Erasmus since 1998.

So far, nearly 94,000 Polish students and approx.

18,000 academic teachers have benefited from Erasmus mobilities.

The number of incoming students and staff is also impressive. Poland has been visited by almost T H E

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28,000 students and 11,000 teachers from abroad.

Since 2007/08, 1,913 higher education staff trainings have been staged. At present, nearly 260 Polish higher education institutions take an active part in the programme.

Due to the reporting schedule in the Erasmus programme, information presented below relates to 2008/09 academic year, as these statistics have been approved in 2010. Data for 2009/10 are of preliminary character.

Student Mobility Mobility for placement in an enterprise or spending an integrated period of study in a higher education institution abroad not only allows students to acquire new skills, develop their knowledge, widen their horizons, and improve their linguistic skills, but also serves as a splendid opportunity for discovering a foreign country, experiencing other cultures and meeting people from all over the world.

Students leaving for mobility acquire new skills and competencies which allow them to easily find employment. For higher education institutions, student exchanges is one of the most important aspects of international cooperation.

In 2008/09 academic year, funds allocated for student mobilities constituted as much as 81% of the total Erasmus budget paid to the National Agency for the coordination of its actions. Polish higher education institutions spent EUR 28.7m on student mobility for studies and placements, which constituted 99.8% of the total allocation for the purpose. They paid further EUR 1.7m for that purpose from their internal funds or from other sources.

In 2008/09, 13,402 Polish students left for mobilities for studies and placements. An approx. 4% growth in the number was observed as compared to the previous year, which resulted from a greater interest in placements (a 66% growth). At the same time, 4,928 foreign students came to Poland; 4,528 for studies, and 400 for placements. According to preliminary data, in 2009/10 Polish HEIs sent more than 14,000 students abroad under the Erasmus programme.

Mobility for Studies In academic year 2008/09, 11,784 students of 191 Polish higher education institutions spent an integrated study period at higher education institutions abroad. In 2009/10, the number has slightly dropped (11,614 students of 202 HEIs), whereas the number of mobility for placements has significantly grown. As for incoming students, in 2008/09, our higher education institutions hosted 4,528, and in 2009/10, nearly 5,800 Erasmus students.

The largest number of students were sent by large universities, universities of technology, and universities of economics, and understandably the HEIS that have been committed to international cooperation and student exchanges for many years were in the lead. Top five of Polish HEIs features: Warsaw University, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Jagiellonian University, University of Wrocław, and University of Łódź.

Mobility for Placements Erasmus mobility for placements lasts from 3 to 12 months and is closely related to the field of study of a given student. Home higher education institutions recognise the mobility as compulsory or non-compulsory student practice, which is entered in diploma supplement.

Erasmus mobility for placements helps to acquire valuable professional experience, and also competencies useful for a future career, such as self-reliance, problem solving and openness.

Erasmus mobility for placements was launched in the academic year 2007/08, and its popularity grows steadily. In 2008/09, 1,618 students of 125 HEIs, and in 2009/10, more than 2,400 students used this opportunity, which translated into a growth of nearly 50%.

Staff mobility In 2008/09, Poland boasted the largest in Europe number of higher education staff mobilities under Erasmus. As many as 4,341 Poles left abroad, which stands for 12% of the total number of programme participants. Poland was in the lead both in terms R eport

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Erasmus mobility opens you to the world, helps you understand that a European can feel at home in any country of the Community. It helps overcome barriers and fear. It widens your horizons. Thanks to mobility, you feel more self-confident, stronger and believe that you can be successful in life. I recommend the programme to all students.

Bartosz z Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu

Klaudia, student of University of Warsaw

who in academic year 2009/10 studied at University of Greifswald, Germany

who studied at University of Antwerp

of HEI teacher and staff training mobilities.

Staff mobility contributes to improving teaching standards and facilitates cooperation between higher education institutions. Mobility offers a range of opportunities for personal and professional development of HEI staff. It contributes to improving language skills, facilitates exchange of teaching and professional experience, and helps improve individual skills and competencies. It is also of benefit to students who profit from expertise of foreign teachers who give guest lectures and classes.

Teaching Staff Mobility for Teaching Assignments In 2008/09, 3,079 teachers of 186 Polish higher education institutions left for teaching assignments abroad. This was the best result in Europe, which not only proves the activity of Polish teachers and the quality of their work, but also that they are welcome at institutions abroad. In total, Polish HEIs spent EUR 2.5 million from Erasmus programme budget for that purpose.

In 2009/10, the number of teaching staff mobilities dropped to 2,975, which may be attributed to the growing popularity of training mobilities.

As for incoming teacher mobilities in 2008/09, 1,676 teachers from abroad gave guest lectures at higher education institutions in Poland.

Staff Training Mobility Mobility for staff training staged at higher education institutions and other institutions abroad has enjoyed growing popularity, especially among administration staff who in 2007/08 were offered opportunity to participate in Erasmus training mobilities.

In 2008/09, Poland ranked first in Europe in terms of the number of staff training mobilities; 1,265 employees of 155 HEIs participated in mobilities, which cost Erasmus EUR 1.1m. It is on the cards that in academic year 2009/10 this result was beaten by 17%, as 175 HEIS sent 1,476 employees for training abroad.

Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILC) f O U N D A T I O N

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The mobility gave me a lot of positive energy. Now, I feel more self-reliant and self-confident.

The mobility has been an inspiration for me to discover new places. I am even more eager to travel and meet new people.

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Apart from promoting mobility, Erasmus supports foreign language learning. It provides co-financing of cultural and linguistic preparatory courses offered to grant holders by host institutions (with the use of funds earmarked for the organisation of mobility) and provides financing of Erasmus Intensive Language Courses (EILC) organised for grant holders coming to countries where less widely used and taught languages are spoken.

The main objective of an EILC is to enable students to speak a language in everyday situations, and therefore course programme focuses on practical language usage. However, integration with local environment is also considered an important element. This is why EILC incorporates lectures on culture and history of the host country, music classes, sightseeing tours, movie screenings, and theatre performances in order to provide programme participants with basic knowledge on the host country.

In 2010, Polish courses for Erasmus students from abroad were offered by ten centres specialising in teaching Polish as a foreign language. In total, 345 students from 23 different countries participated in Polish courses, the cost of which amounted to EUR 442,205.00.

Erasmus Intensive Programmes (IP) Intensive Programme is a project implemented by a group of higher education institutions coming from at least three different countries, which entails the development and implementation of a short programme concerning a specialist topic or an interdisciplinary subject matter. One of higher education institutions participating in the project acts as a coordinating institution and is responsible for submitting a grant application on behalf of the consortium to the National Agency in its country.

An IP can be a one-off activity or be repeated over a period of a maximum of three consecutive years, each time for a different group of students.

Usually, it is organised in the form of a summer or winter camp lasting 14 days on average. By definition, the subject matter goes beyond the scope T H E

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of standard courses available at higher education institutions participating in the programme.

In academic year 2009/10, 17 higher education institutions in Poland coordinated 20 Intensive Programmes, and these were as follow: 1. Summer School on Good Governance in the Context of European Integration: Institutions-Rights-Societies (coordinating institution: Stanisław Staszic College of Public Administration in Białymstok).

2. Computational Nanotechnology (CoNan) (coordinating institution: Gdańsk University of Technology; partner institutions in Poland: St. Wojciechowski Higher Vocational State School in Kalisz, West Pomeranian University of Technology).

3. Sensing the City – Designing Urban Experience (coordinating institution: Gdańsk University of Technology).

4. Understanding EU Enlargement / Europeanisation and the EU Enlargement (EUEN) (coordinating institution: Jagiellonian University).

5. PoReMuSS - Planning of the Regional Municipal Solid Waste Systems (coordinating institution: Cracow University of Technology).

6. Student Partnership for Reduction of Wastewater Treatment Contribution to Global Warming (coordinating institution: Cracow University of Technology).

7. Facing Impact of the Second World War: Urban Design in Contemporary European Cities (coordinating institution: Cracow University of Technology).

8. The European Dimension of International Entrepreneurship (coordinating institution: Cracow University of Economics).

9. Defining Human Rights – Social, Legal and Political Dimensions of the European Dialogue (DHR-ED) (coordinating institution: Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University).

10. Narration and Migration: an Interdisciplinary Study (coordinating institution: State Higher Vocational School in Krosno, partner institution in Poland: Jagiellonian University).

11. Role of Agriculture in Territorial Identity and Competitiveness of Rural Areas (coordinating institution: University of Life Sciences in Lublin).

12. Nanosized Particles as Building Blocs for Creation of Nanostructures (NANOSIZE) (coordinating institution: Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, partner institution in Poland: Poznań University of Technology).

13. Ecology and Safety as a Driving Force in the Development of Vehicles (coordinating institution: Technical University of Radom, partner institution in Poland: Wrocław University of Technology).

14. Polish Settlements in Europe. Anthrop Visualisations of Cultural Phenomena – Enclaves of Polish Culture in the Region of Bukovina in Romania (coordinating institution: University of Szczecin, partner institution in Poland: University of Wrocław).

15. The Expanding Horizons in European Geography Teaching (ExHEGeT) (coordinating institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University).

16. Law and Economy in a “Global Village” of Financial Crisis (coordinating institution: Toruń School of Banking).

17. Organic Food Production Chain (OFPC) (coordinating institution: Warsaw University of Life Sciences).

18. Research Methods in Cognitive Studies – an Interdisciplinary Winter School (REMICS) (coordinating institution: Warsaw School of Social Science and Humanities, partner institution in Poland: Jagiellonian University).

19. Reduction of CO2 Emission by Implementation of Renewable Resources in Central Europe Regions in the Context of EU Energy Policy (coordinating institution: Wrocław University of Technology).

20. Qualität des Lebens und Qualität der Schule (coordinating institution: University of Zielona Góra).

In 2009/10, 739 students and 232 teachers from 23 countries participated in intensive programmes.

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Outgoing Polish Erasmus student mobilities per individual country – total numbers in the years 1998-2009 Outgoing Polish Erasmus student Host country mobilities in a given country

Host country

Outgoing Polish Erasmus student mobilities in a given country

Austria

1937

Lituania

535

Belgium

3864

Luxembourg

Bulgaria

336

Latvia

204

Cyprus

+125

Malta

44

Czech Republic

1590

Germany

19 257

Denamrk

4255

Norway

706

Estonia

180

Portugal

3321

Finland

3283

Romania

137

France

9040

Slovakia

731

Greece

1812

Slovenia

472

Spain

7983

Sweden

2837

Netherlandes

3635

Turkey

1056

Irleland

908

Hungary

554

Iceland

64

Great Britain

4710

Lichtenstein

2

Italy

6200

8

In 2010/11, Polish HEIs acted as coordinating institutions in 23 projects.

End products of programmes implemented in 2009/2010 included: 1. Teaching materials developed by academic teachers in paper, in the form of multimedia and video presentations.

2. Analyses, recordings, presentations, projects, reports and case studies developed by students.

3. Publications with the use of materials developed by, among others, Technical University of Radom, Wrocław University of Technology and University of Zielona Góra.

4. Information and promotion materials (information broadcasted in the media, photographs, documentaries, brochures, posters, fliers, gadgets), to mention articles on the project coordinated by Cracow University of Technology Facing Impact of the Second World War: Urban Design in Contemporary European Cities in three language versions, available at www.urbanwarimpacts.eu 5. E-learning platforms, such as this developed for The Expanding Horizons in European Geography Teaching (ExHEGeT) project coordinated by Nicolaus Copernicus University, https://moodle. umk.pl/EXHEGET 6. Websites, for example website of Research Methods in Cognitive Studies – an Interdisciplinary Winter School project coordinated by Warsaw School of Social Science and Humanities: www. remics2010.pl F O R

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Academic Year

Number of incoming Erasmus student mobilities in Poland

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Outgoing Erasmus mobility of Polish higher education staff in consecutive years Academic Year

Number of outgoing Erasmus mobilities of Polish higher education staff

Outgoing Erasmus mobility of Polish students in consecutive years Academic Year

Number of outgoing Erasmus mobilities of Polish students

1998/99

220

1998/99

359

1998/99

1426

1999/2000

466

1999/2000

605

1999/2000

2813

2000/01

614

2000/01

629

2000/01

3691

2001/02

750

2001/02

738

2001/02

4322

2002/03

996

2002/03

810

2002/03

5419

2003/04

1459

2003/04

885

2003/04

6278

2004/05

2332

2004/05

1394

2004/05

8388

2005/06

3063

2005/06

1740

2005/06

9974

2006/07

3730

2006/07

2030

2006/07

11219

2007/08

4446

2007/08

3111

2007/08

12854

2008/09

4928

2008/09

4341

2008/09

13402

2009/10

5800

2009/10

4450

2009/10

14003

Total

93789

Total

Total 79 786

f O U N D A T I O N

Incoming Erasmus student mobility in Poland in the years 1998-2010

28804

PARTICIPATION OF POLISH HEIs IN MULTILATERAL PROJECTS Centralised actions within the Erasmus programme, which are supervised by Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) on behalf of the European Commission are mainly multilateral projects implemented by a few, up to a dozen or so institutions from various countries participating in the programme. In 2010, projects approved in the 2009, 2008 and 2007 calls were implemented, as their duration may extend up to three years.

These projects comprised: a) Multilateral Projects, b) Networks, whose activities covered all countries participating in the programme, c) Accompanying Measures.

According to information provided by the Executive Agency, in the second half of 2010, under 2009 call, whose actions were implemented in 2010, per 18 Erasmus centralised projects, Polish HEIs and other institutions (e.g. CRASP) appeared on 42 occasions. Some higher education institutions were represented by various organisational or administration units, and as a result participated in more than one project (e.g. Jagiellonian University and Warsaw University of Technology, which were active in three projects). In majority of cases, i.e. in 11 cases, one Polish institution participated in a multilateral project with the exception of LE:NOTRE TWO+ thematic network in landscape architecture, where 11 Polish HEIs were active.

In the projects under 2009 call, no Polish institution played a role of a coordinating institution. It was only Nicolaus Copernicus University who decided to coordinate the finances of a centralised project in curriculum development entitled European Masters Programme for Rural Animators. The project T H E

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implemented by HEIs from eight different countries was devoted to the development of curriculum for interdisciplinary MA level studies.

In order to obtain more detailed information on centralised projects, please go to EACEA website at: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm Activity of Bologna Experts Team in Poland Student and staff mobility constitutes an important element of the Bologna process of higher education reforms, which commenced with the signing of the Bologna Declaration in 1999 by 29 European states.

Today, the scope of the process has been expanded to cover 47 countries, also form outside Europe, which have voluntarily reformed their higher education systems with the observance of common principles and guidelines.

The main achievements of the Bologna Process are: • introduction of two- and three-tier study system; • introduction of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS); • enhancing higher education student and staff mobility, among others, thanks to the Erasmus programme; • introduction of education quality assurance systems by many HEIs; • issuance of diploma supplements for all graduates.

Works aimed at improvement of the solutions introduced in individual countries have been consistently conducted. However, having a considerable progress in the reform implementation in mind, in 2010 ministers of the countries participating in the Bologna process announced the achievement of its goal and the establishment of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). EHEA ensures broad access to quality higher education and adequate conditions

for student, graduate, and staff mobility. As a result, individual HEIs and participating countries cooperate in the scope of solutions developed so far.

At present, countries participating in EHEA focus on: • promoting and enhancing mobility; • promoting and building lifelong learning structures; • social dimension of education, i.e. providing equal access to higher education; • enhancing graduate employability, i.e. their ability to find and maintain employment and free movement in the labour market; • introduction of qualifications framework; • promotion of EHEA across the globe; • synergy building between EHEA and European Research Area; • changing approach to education, i.e. shift to student-centred (instead of teacher-centred) approach.

Polish Team of Bologna Experts is composed ob 20 members and is coordinated by Polish National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme.

In 2010, the team worked mainly on the organisation of 30 seminars and conferences for representatives of Polish HEIs. Experts discussed the development of curricula based on learning outcomes, qualifications framework, internal quality assurance systems in education, proper use of ECTS, mobility and graduate employability.

Moreover, experts staged more than 20 meetings with teachers and students of upper secondary schools in order to demonstrate to them possibilities of studying in Poland and EHEA countries. Last but not least, in 2010, team of Bologna experts staged a seminar attended by speakers from abroad, which was devoted to doctoral studies and constituted an excellent opportunity for exchange of experiences and opinions on the future of doctoral studies in Europe.

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Leonardo da vinci programme operates in the field of vocational education and training. It promotes innovative approaches to vocational education and in-service training in order to make them more attractive, more efficient and adaptable to labour market requirements.

The programme supports transnational mobility of employees in the european labour market.

Leonardo da Vinci www.leonardo.org.pl

Leonardo da vinci programme operates in the field of vocational education and training.

It promotes innovative approaches to vocational education and in-service training in order to make them more attractive, more efficient and adaptable to labour market requirements. The programme supports transnational mobility of employees in the european labour market.

Leonardo da Vinci

Izabela Laskowska Deputy Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme Coordinator of the Leonardo da Vinci programme

Have you already seen the results of your activity?

Absolutely. In the last call for proposals, small and medium-sized enterprises have submitted many more applications than in the past.

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Why cooperation agreements with chambers of crafts are so important?

Chambers of crafts represent employers and it also to them that the Leonardo da Vinci programme is addressed. Not only students and teachers of upper secondary schools, but also employees of small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit from training mobilities and exchanges of experiences.

The European Commission encourages active promotion of the programme among these groups.

However, reaching them is not that easy, and yet we have managed to do that, mainly thanks to cooperation with chambers of crafts, who are in touch with craftsmen, their guilds and schools educating future craftsmen.

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This is a big achievement, as so far a definite majority of Leonardo da Vinci applications was submitted by schools, which may also be attributed to the fact that education boards have been our strategic partner for a long time.

Does the cooperation with chambers of crafts entail additional expenditure for the Foundation?

No, not at all. Contact point staff work for free.

We only pay for staging presentations or training during meetings with prospective beneficiaries.

This cooperation is very beneficial from our point of view, and it is also advantageous for chambers of crafts, as they gain prestige. Chambers prove that they open to international cooperation and can draw from European experience. This shift is very significant, as many SMEs still believe that sending employees for training abroad is risky, as they may either not return from it or choose a better job upon their return. However, this fear has been slowly overcome, also thanks to the Lifelong Learning Programme.

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Call 2010 Results Number of submitted applications

Number of approved applications

Awarded funding in EUR

Partnerships

143

58

1 196 000,00

Transfer of Innovation Projects

41

17

4 245 395,72

Mobility for Professionals in Vocational Education and Training - VETPRO

104

70

1 919 947,45

Training placements for students (IVT – Initial Vocational Training)

377

104

8 023 266,14

Training for employees and people searching for work

85

19

1 864 184,00

Preparatory Visits/ Contact Seminars (PV – Preparatory Visits)

162

82

115 206,69

Total

912

350

17 364 000,00

Decentralised action of the Leonardo da Vinci programme

Table no 1.

Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010

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Various legal persons, both public and private ones, are entitled to participate in the Leonardo da Vinci programme. These include: vocational schools, continuous education centres, training institutions and enterprises, social partners and their organisations, chambers of crafts, chambers of industry and trade, professional associations, consultancies, career advisors, research centres, non-profit organizations, non-governmental organizations, and central and local administration agencies.

Since 2009, programme beneficiaries may apply for mobility certificates, which recognize a given institution’s experience and capacity to implement quality projects. Holding a certificate facilitates obtaining grants for subsequent initiatives.

Transfer of Innovation projects aim to support innovations and modernisation of continuing education, whereas mobility projects are designed to promote mobility in the European labour market. Last but not least, since 2008, Partnerships have been implemented to facilitate European cooperation in the field of vocational education and training. These are ‘small scale’ projects, which also provide for international mobility.

TRANSFER OF INNOVATION PROJECTS Transfer of Innovation (TOI) projects are multilateral international cooperation projects aimed at transferring and adapting innovative solutions and products to new fields, which focus on augmenting the quality of vocational education and training. Within the framework of cooperation, partners adapt existing innovations to new systemic, linguistic, cultural and legal environments and implement them in new countries and sectors and for new target groups.

Results of pilot or thematic projects implemented in the previous phase of the Leonardo da Vinci programme, and any other innovative solutions not related to this programme may constitute the subject of such transfers.

In 2010 call for proposals, 17 TOI projects were approved, and total funds granted for them amounted to EUR 4,245,395.00 (on average, F O R

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EUR 250,000 per project). Vocational education and training organisations, foundations and associations formed the largest group of TOI beneficiaries (6).

Small and medium-sized enterprises (4), higher education institutions (4), and public institutions were also strongly represented in the programme. Polish beneficiaries usually chose partners from Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

TOI projects are devoted to various disciplines of vocational education and training, to mention the construction, welding, tourism, health care sector, learning foreign languages for professional purposes, as well as culture oriented courses.

Project results are addressed to engineers, health care staff, SME managers and workers, as well as culture managers. Majority of projects provides for the use of latest technologies in continuing education (e-learning platforms, distance learning courses, multimedia).

MOBILITY PROJECTS Vocational Training and Exchange of Experiences These projects aim to support transnational mobility of persons undergoing initial vocational training and those responsible for such training. The main premise behind these projects is combining theory and practice, and thereby strengthening links between education and the labour market.

International mobilities offer beneficiaries opportunities to establish international cooperation.

Teachers, trainers and instructors can improve their teaching skills.

In total, in 2010/2011 school year, 4,731 participants, including 3,105 students, 449 workers and individuals looking for a job, and 1,178 persons in charge of vocational education and training will participate in international mobility projects.

People in the Labour Market (PLM) and People in Initial Vocational Training (IVT) A training placement or vocational training is a form of work-related training, which entails the T H E

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acquisition of vocational experience in the workplace. The projects are staged at partner organisations abroad as part of cooperation between educational institutions and enterprises.

Training placements must constitute an integral part of vocational training. The general objective of these placements is to support the participants in the development of specific vocational skills and to facilitate the use of acquired knowledge in practice. Vocational qualification development, and better participation in the labour market are also promoted. These placement projects are addressed to trainees in Initial Vocational Training (IVT) and to People in the Labour Market (PLM).

A vocational placement abroad may last from 2 to 39 weeks for trainees in initial vocational training (IVT), and from 2 to 26 weeks for people in the labour market (PLM).

In 2010, IVT project participants mainly opted for mobilities lasting 4 weeks (1,472 persons, i.e.

47% of all participants), or for three-week stays (1,179 persons, i.e. 38% of all participants). PLM project participants usually decided on 9-week stays (123 persons, i.e. 27% of all participants), R eport

mobilities lasting from 12 to 13 weeks (116 persons, i.e. 26% of all participants), and these ranging from 23 to 24 weeks (83 persons, i.e. 18% of all participants). These mobilities will be staged in the hospitality, construction, car mechanics, IT, management, economics, and gardening sector.

Professionals in Vocational Education and Training (VETPRO) These mobility projects are oriented towards exchange of experiences and addressed to persons responsible for vocational education and training or development of human resources at training institutions and enterprises. Their objective is to discover and transfer interesting solutions, as well as improve and modernise methods and practices used in the field of vocational education. The target group in VETPRO projects includes: vocational subject teachers (including teachers of foreign languages), vocational instructors, counsellors, persons responsible for training courses, managers of HR departments, and managing staff of institutions and enterprises (especially in the small and medium-sized enterprise sector).

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Most popular partner countries - mobility projects approved in 2010

Leonardo da Vinci Partnership Beneficiaries – Call 2010

Participants of Leonardo da Vinci Preparatory Visits/Contact Seminars per Voivodeship (funding under Call 2010)

Country

Number of projects

Minimum number of mobilities

Voivodeship

Number of participants

Germany

115

26,3

dolnośląskie

7

Great Britain

64

14,6

kujawsko-pomorskie

0

śląskie

13

Spain

60

13,7

lubelskie

3

mazowieckie

12 11

Number of participants

Voivodeship

Italy

46

10,5

lubuskie

1

małopolskie

Netherlands

25

5,7

łódzkie

4

wielkopolskie

10

France

24

5,5

małopolskie

9

lubuskie

6

Portugal

16

3,7

mazowieckie

7

łódzkie

5

Belgium

16

3,7

opolskie

3

pomorskie

5

Austria

11

2,5

podkarpackie

2

podkarpackie

4 4

Turkey

7

1,6

podlaskie

3

opolskie

Norway

7

1,6

pomorskie

6

dolnośląskie

3

Czech Republic

6

1,4

śląskie

5

zachodniopomorskie

3

Slovakia

6

1,4

świętokrzyskie

2

warmińsko-mazurskie

3

Ireland

4

0,9

warmińsko-mazurskie

2

kujawsko-pomorskie

2

Greece

4

0,9

wielkopolskie

4

świętokrzyskie

2

Bulgaria

4

0,9

zachodniopomorskie

0

podlaskie

2

58

Total

85

Malta

4

0,9

Denamrk

4

0,9

Hungary

3

0,7

Lithuania

3

0,7

Estonia

2

0,5

Finland

1

0,2

Latvia

1

0,2

Slovenia

1

0,2

Cyprus

1

0,2

Romania

1

0,2

1

0,2

Sweden Total

Total

own data of 2010

Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010

437*

The experience exchange mobilities may last from 1 to 6 weeks. In 2010, project participants mainly opted for one-week stays (79% of all participants), for two-week stays – (19%), and for three-week stays (2%). None of the participants applied for a stay longer than four weeks. Projects approved in 2010 were mainly submitted by vocational schools, police headquarters, job centres, and NGOs. The applications concerned vocational education and training, equal opportunities in the labour market, vocational counselling, and public safety.

PARTNERSHIPS Partnerships are multilateral cooperation projects, for which small scale funding is provided. International partnerships involving various institutions are formed to cooperate on vocational education and training (VET) themes of mutual interest to them.

As a result, tangible products should be developed

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paratory visits and contact seminars. The former aim to facilitate the development of a project and describing the roles and tasks of project partners, whereas the latter are designed to facilitate meeting of representatives of institutions located in various European countries with a view of establishing a partnership group.

In 2010, funds were provided for staging 82 preparatory visits and for participation in five contact

Table no 3.

Table no 2.

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by all project participants who also undertake to exchange experiences.

Topics for cooperation within The Leonardo da Vinci programme Partnerships include: developing common content and concepts for training; reinforcing links between education and working life; improving the qualifications of teachers and trainers in VET; testing and adopting common European approaches to VET; and integrating training needs on the labour market within VET. In 2010, Polish beneficiaries mainly opted for cooperation with partner organisations in Italy and Germany (22 and 16 entities respectively), the Czech Republic and Spain (15 entities from each country), Great Britain (13 projects), and France (12 projects).

In total, 58 partnership agreements were signed last year. The beneficiaries were mainly organisations operating in the NGO sector, and included: associations and foundations (17), secondary vocational and technical schools (15), small and medium-sized enterprises (7) and higher education institutions (6). Some of the beneficiaries implement two partnership projects, as the second one was approved in the 2010 call.

PREPARATORY VISITS AND CONTACT SEMINARS Prior to submitting an application in a given call for proposals, institutions may participate in preT H E

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Data source: FRSE, own data of 2010

seminars. The most frequent destinations for preparatory visits and contact seminars were Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain. Total funds allocated for this action of the Leonardo da Vinci programme amounted to EUR 115, 207.00.

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Leonardo da Vinci | Good practice example

Learning under the Italian Sun – The Hospitality Industry – Active Support for the Unemployed A few dozens young people from the Region of Wielkopolska left for Italy to see how modern hospitality industry operates there. The experiences gained during the mobility already pay off.

A Polish-Italian project implemented in the years 2009-10 within people in the Labour Market (PLM) action focused on the promotion of flexible forms of employment and supporting the pursuing of business activity by project participants. Thanks to the training abroad, they gained professional experience, boosted their personal competencies and improved their linguistic skills.

The project was developed by Stowarzyszenie Edukacja-Młodzież (Education-Youth Association) in Pleszew. The selection of the partner institution (Azzura Societa Cooperativa Sociale) and participating country was well planned. Italy is well known for well-developed and efficient hospitality sector and has vast experience in promoting it. Sunny Italy is famous for small restaurants and hotels, which are mainly small, family-owned businesses.

Mobility participants were young people aged 18-30, job seekers registered with county job centres in Pleszew, Krotoszyn, Ostrów Wielkopolski and Jarocin who sought employment or considered taking up business activity in the hospitality sector.

13-week training mobilities were held

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in Spoleto and Riccione, Italy in two rounds. The first staged in 2009 was attended by 19 persons. The second round with 21 participants was concluded in August 2010.

The mobility allowed the participants to become acquainted with working methods applied in the hospitality industry and acquire specialist professional competencies, such as recipes for regional dishes. Mediterranean cuisine enjoys growing popularity in Poland and project participants were eager to follow the work of top Italian professionals. Dishes were prepared with the use of local produce; fresh fruits and vegetables, quality oil and wine.

The training also encompassed culture-related and linguistic elements.

Participants learnt Italian, including specialist vocabulary and phrases indispensable in the hospitality industry.

They discovered Italian culture and local customs. IN their free time, they made several excursions to Rome and Vatican, Assissi, San Marino, Rimini, Catolici, Perugii and Terni.

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great use for project participants who were mainly graduates of catering colleges. They had not had an opportunity to gain hands on experience in Poland, and especially customer service was exciting to them. Due to the fact that they were unemployed, they did not have financial means allowing them to leave abroad and look for employment there.

Participation in the Leonardo da Vinci project was the one and only opportunity for them to move forward.

Project results were impressive.

11 participants commenced work for foreign employers with whom they underwent training. 15 other were employed in the local labour market.

Nine decided to continue education and a few decided to take up business activity. In order to ensure the durability of project results, its participants are encouraged to further promote and support mobility. Meetings with prospective employers are held and support is provided in establishing contacts with institutions abroad. Last but not least, each project participant can count on support and vocational counselling.

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The grundtvig programme focuses on european cooperation and exchange of experiences in the field of general, non-vocational, formal, non-formal and informal adult education. It is the fourth, the smallest and the youngest sectoral programme of the lifelong learning programme. Grundtvig celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2010.

Grundtvig www.grundtvig.org.pl

The year 2012 has been announced the European Year for Active Aging, and one half of a new Polish strategy for lifelong learning is devoted to adults, even though in its previous version there was not a single mention of them. These two facts serve as clear proofs that 2010 marked the time when a serious debate on non-vocational adult learning was launched across Europe. The 10th anniversary of the Grundtvig programme served as a great opportunity to speak up for the adults who are the most numerous group of Europeans.

Alina Respondek Deputy Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme Coordinator of the Grundtvig programme

Does this translate to more funds for Grundtvig in the next budget perspective?

Definitely. Although Youth on the Move is the flagship initiative of the European Commission, I still hope that there will also be room for adults there.

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Young people are the future of individual countries. Why should we spend money on adult education?

Because adults constitute 80% of all Europeans, which is also true about Poles. And research shows that they absolutely lack key competencies. Many adults neither cant speak a foreign language nor calculate percentage. And there is 30 or 40 years ahead of them! Fortunately, thanks to the tenth anniversary of the Grundtvig programme, which we celebrated last year, we no longer need to convince decision makers that non-vocational adult education is needed.

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And although the Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci programmes’ offers are tailored to adults’ needs, it is only Grundtvig that supports general education.

However, out budget amounts only to 4% of the total budget of the Lifelong Learning Programme.

Yet it has grown fast for years.

That’s right. So far, the budget has grown each year, but so have our needs, which are enormous.

We obtain a growing number of applications, and we do not have enough funds to finance them.

In 2009, under Grundtvig Partnerships, which is our largest action, we obtained nearly 160 applications, in 2010, 209 and this year we have received as many as 285, and the Call is still open. On one hand, we are very pleased with that, as this means that our promotional activity brings fantastic results. But on the other, we are very sorry to reject a lot of high-quality applications.

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Educational activities offered under the Grundtvig programme are addressed mainly to adult learners who require special support. We create tailor made educational offer for them, which includes alternative learning solutions.

The programme has been designed to present solutions for problems related to the ageing of European society by offering learning opportunities.

Apart from improving European cooperation in the field of non-vocational adult education, exchange of experiences and development of innovative educational offer, programme goals include increasing the number of educational mobilities abroad for adult learning staff and adult learners themselves.

Objectives of the Grundtvig programme are implemented within ten different actions, where seven of them, i.e. decentralised actions, are managed by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System, and three other by the Executive Agency seated in Brussels.

In 2010, in all seven decentralized actions of the Grundtvig programme, extra points under national priority were awarded to public benefit organizations for activities related to non-vocational adult education. This priority related to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

The year 2010 was unique due to the fact that the Grundtvig programme celebrated its anniversary. Apart from Europe-wide events (conferences held in Brussels, Budapest and Copenhagen), Polish National Agency organised a special competition and a conference to sum up programme achievements.

Grundtvig Partnerships These are multilateral projects, which last two-years and focus on exchange of experiences in the field of adult education. These initiatives aim at developing attractive educational offer, developing key competencies in adults (e.g. foreign languages, ICT, civic competences), and motivating to learn, especially those adults who have dropped out from school and are threatened with social exclusion.

The projects also concentrate on inter-cultural issues, such as combating xenophobia and intol-

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erance; parent education; older learners; special educational needs of the disabled; health education, consumer education; education at detention centres; educational courses for adults living in rural areas; arts, music and culture. Active involvement of adult learners in all project activities, including visits to partner organisations, constitutes a crucial aspect of these projects.

Partnerships is the largest action in the Grundtvig programme, which enjoys broad interest in Poland.

In 2010, 209 applications were submitted, and in 2009 they amounted to 165. In total, 79 projects were approved. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the action’s budget in Poland in 2010 was lower than in 2009, many high-quality projects, which have been positively assessed, could not be awarded funding.

Grundtvig Workshops The objective of Grundtvig Workshops is to enable adult learners to participate in thematic workshops taking place in a European country other than their own. The workshops last from 5 to 10 days and are organised for groups of 10-20 learners. The participants must represent at least three different countries other than the country where the workshop takes place. No more than one third of participants should originate from the same country. Nationals of the country where the workshop takes place are eligible to participate in the workshops, but cannot be funded from Grundtvig.

Workshop organisation is easy and straightforward. A workshop organiser applies for funding to the National Agency in its country of origin. If the application is selected, an agreement is concluded with the National Agency, which covers, inter alia, participants’ recruitment costs, travel and subsistence costs, and workshop organisation-related costs. Learners willing to participate in the workshops select them from a special catalogue, and they directly contact the workshop organiser. They do not bear any related costs.

Workshops neither can be devoted to improving occupational qualifications nor can be addressed to any specific professional group. In 2010, the T H E

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National Agency obtained almost 100% more applications that in 2009. Last year 60 applications were submitted, and 22 were approved. The range of topics of workshops organised in Poland in 2010 was diverse, ranging from Polish lessons for foreigners, arts, singing, crafts, and dance workshops, to drama and Jewish culture courses.

Senior Volunteering Projects These projects aim at bilateral cooperation between partner organisations from different European countries, one of which must be a Member State of the European Union. They create opportunities for senior volunteerism and exchange of senior volunteers. Each organisation sends and hosts a group of a few volunteers. Their visits to partner organisations last a few weeks and allow them to learn, share knowledge, skills and experiences. Volunteering mobility is without concern for financial gain and volunteers cannot replace paid employees. Volunteers are not mere observes, but are actively involved in the activity of partner organisation.

The projects foster exchange of experiences and promote the development of lasting European cooperation of partner organisations. Therefore their activity profiles should be similar. However, they cannot act as intermediaries. All the activities are focused on the continuity of senior volunteering activities.

All citizens of countries participating in the programme or people living or working in such countries aged 50 and more can become volunteers.

They do not need to have experience in volunteering work. Topics for volunteering projects include solving the problems faced by local communities, work on behalf of persons who need care, and other activities as agreed by partners.

Senior volunteering projects last two years and during the grant period from August 1, 2001 to July 31 2013, two, up to six volunteers should work abroad for 3-8 weeks.

Volunteering projects implemented in 2010 concerned mainly two topics; work o behalf of orphaned children and inter-cultural education.

As part of projects approved in 2010, senior

volunteers will work with the disabled, promote ecology, work at nursing homes, help other seniors and people in need, teach their mother tongues to local community in a host country, and make small repair works at a nursing home.

Grundtvig Preparatory Visits and Contact Seminars This action entails individual visits by representatives of various organisations dealing with non-vocational adult education. The visits aim at finding a partner abroad and developing a work plan for the project. Representatives of organisations planning cooperation under Grundtvig Partnerships, Senior Volunteering Projects, Multilateral Projects, Grundtvig Networks and Accompanying Measures may apply for participations in preparatory visits.

During a preparatory visit, prospective partners set objectives, guidelines and methodology for future projects, define their roles and tasks, develop work plan, as well as monitoring, evaluation and dissemination methods. Last but not least, they draw together an application for funding.

Preparatory visits last from 1 to 5 days. The grant covers travel and subsistence costs. Applications should be submitted eight weeks prior to the planned visit.

In 2010, organisations dealing with international volunteering were encouraged to participate in preparatory visits. First-rate applications concerning this topic were given priority due to the fact that the year 2011 is the European Year of Volunteering.

In-service Training for Adult Education Staff This action aims to provide funding for individual in-service training abroad for adult education staff lasting from 5 days to 6 weeks. Available training courses can be found in a special European catalogue of courses, but beneficiaries are free to choose other offers.

This action is addressed to educators, trainers, teachers, managerial staff and other non-vocational adult education professionals.

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Beneficiaries include staff working at various organisations; Universities of the Third Age; organisations acting on behalf of the disabled; Lifelong Learning Centres; museums, libraries and culture centres.

The selected course does not have to directly improve teaching skills of the educator. It may develop the skills of creating educational offers for adults or competencies related to management, supervision, and strategic planning in the field of non-vocational adult education. In 2010, the action enjoyed great popularity. The majority of course participants worked in the non-for-profit, non-formal and informal adult education sector.

Visits and Exchanges for Adult Education Staff These are individual mobilities by representatives of adult education staff and students in the final year of master’s studies in the field of adult education. They can entail participation in seminars, conferences and ‘job shadowing’ training. Such visits may last from 1 day to 12 weeks.

The establishment of this new action in 2009 resulted in a growing number of beneficiaries opting for the form of educational mobility, which does not require submitting applications under an official call for proposals.

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interesting and of exceptionally high-quality.

Beneficiaries of this new action include individuals working on behalf of the disabled, employees of research centres, and family educators.

Grundtvig Assistantships Assistantships are long visits by representatives of adult educational staff and students in the final year of master’s studies in the field of adult education at organisations abroad operating in the sector.

A Grundtvig assistant may either play an auxiliary role, assisting in the teaching process or organisation management, or act as an expert responsible for one or more training courses or for a given aspect of organisation management. The duration of assistantship varies from 85 days to 45 weeks.

During their mobilities, assistants perform the following tasks: supporting adults in their learning processes or assisting with selected aspects of managing adult education; supporting people with special educational needs; providing information on the native country of the assistant and assisting in the teaching of their native language; initiating, developing and assisting in the implementation of educational projects.

In 2010, a relatively small number of beneficiaries decided on this form of mobility. Among the successful ones were: an educational projects manager, English teacher, as well as intercultural education, informal and non-formal education, civic education and gender education trainers.

Majority of them opted for long visits lasting up to 45 weeks.

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Photo from FRSE’s archives

Applications submitted by applicant category – Grundtvig 2010 Non-Governmental and non-profit organisations

216

Adult education organisations (including Universities of the Third Age)

85

Other

60

Foundations

50

Universities or higher education institutions

32

Cultural institutions (e.g. museums, art galleries, libraries)

31

Private entities

31

Public authorities (national, regional and local)

31

Individual applicants having no home organization

22

Teacher education institutions

18

Secondary schools

13

Associations of adult education institutions

5

Learners associations

5

Entities providing job consultancy and counselling services

5

Organisation/institution acting in the voluntary area

5

Associations of local communities

4

Institutions for learners/students with special needs

3

Research centres

3

Total

619

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Photo from FRSE’s archives

Photo from FRSE’s archives

Grundtvig | Good practice example

Grundtvig |Good practice example

Support at the Most Difficult Time – Project entitled Day and Residential Care and Support for the Elderly Disoriented Persons in the European Union THE SUBJECT OF A GRUNDTVIG PARTNERSHIP IMPLEMENTED IN THE YEARS 2008-2010 BY STAROSTWO POWIATOWE (COUNTY AUTHORITIES) AND ZAKŁAD OPIEKUŃCZO-LECZNICZY (NURSING HOME) IN PRZEMYŚL WAS LEARNING HOW TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE TO THE ELDERLY SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA AND DISORIENTATION. The project was addressed to nursing homes staff and representatives of institutions and organisations responsible for policy towards the elderly suffering from dementia and disorientation. Partners from France (coordinating institution), Romania, Sweden, Hungary and Poland exchanged best practices applied in care for the elderly and experiences gained by their respective institutions, which are responsible for the policy in the field.

Five meetings of projects partners were held, one in each country, during which seminars, training and workshops devoted to social policy, system of education and training for social workers, and methods of providing care to the elderly in respective countries were staged.

Moreover, study visits were held at nursing institutions. The participants became acquainted with new methods of work with the elderly, to mention one developed by Naomi Feil, an American psychologist, which combines the professional approach of nursing personnel with empathy and understanding for the residents of nursing homes, which is applied in f O U N D A T I O N

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France. The participants also attended occupational therapy workshop for residents of a nursing home.

After each meeting, project participants made an assessment of practices applied in a given country based on a common model, where external and internal conditions of nursing home’s operations, available equipment, nursing methods, management methods, and contacts with residents’ families were taken into consideration. Each subsequent meeting started with the discussion on the previous visit’s assessment form.

In total, 18 mobilities were realised under the project; 20 participants attended events organised in Poland and eight of them left abroad.

The main product of the project is a good practice guide for nursing home staff who care for disoriented elderly.

The publication is a synthesis of assessment forms from visits staged in each partner country and features good practice examples, as well as observations and recommendations by project participants. It is used by nursing personnel as a supporting material with the view of improving the quality D E V E L O P M E N T

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of care over the elderly. The guide has been issued in all languages of project partners.

Other products include training materials and presentations prepared for individual information and training meetings and a video from the visit to Poland shot by the French coordinator. Dissemination of project results involved cooperation with the media.

Observing good practices applied abroad should motivate projects participants from Poland to further work.

Applying the ideas developed abroad will definitely improve the operations of Polish institutions. Both project participants and other staff at Polish institutions would like to participate in another international cooperation project. They are very positive about the visits. The established contacts and experiences gained will be used for the development of new initiatives. Project partners are considering the development of a new project with participation of a larger number of partners coming from other countries.

Jadwiga Żmuda acted as Project coordinator in Poland, e-mail: jotzmuda@wp.pl.

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Europe for All – project My Place in Europe PEOPLE WITH MENTAL DISABILITY AND THOSE SUFFERING FROM CEREBRAL PALSY HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT COMMON EUROPE IS ALL ABOUT. THE PROJECT ENTITLED MY PLACE IN EUROPE CO-IMPLEMENTED BY POZNAŃSKIE STOWARZYSZENIE NA RZECZ MŁODZIEŻY SPRAWNEJ INACZEJ ”ŚMIAŁEK” (ASSOCIATION FOR THE DISABLED YOUTH) AIMED TO MAKE EUROPE CLOSER TO THEM. A Grundtvig partnership implemented by partners from Poland, Germany and France in the years 2008-2010 focused on making Europe more tangible and accessible to people with mental and physical disability. This goal was to be achieved by several meetings and visits to partner organizations, during which workshops and presentation were staged to explain cultural diversity of Europe. This goal was accompanied by another objective, which was comparing by carers teaching systems and work methods with the disabled applied in individual countries.

Eight meetings were staged under the project; two in France, two in Poland and four in Germany, which was the country of coordinating institution. In November 2008 and in May 2010, preparatory visits for organisers were staged in Germany, whereas in March and November 2009, partner organisation from Berlin hosted visits of teachers and students. The meetings in France were held in September 2009 and these in Poland in April and May 2010.

The visits were devoted to work, workshops and discussions on cultural diversity.

Moreover, meetings were organised with local authorities during which problems of the disabled were discussed. Nearly 20 persons participated in events in Poland

Photo from FRSE’s archives

and eight left abroad.

Project results include a publication entitled Dialogue that Leads to Friendship, which sums up project implementation and its results. The Śmiałek Association has disseminated the publication and has launched project website at www.smialek. org/grundtvig.php. Moreover, reports from partner meetings have been published in Pismo Ruchu Twórczego Osób Niepełnosprawnych FILANTROP monthly.

The project positively affected the teaching staff. It boosted their self-esteem and gave them a new perspective on the needs of the disabled and working methods to be applied. More emphasis was placed on cooperation and better adaptation of occupational therapy (devoted to social and vocational development) to individual needs and on ensuring greater satisfaction

from therapy. Thanks to the opportunity to compare work methods and systems of education in various EU countries, the project increased participants’ motivation for harder work on behalf of the disabled.

The project also positively affected the disabled participants of the project. First of all, they were given an impulse to become more independent. Today, they want to have a bigger say about their employment opportunities and leisure activities.

During the project implementation, the disabled from different countries worked together, exchanged experiences, made friends and provided assistance to one another in day-to day difficulties, as well as support in emotional distress.

Krystyna Dużewska acted as Project coordinator in Poland, e-mail: kd@smialek.org.

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The study visits programme is one key actions of the transversal programme.

It aims to develop cooperation and exchange of good practices related to the implementation of the lifelong learning strategy. Under the programme, visits for education and vocational training specialists and decision-makers are funded.

Study visits www.sv.org.pl

What is our biggest success in 2010?

Undoubtedly, successful promotion of Study Visits. We were present on the websites of education offices, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

We launched promotional campaign in local press, mainly in the regions which were underrepresented in the programme.

We have already observed progress in terms of the number and quality of applications.

Anna Dębska Coordinator of the Study Visits programme

Do project participants and themes of study visits change each year in Poland?

We make efforts to ensure that study visits vary in terms of themes and languages, and we succeed in that. For the CEDEFOP catalogue, we have

Photo from FRSE’s archives f O U N D A T I O N

Why the promotional campaign was so important and needed?

The Study Visits programme is addressed to education managers and interest in our offer on the part of education institutions was not evenly spread.

Last year, we tried to change that and promoted the programme among vocational education professionals and also tried to reach local authorities, such as town halls. We have already seen positive results.

The number of applicants from the two types of institutions grows steadily. So does the number of applications submitted by private enterprises and social organisations, to mention trade unions. They are equally important to us.

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selected 17 out of 23 projects submitted last year.

They were implemented by various institutions, both these operating in the public and the private sector. One foundation has submitted a study visit related to volunteerism, about which we are very happy, because this year is the European Year of Volunteering. Another visit is devoted to adult education, which is also important as the next year will be the European Year for Active Ageing.

How does activity in Poland compare to that in other European countries?

I believe we are positively perceived, which may be proven by the fact that as part of Call 2010, Poland was entrusted with the staging of a study visit for VIPs. Not every one National Agency can do that.

We have once succeeded in that and this year we will do that for the second time.

VIPs from all over Europe will come to meet in Warsaw, this is high prestige.

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42

43

35 46

39

1. Key competencies for all, including creativity,

70

30

1. Keyinnovation competencies forentrepreneurship all, including creativity, and innovation and entrepreneurship

70

25

16 39

62 62

60

20 Graph 1 .

4

2

2. Improving access, equity, quality and efficiency

60

2. Improving access,and equity, quality and efficiency in education training in education and training

50

3. Keeping teaching and training attractive improving leadership andand improving leadership

Number15 of applications

5

submitted in 2010 10

by Voivodeship.

12

50

3. Keeping teaching and training attractive

4

4. Education training for employability 4. Education and and training for employability

38 38

40 40

8

Zachodniopomorskie

10 3

and Education and Training 2020 project, as well as the Bologna and Copenhagen processes and initiatives accompanying them.

Study Visits is the only decentralised action of the Transversal Programme; applications are submitted to National Agencies in the countries where beneficiaries live or work. Study visits can accompany projects implemented under sectoral programmes (Comenius, Erasmus, Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci) and study visit results may be disseminated among the beneficiaries of these programmes and experts specialising in general and vocational education. During study visits, you can look for partners

4 2 8 6

The Study Visits programme provides opportunities for broadening cooperation with valuable international contacts and encourages to learn solutions applied in other EU countries. It provides education

5. Implementing common European instruments 5. Implementing common European instruments andand tools, principles and frameworks tools, principles and frameworks for for lifelong learning lifelong learning

30 30

6. Trends and challenges in lifelong learning 20

6. Trends and challenges in lifelong learning

20 15

15

10

10

15

14

14

14

10

9 8 6 5 4 3 2

2 1

1

1

1

1

1

Hungary

2

Norway

2

Malta

3

Lithuania

3

Iceland

4

Estonia

5

5

Graph 2.

Number of study visits participants per country

f O U N D A T I O N

professionals and experts specialising in general education and vocational education and training with a forum for discussion, exchange of practices and experiences and for mutual learning. Thanks to common visits and meetings, they can cooperate more closely on the implementation of EU strategies F O R

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D E V E L O P M E N T

O F

Latvia

Ireland

Greece

Bulgaria

Slovenia

Denmark

Belgium

Romania

Cyprus

Netherlands

Finland

Sweden

Austria

France

Italy

Turkey

Portugal

Germanny

Spain

Great Britian

0

for new projects under sectoral programmes and vice versa; beneficiaries of Comenius or Erasmus programme may be encouraged to participate in study visits.

CEDEFOP, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training seated in Thessaloniki in T H E

E D U C A T I O N A L

S Y S T E M

all actors in education and training

9

7

8. Promoting cross border mobility 8.lifelong Promoting cross border mobility in learning

0

in 2010/2011 18

7

in lifelong learning

participants 19

9

0

by study visit

20

8

8

Key themes selected

20

7. Developing of learning communities, involving 7.actors Developing of learning communities, involving all in education and training

11

11

Graph 3.

25

13

13

Greece, is responsible for the coordination of activities on the European level, and National Agencies cooperate on the development of study visits catalogue, recruitment of participants and dissemination of study visits results in their respective countries.

In 2010, themes of study visits were related to increasing literacy and numeracy levels, language teaching and learning, learning mathematics and science, developing entrepreneurship and equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups. Study visit themes also included keeping teaching and training attractive and improving leadership, social partners’ participation in lifelong learning, implementing common European instruments and tools, principles and frameworks for lifelong learning and establishment of links between vocational education and training and higher education.

Each year, 163 persons selected in a call for proposals participate in study visits. Beneficiaries represent various professional groups coming from different parts of Poland. Costs of participation in study visits are covered by EU funds.

Study visit offer is presented in a catalogue published each year by the European Commission.

Theme of selected study visit must be closely related with professional profile of the applicant.

The Study Visits programme provides for hosting in Poland European general education managers and specialists in the field of vocational education and training. Institutions and organisations active in the field of education and VET willing to share their experiences with representatives of other countries may become study visit hosts.

In 2010, the following institutions organised study visits in Poland: 1. Generalny Inspektor Ochrony Danych Osobowych (Inspector General for Personal Data Protection in Warsaw) (Personal Data Protection and Privacy Issues in Education); 2. Kuratorium Oświaty w Kielcach (European Dimension of Vocational Education and Training); 3. Ośrodek Kształcenia Ustawicznego Nauczycieli w Gdańsku (ICT in Nursery and Early Learning Education); 4. Gimnazjum nr 1 w Szczecinku (Verbesserung der Qualität und Effektivität der Lehrerausbildung, bessere Führungsqualitäten und Managementkompetenzen bei Schulleitern und Bildungsanbietern); 5. Powiatowy Ośrodek Doradztwa i Doskonalenia Nauczycieli w Kartuzach (Regionale Partnerschaft zugunsten der Berufsbildung); 6. Wydział Edukacji, Urząd Miasta w Bytomiu (Developing Professional Skills by In-service Training for New Teachers); 7. Zachodniopomorskie Centrum Doskonalenia Nauczycieli w Szczecinie (Comment reconnaitre les besoins de formation des enseignants et des directeurs); 8. Kuratorium Oświaty w Rzeszowie (Education, Innovations, Entrepreneurship From Kindergarten up to the Adult Life).

For more information on the programme, please go to: www.sv.org.pl and http://studyvisits.cedefop.europa.eu.

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45 Study visits | Good practice example

Study visits | Good practice example

How to Teach Entrepreneurship – project entitled Education, Innovations and Entrepreneurship from Pre-school to Adult Life

Spanish Example – project entitled Training for Real and Effective Geographical Mobility

PREPARING YOUNG PEOPLE FOR LIFE IN FAST CHANGING EUROPE WAS THE THEME OF STUDY VISIT

POLISH EXPERTS SPECIALISING IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING WENT TO SPAIN TO VERIFY WHAT IDEAS

ORGANISED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IN RZESZÓW.

IMPLEMENTED IN OTHER EUROPEAND COUNTRIES MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO POLAND.

Experts from Spain, France, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Iceland, Turkey, Germany and Great Britain participated in the study visit staged on 18 - 22 October 2010. The main topic for discussion was preparing young people for life in contemporary, fast changing Europe and local community. They discussed competencies enhancing mobility and professional career, including entrepreneurship.

Due to the fact that creativity and competencies indispensable in adult life should be shaped already in pre-school, innovative actions taken in Poland have been presented in a chronological order: starting from pre-school, via primary and lower secondary school, to upper secondary, post-secondary schools and higher education institution.

Visit participants highly rated initiatives taken by schools and in local com-

munity, which aimed at shaping entrepreneurship attitudes in children and youth, as well as prevailing atmosphere and commitment on the part of teachers.

They assumed their countries could learn from Poland how to introduce entrepreneurship to various age groups, and not only as part of school curricula.

Experts have identified challenges related to the introduction and development of skills related to entrepreneurship and these related to teacher training in this scope. They have discussed the role school counsellors play in shaping the development of children. Difficulties faced by entrepreneurship teachers who are theoreticians and the need for consistent skill improvement have been emphasised.

The importance of committing the private sector in inspiring and stimulating the development of entrepreneurial skills, which

are indispensable in the labour market, have also been highlighted.

Last but not least, differences in the definitions and concepts for introducing entrepreneurship and variations in school curricula on the topic in the 10 countries have been analysed.

However, what the visit participants valued most were the meetings and discussions with students. Finally, 31 conclusions have been drawn. The study visit has proven beneficial not only to its participants, but also Polish students, teachers, headmasters, and school inspectors who attended the meetings, debates and conferences. As a continuation of the study visit, two representatives from Poland have been invited to a conference in Finland, where they will present educational solutions applied at Polish schools.

Study visits | Good practice example

Support for and Obstacles in Teacher Development – project entitled Developing Professional Skills by In-service Training for New Teachers

The study visit organised by Servicio público de empleo estatal (SPEE), a Spanish public institution, was staged in Madrid in October 2010. VET specialists and professionals dealing with employment of young workers from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Great Britain and Italy participated in the visit. Participants from Poland represented schools and institutions operating in the vocational education and training sector.

During the visit VET systems in the countries of participants have been presented, along with the tools for promoting mobility among people in active employment and those searching for work. Solutions applied in individual countries to recognise and validate professional skills acquired across the European Union have been discussed.

Moreover, initiatives taken by private and public institutions to eliminate obstacles for mobility have been described.

Spanish system for identifying and monitoring the most and the least demanded professions, which analyses the situation

Photo from FRSE’s archives

per each region of the country and helps future workers choose their career has also been presented.

In addition, visits to institutions, which support vocational education and training have been paid. Visit participants talked with hosts about practical training and impact it has on the mobility of workers in Spain. Study visit participants also met the representatives of Spanish National Agency

of the Lifelong Learning Programme.

During the meeting, Leonardo da Vinci programme in Spain was presented. As a result, visit participants could look at the programme from a different perspective.

During the visit, participants from Poland established new contacts, which they intend to use in future international cooperation of their respective schools.

PARTICIPANTS IN STUDY VISIT ORGANISED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AT BYTOM TOWN HALL DISCUSSED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES INDISPENSABLE FOR TEACHERS. Education experts from Finland, Greece, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary came to Bytom in October 2010 to share experiences related to in-service training of teachers working at all education levels and within various systems of education. Study visit participants visited public schools, talked to teachers, headmasters, and observed lessons.

They sought answer to the question f O U N D A T I O N

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of universal skills and competencies to be displayed by teachers, regardless of the system of education, legal regulations and financial outlays for education. Education experts attempted to identify factors that hinder professional development of teachers and their origins.

The meeting and observations were useful for exchange of experiences in the scope of in-service developD E V E L O P M E N T

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ment of language teachers, universal skills to be possessed by teachers to diagnose educational needs of pupils and students, methods for organising work at integration groups, skills and qualifications indispensable for working with students with metal disability, and methods for managing schools and teachers in terms of skills development and professional qualifications improvement.

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47 The etwinning programme promotes school collaboration and networking in europe through the use of information and communications technology (ict). The programme expands the scope of educational opportunities offered to students and teachers, creates incentives to learn, and engenders greater openness to europe. Etwinning provides teachers and students with online tools necessary to find a partner and to implement educational projects. Inspiring others to use the latest achievements in technology,

eTwinning

it implements its principal objective, which is to develop technological, linguistic and intercultural competencies.

www.etwinning.pl

The year 2010 was unique for the eTwinning programme, as we celebrated the 5th anniversary of its operations in Poland. We also launched a new communications and promotion strategy and commenced the implementation of a new form of teacher training, i.e. computer workshop entitled e-Thursdays. As at the end of the year, we observed a 15% growth in the number of schools registered at the eTwinning platform and 21.5% growth in the number of teachers who cooperate with us. These result have placed Poland among European leaders.

Agnieszka GierzyńskaKierwińska Coordinator of the eTwinning programme

Photo from FRSE’s archives f O U N D A T I O N

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eTwinning makes it possible to include school subjects covered by the curricula in the projects, e.g. mathematics and history, by applying innovative and creative teaching methods, while at the same time stimulating the student’s motivation to learn.

Communication via the Internet enables participants to get to know the everyday lives in other countries and different cultures. During the project implementation, the participants’ interest in their own culture and tradition increases, and so do their tolerance, openness and communicativeness. The exchange of experiences and methods contributes to the work of teachers, making it more innovative and diversified, and facilitates their intellectual and professional development.

At the end of 2010, the number of Polish schools registered in the eTwinning programme amounted to 8,964, which corresponds to a 15% growth as compared to the previous year. As regards teachers registered in the programme, as at 31 December

2010 their number reached 12,304, which translated into an increase of 21.5% as compared to the previous year. The number of projects has also grown; 1,589 new projects were registered in the eTwinning programme. In total, there are 6,371 projects in Polish database, which makes Poland the European leader. We also stay in the lead in terms of the number of schools and teachers registered in eTwinning. We owe this spectacular success to hard work. We have staged two e-learning competitions for 590 teachers and a broad promotional campaign addressed to 8,650 schools, which had not joined our programme.

In Poland the eTwinning programme enjoys the greatest popularity in the Śląskie and Mazowieckie Voivodeships (with 1,596 and 893 schools registered, respectively). The number of schools registered in other voivodeships ranges from 468 to 235 (with the Łódzkie and Podlaskie being the least active regions).

In terms of the number of implemented projects, the Śląskie Voivodeship, with 1398 projects registered, is unquestionably in the lead, followed by Mazowieckie Voivodeship with 464 projects.

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48

49

274 341 412

1368

14000

266

2494

12000

Chart 1.

10000

Poland as compared to other countries

8000

235

Primary school

893 383

Lower secondary school 1368

1596

493

Upper secondary school

468

Pre-school

6000

407

2494

277

376

4000

262

248 Croatia

Luxembourg

Iceland

Latvia

Cyprus

Ireland

Malta

Norway

Denmark

Austria

Estonia

Slovenia

Hungary

Finland

Netherlands

Sweden

1980

Belgium

Lithuania

Slovakia

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

Turkey

Greece

Germany

Romania

Great Britain

Spain

Italy

Poland

France

0

Portugal

2000

459

Chart 5.

Chart 6.

Level of education of pupils

Number of registered

participating in eTwinning

1980

324

schools per voivodeship

projects

2500

Chart 2.

2141

2000

Countries with which

1798

schools in Poland cooperate

1436

1500 1198 1065

1027 1030

1000

889

730 763 719

– it may be useful not only in business, but also while creating paintings, sculptures, and posters.

85

85

92

Macedonia

Iceland

Croatia

Norway

Ireland

Denmark

Austria

Malta

Latvia

Estonia

Holand

Slovenia

Finland

Hungary

Belgium

Sweden

Lithuania

Slovakia

Bulgaria

Portugal

Germany

Great Britain

Czech Republic

France

Turkey

Spain

Greece

Italy

Romania

0

A project implemented at the no. 5 secondary school in sosnowiec proves that.

17

Luxembourg

125 120 111 117 96

Cyprus

231 218 223 215 241 187 211 201 183

5000

Chart 3.

4364

School subjects in

4000

eTwinning projects 2795 2102

2161 1709

1649

1540

1372

1224

1150

1114

Civic Studies

2256

2000

Theatre

3000

6000

5871

5531

5531

Environmental Protection

Music

European Studies

Languages and Literature

Interdisciplinary Subject

Geography

History of Culture

History

Computer Science/ICT

Foreign Languages 7000

Arts

1000

0

Chart 4.

5531

Technology used

5000 3482

4000

in eTwinning projects

3316 2781 1673

2000

1339

1240

f O U N D A T I O N

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D E V E L O P M E N T

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E-learning

Video conference

MP3

Forum

Chat

On-line publications

Pictures and images

PowerPoint

Video

E-mail

1000

874

Audio conference

3000

0

Equation for beauty – Art Inspired by Mathematics Project Mathematics can be taught in an unconventional and interesting way. What is more important

596 545

500

2979

eTwinning | Good practice example

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The Polish-Romanian initiative, coordinated by Jolanta Grzywnowicz, aims at an innovative teaching of maths.

The project strives to show practical applications of this science in design, painting and sculpture.

Students learn how symmetrical geometric representation aids creating patterns, ornaments, tiling, mandalas and works of art characteristic of various cultures.

The project makes using mathematics a pleasurable and creative experience. Participants learn through arts; they broaden their mathematical, historical and IT horizons, developing cultural awareness and linguistic skills at the same time. The initiative upsets school routine. It is often impossible to squeeze the topic of the beauty and usefulness of mathematics (especially its numerous applications in fine arts) into the strict curriculum. That is why penetrating certain domains of knowledge was enhanced through additional classes, workshops, individual and group work.

What fruit did the project bear?

Firstly, there are digital materials, such as multimedia presentations, photographs, articles, posters, bulletins, interactive quizzes, dictionaries, e-books, graphic representations,

Photo from FRSE’s archives

a website and lesson scenarios. Any student and teacher from any school and, more importantly, at any level of education may use project results.

Secondly, the project resulted in skills and competence acquired during project implementation. These will surely prove useful in students’ everyday life, on further education path and in professional career.

This project may also lay the foundation for another innovative project; Mathematics & Arts, which might

be incorporated into curriculum. The digital materials developed within the project might then constitute an excellent teaching resource base.

At present, project results are published on Twinspace of the eTwinning programme as well as on the project’s website: www.lo5.sosnowiec. pl/art. There is also a Twinblog for the project: http://twinblog.etwinning. net/7763. Materials developed during project implementation are reused while working with other students.

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Europass is composed of: • Europass-CV; • Europass-Language Passport, which presents the level of language proficiency in line with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, binding in the entire EU; • Europass-Mobility, which confirms European educational pathways; • Europass-Diploma Supplement; • Europass -Certificate Supplement, which confirms vocational qualifications.

Europass is an initiative of the European Commission, which helps the citizens of Europe in making their skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood, thereby increasing their competitiveness on both domestic and European labour markets. It also provides new opportunities to learn and gain experience abroad.

Europass www.europass.org.pl

Europass was launched on 1 January 2005. It was introduced with Decision of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 December 2004. It consists of five documents available in the same format in all European Union, EFTA/EEA and EU candidate countries. Each of the documents may be used separately, though by collecting them all, you can create a complete portfolio of documents related to your professional career.

In 2010, representatives of the National Europass Centre staged 40 presentations and workshops showing how to use Europass documents when looking for a job. These were addressed to various target groups, including representatives of educational institutions and the labour market, educational and local government authorities at all levels, employers, job consultants, students of higher education institutions, upper secondary school students, and the unemployed.

A publicity campaign for the Europass initiative was staged in electronic media (job search and careers sites, educational portals, and youth websites), in the national, local, and specialised press, as well as on YouTube. Advertising the initiative on public transport buses in Warsaw, Krakow, Wrocław, Gdańsk and Lublin has proven successful. The campaign aimed at reaching HEI students. CDs (20,000 pcs) were disseminated, with Europass-related materials, blank templates, useful websites and links, and information leaflets (17,000 pcs) for various recipient groups were distributed during information meetings, fairs and conferences.

Acting in cooperation with Vocational and Continuing Education Department at the Ministry of National Education, the National Europass Centre in Poland organised on 22-23 September 2010 a meeting entitled Europass as a Tool for Promoting Mobility in Vocational and Continuing Education – Experiences and Perspectives. The conference was attended by directors of District

Popularity of Europass documents has consistently grown.

European Europass portal and National Europass Centre have been accessed by more 29m people, 10m of whom accessed our website in 2010. Europass – CV enjoys the greatest popularity.

According to the latest data presented by the European Commission, more than 10m job seekers have used online version of Europass – CV template. Poland is one of top ten EU countries where Europass – CV is the most popular. Job seekers and employers think that Europass documents are practical, and what is more important, helpful.

Małgorzata Turek Coordinator of National Europass Centre

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Examination Boards (OKE), heads of Vocational Examination Departments at OKE, and vocational education and training experts. Zbigniew Włodkowski, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of National Education, was the conference’s guest of honour. Conference participants re-examined the five years of Europass Certificate Supplement (which confirms vocational qualifications) being in use and discussed the role Europass initiative plays in the guidelines for the modernisation of vocational education in Poland.

All these activities have proven successful.

Europass enjoys immense popularity in Poland.

In 2010, Poland ranked seventh EU country were Europass-CV and Europass- Language Passport have been most frequently used. Polish Europass Centre has issued almost 5,000 Europass Mobility documents, and District Examination Boards issued 163,933 Certificate Supplements.

In 2010, the website of the National Europass Centre was accessed 166,500 times.

Europass documents have also been appreciated by employers. Owing to the Europass portfolio, employers can easily compare the qualifications and job experience of candidates coming from various countries, get acquainted with their abilities to communicate in foreign languages, and precisely understand the level and type of education and vocational qualifications they hold.

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EURYDICE

The eurydice education information network in the european community makes

and publishes descriptive analyses, comparative studies and indicators concerning various levels and systems of education. Its mission is to provide to education decision- and policy makers across europe analyses and data compiled on the european level, which may support decision-making processes.

Eurydice www.eurydice.org.pl

We derive the biggest satisfaction from the fact we just perform our mission. And last year we did succeed in that.

A representative of our National Eurydice Unit was invited to act as a member of a team established at the Ministry of National Education to work on the status of the teaching profession in Poland. Thanks to us, other team members learnt the European context of the problems discussed. We presented data on earnings, work time and promotion of teachers in Europe. Information we provided will indirectly affect the legislation to this end. Rarely do we have an opportunity to feel so needed.

Photos from FRSE’s archives

Anna Smoczyńska Coordinator of National Eurydice Unit

Eurydice publications present detailed descriptions of education systems in Europe and in Poland.

They are available on-line at http://eacea.ec.europa. eu/portal/page/portal/Eurydice, and in print. The Eurydice publications include comparative studies, Key Data Series, which provide a number of indicators, diagrams and figures, and reference materials, such as glossaries and Thesaurus.

In 2010, four publications in English and five in Polish were published by Eurydice. Furthermore, Polish Eurydice Unit updated and published in 2,500 copies a booklet entitled The System of Education in Poland. This title has enjoyed an immense success among Polish educational policy makers who disseminated it abroad and readers from outside Poland interested in our system of education. f O U N D A T I O N

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We are already planning to print additional copies of the publication. Moreover, four issues of the bulletin entitled New Eurydice Publications have been printed in 500 copies.

In 2010, booklets in Polish and English (featuring summaries in Polish) were sent to approximately 250 addressees, including the officials at the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, research institutions, libraries, higher education institutions, the Office of the Committee for European Integration (UKiE), the Chancellery of the Sejm, the Chancellery of the Senate, the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland, local education authorities and voivodeship pedagogic libraries. A total of 275 individual users interested in Eurydice publications were also T H E

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registered, 80 of whom through direct contact and 195 via e-mail.

Polish Unit website enjoyed wide popularity; it was accessed nearly 7,000 times per month.

The Eurydice newsletter providing information on new Eurydice publications was equally popular.

In 2010, eight newsletters have been sent to 250 representatives of public institutions and individual users.

Further, the Eurydice Network contains the Question and Answer Service, which makes it possible to send to all Network Units specific questions of importance to education policy in a given country. In 2010, the Polish Eurydice Unit provided answers to 66 questions submitted through the Q&A service, based on literature and consultations with specialists from the Ministry of Education, and asked seven questions concerning issues of interest to Polish education policymakers (the Min-

istry of National Education). The answers received from the European Eurydice Units were submitted to the Ministry as complete reports and published on the website of Polish Eurydice Unit (in Raporty Polskiego Biura Eurydice tab).

Detailed information about Eurydice is available on www.eurydice.org.pl, or via eurydice@frse.org.pl.

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55 ELL is a European quality label for innovative projects in language teaching and learning awarded in all countries participating in the LLP. It is awarded in a competition managed by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System and by the Ministry of National

European language label

Education. The laureates of the competition receive prestigious certificates thus the right to mark their products and services with the European Language Label.

www.ell.org.pl

The year 2010 was the time of hard work for us and also a period of tremendous success. Our ELL team organised three information seminars attended by more than 200 language teachers from Warsaw who became acquitted with the offer of the Lifelong Learning Programme in the scope of foreign language teaching. In September 2010, along with 23 other institutions dealing with language teaching, FRSE organised European Day of Languages. More than 1,300 learners participated in exemplary lessons and methodology workshops, and 360 participants, including speakers from all over Europe, attended an international conference entitled Languages Integrate.

Photo from FRSE’s archives

All the projects submitted for the ELL competition must satisfy the criteria defined by the European Commission. They should be comprehensive in their approach, i.e. provide added value to the previous national practices in the field of language teaching and learning. They should promote the linguistic diversity of the EU, be innovative, and constitute a source of inspiration for other language initiatives, as well as be adaptable to teaching a range of age groups in various cultural contexts.

Award of the European Language Label is an indication for local community that the awarded institution teaches foreign languages in an innovative and nonstandard way. The Certificate also confirms that the initiatives are creative and have European dimension.

Descriptions of award-winning projects are published on the Polish website of ELL at www.ell.org.pl, and in the publications issued by FRSE. These projects are also presented as good practice examples in an international database of award-winning projects on the European Commission’s portal: www.ec.europa.eu/ education/language/label/index.cfm.

More information about the competition, application submission periods, and priorities for a given year and examples of award winning projects can be found on www.ell.org.pl. f O U N D A T I O N

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The 9th edition of the European Language Label Competition In September 2010 the 9th edition of the European Language Label competition for innovative projects in language teaching and learning was concluded.

The jury awarded ELL’s to 15 projects, including eight institutional projects, six individual teacher projects and one project implemented by an individual learner.

The laureates of the competition received certificates signed by EU Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth and the Minister of National Education during a gala event organised in the European Commission Representation in Warsaw on 15 December 2010. The gala was attended by Katarzyna Hall, the Minister of National Education; Ewa Synowiec, Director of EC Representation in Poland; Livia Ruszthy, a representative of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Multilingualism, and Naomi Matos who represented Directorate General for Translation. The award winning projects were implemented at all types of educational institutions; preschools, primary schools, lower secondary schools, upper secondary schools, higher education institutions, private organisations, and culture institutes.

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Anna Grabowska Coordinator of European Language Label

The jury paid special attention to innovative character of projects and their consistency with European priorities; language learning in the community and language skills for work, and national ones; language learning for activation and integration of the community, and committing teachers to language teaching.

The projects awarded in 2010 stood out in terms of high quality, innovativeness and professionalism. They had in common efficient use of ICT. At all levels of education, they provided for improving the skills of using e-tools, such as the Moodle platform, instant messaging, voice chat, and Office software.

A valuable social aspect of these projects was the use of volunteerism for language education. A large group of projects concentrated on raising language skills by various social groups with the support of upper secondary schools and HEI students of languages.

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Other attractive initiatives promoted community language learning at any age. Some of them incorporated Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and prepared young students for International Baccalaureate (IB) and studies at HEIs abroad. Projects focusing on the development of curricula for early language teaching were also worth noting. The projects implemented at preschools concentrated on the introduction of basic vocabulary through play, learning and activities.

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Teddy Bear Plays the Main Part – (Very) Early Childhood Language Learning Project Aided by a Teddy Bear, Photo Books, Latest Technologies and Parents

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for early childhood language learning? Participants of a project implemented by the Jan Kochanowski University’s Institute of School Education and 40th Local Government Preschool in Kielce sought an answer to this question.

European Language Label | Good practice example

Learning on Wheels – Deutsch-Wagen-Tour Project Five colourful cars set off on a trip across Poland to promote German language and culture in an attractive and modern way. The idea of sending Deutsch wagens on a mission came from the Warsaw Goethe Institute.

Deutsch-Wagen-Tour (DWT) is a programme promoting German culture and language throughout Poland.

The novelty of the idea lies in various unconventional language activities.

DWT teachers use original professional materials and educational aids, and take into consideration participants’ different age and language knowledge. These resources were designed especially for the project’s needs and are brought to every corner of Poland in five speciallyarranged cars.

The project promotes informal language teaching. Activities are staged in relaxed and casual atmosphere, so different from traditional school classes.

In such a friendly environment pupils are more motivated. Parents and grandparents who accompany children during activities with DWTs in schools and outdoors are also invited to participate.

DWT teachers meet parents and explain the benefits of speaking German. They try to convince them that learning foreign languages can be pleasurable and that good command of languages has become indispensable in today’s world. Pupils also learn about German culture and lifestyle. A part of the project is a website developed in two languages (Polish and German) where among other things you can find f O U N D A T I O N

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mentation DWT teachers visited 700 educational institutions (preschools, schools, higher education institutions and educational centres) and more than 50,000 participants attended the activities. Deutsch wagens will tour Poland until the end of 2011.

The project is coordinated by Magdalena Zaręba.

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The idea is simple. Photos of a teddy taken by parents together with children are used by pre-schoolers to find and point out parts of the bear’s face and body, colours, clothes, numbers and elements of their surroundings. The little bear also helps children to learn basic vocabulary related to family, animals, Christmas and Easter.

However, project beneficiaries are not children but adults; pre-school and language teachers, students who prepare for this role and parents. The objective is to promote among them the idea of early childhood language learning (starting at the age of three) aided by innovative materials. The project not only promotes using photo books, but also stresses the importance of incorporating elements of information and communications technology into education.

English was the first foreign language introduced in all the groups; children learnt it twice a week, classes lasted 20 minutes. Additionally, the form teacher integrated content and language learning (the CLIL method) on an everyday basis through various fun activities, games, songs, stories and poems. After five months another language – Spanish – was introduced. Twenty minute classes were staged once a week by a qualified teacher. The two languages were taught until the end of the project. German was introduced as the third language in November 2010.

Project’s objectives: • developing sensitivity to other languages and cultures from early childhood; • promoting multilingualism in order to prepare children for a better career start; • enhancing curiosity and openness towards other languages and cultures,

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encouraging parents to participate in their children’s language learning; informing parents about the benefits of early childhood language learning; verifying usefulness of photo books as an innovative teaching aid; implementing Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL); incorporating elements of information

and communication technology into the education process; • Preparing children for living in the society of the future; The project was launched in November 2009 and lasted until March 2011. It was coordinated by prof. Sławomir Koziej, Joanna Karczewska, Izabela Jaros, Anna Pasternak, and Anna Matyjasek.

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Comenius | Competition

Comenius | Conference

The Third Round of the Comenius in the Internet Competition

Education Leader; The First Round of the Comenius Leader Competition

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ust like it was the case in the previous years, in 2010 the current and former beneficiaries of the Comenius programme were invited to enter the Comenius in the Internet Competition for the most interesting websites documenting the implementation of Comenius School Partnerships and Comenius Regio projects. Out of 85 websites entered for the competition by three preschools, 25 primary schools, 24 lower secondary schools, and 32 upper secondary schools, the jury composed of academic teachers, trainers working with teachers, IT specialists and a representative of the Ministry of National Education, awarded three prizes in each category. On top of that, three honourable mentions were awarded, among them one to Radomsko Town Hall, which was a beneficiary of Comenius Regio action for the first time included in the competition as a separate category. The jury assessed both the contents and technical solutions applied by website authors to promote international education projects and pupils’ and student’s work on behalf of their development and maintenance.

he Education Leader; Comenius Leader Competition was organized for the first time last year.

Out of 71 competition entries, the jury composed of representatives of scientific circles and NGOs selected nine best education leaders in all actions of the Comenius programme. On top of that, three honourable mentions were awarded.

In the Project Partner category, not only project coordinators, but also project participants who displayed exceptional flexibility, team work and problem solving skills, as well as the ability to motivate and inspire others were entered.

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n 14-15 June 2010, at the Faculty of Management at the University of Łódź a conference entitled Education Leaders was staged.

The conference was organised by the Faculty of Education Science at the University of Łódź, in cooperation with the Faculty of Management and Foundation for the Development of the Education System, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of National Education and Polish Academy of Sciences. The conference aimed at providing a platform for a discussion on theoretical and practical aspects of educational leadership, and the dissemination of good practices and interesting solutions in pedagogical and educational activity. During panel discussions and lectures, theoreticians and practitioners presented propositions on the methods of shaping leadership attitudes. Moreover, good practices of school and youth projects implemented in Bory Tucholskie, Elbląg, Chojno and other centres in Poland were presented. During the panel discussion entitled Leadership Concept at Schools Based on the Examples of International Educational Projects within the Lifelong Learning Programme, officers of the Comenius programme acted as moderators and together with participants analysed the methods with the use of which you can shape leadership attitudes in headmasters, teachers and students. During the conference, Comenius competitions diploma award ceremony was held. During the gala, teachers implementing Comenius projects talked about their activities, shared their success stories and presented project results.

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Comenius Assistants 2010

European Higher Education Area

Disabled Students Doctoral Studies in the Erasmus Programme in European Higher Education Area

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ust like it happens every year, in 2010 the Comenius team met potential beneficiaries of the Programme and those who already work on projects throughout Poland. Not only did Comenius workers organise conferences to promote and inform about the Lifelong Learning Programme, but they also held a meeting with those who are beginning the second year of their school partnership implementation. The team was involved in conferences and trainings organised by eTwinning and Eurodesk and responded to invitations from local institutions and authorities interested in boosting their employees’ participation in European educational projects.

A joint venture of Comenius and eTwinning programmes included organising two conferences in Warsaw; Pre-school in Educational Partnerships (October 22nd) and European Dimension of Education – Headmasters’ Role in International School Partnerships (November 5th).

In 2010 the Regio Partnerships resulted in many Polish – British collaborations, which mainly dealt with the issue of social groups’ migration and their integration into school and social systems, as well as with the problem of social exclusion.

That is why Polish National Agency and the British Council organised a theme monitoring meeting for project partners.

On 22-24 September 33 people, including 14 guests from Great Britain, came to Warsaw to give and hear presentations on solutions developed during project implementation. Local school teachers interested in the issues discussed were also welcome to attend the sessions. The purpose of the meeting was to improve the quality, increase the value added and expand the influence of the projects. The objective was accomplished through the f O U N D A T I O N

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exchange of experiences between the participants, expert support, and sharing solutions and results worked out during projects. What is characteristic of Comenius Regio Partnerships is that they strive to integrate actions of various local institutions and organisations which act in favour of school education. Thus, the meeting brought together delegates from local education authorities, teachers and other education institutions representatives. The agenda was scheduled in such a way as to enable both sharing experiences among different projects implementers and working within groups consisting of representatives of institutions of a given type. Participants exchanged experiences and solutions worked out during projects.

Two workshop groups operated simultaneously – the group of local authorities representatives and the group of teachers. Two experts attended the meeting to provide support. Chris Williams – the British council expert gave a lecture on the role of local education authorities in solving problems related to the marginalisation of students within the education systems. Marta Choroszczyńska’s presentation served as an introduction to the workshop on the role of school and teachers in solving problems related to the marginalisation of students. The meeting was highly rated. Participants found its contents useful in project designing and appreciated the new contact potential.

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omenius held three meetings to prepare its Assistantship beneficiaries for participation in the Programme. An information meeting for students who are setting out for placements at different schools around Europe as Comenius Assistants in the school year 2010/2011 took place in Warsaw on June 18th. Assistants followed two lectures: Teaching Polish as a Foreign Language and ICT Methods in Teaching. Moreover, they were informed about the opportunities offered by eTwinning and Europass documents. There was another important point on the agenda: Former Assistants gave accounts of their placements and talked about their experiences.In September the Education Office in Katowice and the National Agency in Warsaw organised meetings for Polish host schools. Participants became acquainted with the programme regulations and exchanged experiences. Also, Lucjan Zaporowski of No. 4 Primary and Pre-School Compound in Rybnik, who acted as a Comenius Assistant’s mentor in the school year 2009/2010, gave a presentation.A meeting for Assistants from abroad who worked at Polish schools was also held in Warsaw. Participants talked about Polish system of education, among other topics, and staged a Polish lesson. Traditionally, they also shared their experiences, views and ideas on the Assistantship.

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he concept of the introduction of European Higher Education Area (EHEA) was known for a long time, but it was only in March 2010 that ministers of countries participating in the Bologna Process announced the official launch of EHEA during the jubilee Budapest-Vienna conference. This was obviously a symbolic launch, as the European Higher Education Area is still a work in progress. It is a result of a dynamic process of European higher education reform, as part of which new solutions have been introduced to educate open-minded, tolerant and mobile citizens of the world who can adapt to changing conditions in the labour market and are ready to raise qualifications throughout their lives.

rasmus is mainly associated with student mobility and not with disabled students. And as fighting stereotypes is not an easy task, each initiative taken in this scope is always welcome.

As part of the celebrations of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, Erasmus organised a seminar addressed to HEI officers responsible for the disabled students and Erasmus coordinators. During the seminar, discussion was launched on the access to higher education for disabled students in Poland, awareness of matters related to disability of higher education staff, and limited possibilities to participate in mobility initiatives for the disabled. The seminar owes its tremendous success to interesting presentations given by Paweł Wdówik of the University of Warsaw and Ireneusz Białek of Jagiellonian University who are responsible for the disabled students at their respective institutions. Gratitude on the part of participants for taking up the difficult topic has shown how important it is to treat the disabled students as equals to their able-bodied peers.

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ogether with growing popularity of higher education studies in Poland, bigger interest in doctoral studies is also observed. Until recently, doctoral student was not perceived as a student.

However, including the doctoral studies in the Bologna Process and defining them as third cycle programmes has resulted in intensified exchange of experiences in this scope by representatives of scientific circles in various countries. The international seminar focusing on the presentation of the latest trends and directions for development of doctoral studies across Europe, which served as a forum for exchange of experiences regarding various models of third cycle studies has turned out to be a great success.The seminar was staged by Polish Bologna Experts; prof.

Jadwiga Mirecka, prof. Maria Ziółek and prof. Andrzej Kraśniewski and featured international speakers who represented EUA.It seems that all participants will remember students’ opinion voiced by President of EURODOC who said that doctoral students should be educated in such a way that the society perceives them as third cycle students or young researchers and not candidates for doctoral degrees.

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Leonardo da Vinci | Seminar

Leonardo da Vinci | Seminar

Leonardo da Vinci | Competition

Leonardo da Vinci | Meeting

New Challenges and Opportunities for Strengthening Polish-German Cooperation in the Erasmus Programme

E-learning in the Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Promoting Innovations in Vocational Education and Training with the Use of Information and Communications Technologies

Contact Seminar LdV - ERA

The LEO – On – LINE – 2010 Competition

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ermany is an important partner to Poland for cooperation in higher education. From the beginning of Poland’s participation in the Erasmus programme (1998), German HEIs hosted the largest number of students and academic staff from Poland and German students and academic staff formed the largest group of incomers to Poland under the Erasmus programme. However, these trends have gradually reversed and Polish and German National Agencies have decided to take action and face students and academic staff with new challenges.

The seminar has been staged to discuss cooperation methods, such as student and staff exchanges, staging intensive programmes, and offering joint degree studies. The seminar has been attended

by German Ambassador to Poland, Polish Deputy Minister for Science and Higher Education and Director of DAAD representation in Poland.

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he thematic seminar devoted to e-learning in Leonardo da Vinci projects was attended by 45 participants. The concept for the meeting was developed during the work on the Leonardo da Vinci bulletin devoted to e-learning. During the seminar, possibilities for promoting e-learning in Vocational Education and Training offered by the LdV programme were discussed.

Projects aimed at teacher and trainer e-learning training and development of methodology and tools were presented.

Moreover, a discussion on the durability of e-learning projects and further use of their results, such as curricula, course programmes, tools and materials, was held. The presentation of original and appealing solutions developed as part of Leonardo da Vinci projects had a double role. On one hand, it contributed to the dissemination of results and extended project sustainability. And on the other hand, it served as a source of inspiration for persons interested in e-learning who would like to apply it in VET projects and were not sure which forms were feasible and acceptable. Learning from others proves very helpful in this scope.

n 13-16 October 2011 a contact seminar entitled European Cooperation between Universities and Enterprises in the VET and HE Field organised by the National Agency of the Leonardo da Vinci and Erasmus Programmes was held in Warsaw.The objective was to develop and strengthen cooperation between Higher Education Institutions and the industry, to create a platform enabling information exchange, making new contacts and initiating partnerships between universities and businesses.The seminar was attended by 86 participants, including guests from 21 European countries.

Most of them came from universities, but there were also representatives of enterprises and other institutions active in the labour market. They established relationships, and came up with ideas for joint projects. Four Higher Education Institutions in Warsaw opened their doors to the participants to discuss the already launched projects and the possibilities of cooperation between HEIs and the industry.Judging from participants’ opinions the meeting was successful and fruitful.

The event’s perfect organisation and amiable atmosphere were especially praised.

A climate enhancing new contact development, as well as organisers’ commitment and professionalism were just as highly valued.

he Leonardo da Vinci National Agency has organised a competition for the most interesting website concerning projects implemented within the Programme.

The competition was addressed to all Programme’s beneficiaries who implemented Mobility, Transfer of Innovation (TOI) or Partnership Projects in the years 2007-2010. The objective was to promote and disseminate the most interesting products of the Leonaro da Vinci projects, especially via the Internet, and to encourage using information and communication technologies.

In the TOI Projects category: 1. The 1st prize – a digital video camera – was awarded to The Management Observatory Foundation from Warsaw for the website www. webcasttolearn.com In the Partnership category: 1. The 1st prize – a digital video camera – was awarded to Vocational School Compound in Wodzisław Śląski for the website www.leonardo.zsz.wodzislaw.pl 2. The 2nd prize – a digital camera – was awarded to gen. Józef Hauke Bosak IT School Compound in Kielce for the website http://switch. zsi.kielce.pl

Two 2nd prizes – digital cameras – were awarded to: • No. 5 Józef Rymer School Compound in Rybnik for the website www.fryzjerzyleonardo.eu • Janina Garść State First Degree Music School in Jelenia Góra for the website www.ldv-psm.jgora.pl Three 3rd prizes – graphics tablets – were awarded to: • No. 1 Upper Secondary School Compound in Chojna for the website www.staze-ldv-chojna.eu • School Compound in Połaniec for the website http://zspolaniec.pl/ldv/ index.php • Technical School Compound in Bytom for the website www.zst.bytom. pl/~leonardo2009

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n 6 December 2010, an informational meeting was held in Warsaw for representatives of institutions interested in submitting for the first time an application for Leonardo da Vinci project under Call 2011. The meeting was attended by 110 prospective beneficiaries of partnership, transfer of innovation and LdV mobility projects. During the meeting, detailed rules for submitting applications under Call 2011 for all types of actions, as well as examples of interesting initiatives taken as part of the programme were presented. Representatives of Związek Rzemiosła Polskiego (Polish Craft Association) talked about Euroapprenticeship project under which a network linking European entities operating in the VET sector, competent authorities and intermediary organisations. The network aims at supporting mobility of vocational students at SMEs and crafts businesses.

During the meeting, award ceremony for laureates of the competition for the most attractive website presenting Leo on-line LdV projects was held.

In the Mobility category: 1. The 1st prize – a digital video camera – was awarded to Municipal Welfare Centre’s Assistance Team for the Disabled and Senior Citizens (SIN) in Gdynia for the website www.doswiadczeniaponadgranicami.pl f O U N D A T I O N

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Grundtvig | Thematic seminar

Grundtvig | Competition

Grundtvig | Meeting

Study Visits | Meetings

Study visits | Mobility

10th Anniversary of the Grundtvig Programme

Education as a Tool for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

Grundtvig Premier League

Informational Meeting (11 and 15 January and 1 March 2010)

New Beneficiaries of the Study Visits Programme – Gorzów Wielkopolski

Polish Study Visit Organisers at an International Seminar in Thessaloniki

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elebrations to sum up the 10 years of Grundtvig programme in Poland were held in congenial atmosphere in Warsaw on 10 December 2010. During the decade of its operations, the programme’s team grew from three to six members and the number of applications submitted each year grew 70 in 2001 to more than 600 in 2010, whereas the programme’s budget grew fourteenfold to reach EUR 2.5m. 110 meeting participants became acquainted with the milestones of Grundtvig’s development.

Good practice examples of adult education projects, which were implemented

by ZIARNO Association, Akademia Pełni Życia in Krakow, Family Support Centre in Lublin and no. 4 School Compound at penal complex in Płock were presented.

Moreover, a short, but moving video presenting the activities of the Circle Polish Association for the Benefit of People with Mental Disability in Szczecin, which support the development of the disabled through artistic creativity was screened.

Also during the meeting, award ceremony of the Grundtvig Premier League competition was held for the following categories: Best Organisation, Best Employee, Best Learner, Best Poster. The ceremony was rounded off with the presentation by Alina Respondek, Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme responsible for the Grundtvig Programme who discussed future plans for the programme. No birthday party can do without a cake, and the event was crowned with a colourful cake with the Grundtvig programme logo on it.For more information and photos, please go to: http://grundtvig.org.pl/ index.php/ida/230/

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n 22 November 2010 at Public Library in Warsaw a thematic seminar was held for the Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci programmes entitled Education as a Tool for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The meeting was attended by 70 persons, majority of them were current or former beneficiaries of the Lifelong Learning Programme implemented projects relating to social exclusion. Seminar organisers presented an offer of their programmes aimed at supporting combat against poverty and social exclusion and emphasised the importance of high quality projects. Meeting participants also learnt about Inclusion thematic networking project where National Agency from Poland acted as a key partner. The seminar started with formulating a definition of social exclusion, describing its circumstances and answering the question whether it is worth fighting it. Another part of the seminar was devoted to the presentation of good practice examples by beneficiaries of Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci programmes. The meeting was rounded off with a discussion panel. Its participants agreed that a quality project should be useful and durable, i.e. its results can be used after project termination. A good project should be based on actual needs of the target group and its success is best reflected in relationship between project partner after its termination. For more information and photos, please go to: http://grundtvig.org. pl/index.php/ida/227

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rundtvig Premier League competition was announced by the National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme in April 2010 to mark the 10th anniversary of Grundtvig operations in Poland.

The competition aimed at showing the benefits of participation in the Grundtvig programme was divided into four categories; Best Organisation, Best Employee, Best Learner, Best Poster.

Competition entries could be sent by individuals and organisations who obtained financing under the Socrates – Grundtvig and the Lifelong Learning Programme – Grundtvig in the years 2000-2010.

The competition award ceremony was held was held on 10 December 2010 in Warsaw during a conference to mark the 10th anniversary of the Grundtvig programme in Poland. The competition results were published on Grundtvig website at: http://grundtvig.org.pl/ index.php/ida/230/

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n 2010, National Agency of the Grundtvig programme staged three informational meetings for representatives of organisations offering education to people who have not completed secondary education, the elderly and the disabled. In particular, they were addressed to representatives of public utility organisations offering adult education services, as these associations were given priority in the Grundtvig programme in 2010, which was the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.

The meetings also focused on representatives of organisations providing adult education in rural and suburban areas. In total, 177 persons attended the informational meetings.

n the initiative of local authorities and Poviat officers in Gorzów Wielkopolski a meeting to promote the Study Visits programme was staged on 11 March 2010. The meeting was addressed to educational institutions operating in the Poviat and was attended by 48 persons; mainly the representatives of primary, lower and upper secondary schools, as well as local HEIs: School of Business, State Vocational School and Collegium Polonicum in Słubice. During the meeting, rules for submitting applications for individual mobilities and advantages of participation in the programme were discussed. Representatives of the National Agency encouraged the staging of study visits and hosting experts from across Europe, especially as many experts from Gorzów participated in study visits abroad and could use the experience to present their respective institutions to guests from abroad. A representative of the Local Methodology Centre gave a very interesting presentation on his study visit entitled Analysis of All Actors in Learning and Teaching Communities in Turkey and emphasised the fact that professional contacts established during the visit were useful in establishing partnerships which implemented other projects as part of the Lifelong Learning Programme. Moreover, Europass documents and information on the Leonardo da Vinci programme were presented during the meeting.

n 25-25 June 2010 an international thematic seminar for study visit organisers was held in Thessaloniki as part of the celebrations of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. The leitmotif of the seminar was promoting active social inclusion of specific groups by participation in study visits.

Nearly 70 study visit organisers from all over Europe were invited to participate in the seminar, among them four representatives of Polish institutions; ”Świat Bajek” Private Pre-school in Piaseczno, School of Health Education in Łódź, Department of Education at Bytom Town Hall and Education Office in Poznań.

Host institutions, representatives of CEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training) and European Commission sought interesting ideas for study visit themes related with counteracting social exclusion. Inspiration can be drawn from good practice examples presented by experienced study visit hosts who successfully staged visits devoted to providing equal opportunities to the disabled and encouraging minorities to active participation in civic society. For seminar materials and photos, please go to: http://studyvisits. cedefop.europa.eu/

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eTwinning | Competition

eTwinning | Anniversary

eTwinning | Conference

eTwinning | Conference

Eurydice | Supporting Education Policy

Eurydice | Europass | Eurodesk

eTwinning European Competition Laureates

5th Anniversary of eTwinning Programme

Pre-school in Educational European Partnerships

European Dimension of Education

EU Information Networks in Poland

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Presenting the European Context During the Meetings of National Expert Team for Professional Status of Teachers

olish eTwinning achieved a great success: five schools from Poland got into the finals of the European competition.

In the Age Category 4-11 the winner was the Colours of Life – Common Story Written by Children project implemented by Ewa Krzak of No. 5 Public Pre-School in Głogów.

In the French Language Category the winner was the Sous le Ciel de la Compréhension project coordinated by Wioletta Sosnowska from of Textile and Trade School Compound in Żagań.

In the Maths and Science Category the winner was the Magic but Real Experiments project implemented by School and Pre-School Compound in Brzeźnica (Małopolska) coordinated by Danuta Tracz.

In the Age Category 4-11 the 2nd prize was awarded to the Uniting through Legend project implemented in Primary School in Rybnik - Kamień Książenice and coordinated by Celina Miszczyk.

Schoolvision 2009! - a project implemented by the No. 1 Primary School in Bogatynia and coordinated by Marek Fularz got to the finals of the Creative Use of Digital Media Category.

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n 18 March 2010 the eTwinning Programme celebrated its fifth birthday with a conference organised in Warsaw, which brought together 365 respectable guests. Representatives of the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, educational institutions, and HEIs, school headmasters and teachers – projects coordinators, and eTwinning activists from every Polish province were all present at the conference.

The conference participants highlighted changes which occurred in the Polish system of education over the past 5 years of eTwinning operations in Poland. They stressed that eTwinning projects are closely related to core curricula and that using ICT technologies in teaching, no matter if it is biology, integrated teaching, history or chemistry class, has become natural. Teachers who have already implemented several eTwinning projects shared their experiences, and shared with other participants their joys and concerns. This interesting meeting ended with an artistic performance by children of a pre-school in Zabrze.

The conference launched a series of events to celebrate the 5th anniversary of eTwinning in Poland staged at schools across Poland.

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ne hundred pre-school teachers from all over Poland participated in a conference on Pre-school in Educational European Partnerships held on 22 October 2010. The lecturers discussed changes in pre-school curriculum, talked about eTwinning objectives and tools. They explained the principles of projects’ implementation and demonstrated new interesting software which has proven useful in the process.

Participants heard also presentations on several pre-school projects awarded in the European and nationwide competitions.

The headmaster of a pre-school in Zabrze told the listeners how eTwinning influenced both the methods of working with children and the preschool’s image in the local community.

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n 5 November 2010 eTwinning organised a conference entitled European Dimension of Education – the Role of the Headmaster in International School Partnerships.

118 headmasters from all over Poland took part in the event, and twice as many had applied to participate! The lecturers highlighted the unquestionable role of headmasters in the process of educational institutions entering European collaboration. They were trying to convince that knowledge of foreign education systems, making acquaintances with teachers and headmasters throughout Europe and exchange of experiences constitute an added value of our education system.

Participants heard lectures on leadership in education, changes in the curriculum, according to which pupils should work within educational projects.

The meeting provided information on eTwinning objectives and principles of activities in the Programme, as well as on tools offered on the eTwinning website. There were also presentations of good practice examples.

The evaluation survey results show that the conference met the participants’ expectations. That is why we would like to organise a similar event next year.

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n March 2010, Katarzyna Hall, Minister of Education appointed a National Expert Team for Professional Status of Teachers, which over eight months discussed the trends and directions of work on the document to regulate the status of teachers in Poland. The team was composed of representatives of local authorities, state government, trade unions, social partners, as well as educational and academic circles. FRSE was represented by its General Director. Moreover, head of the Eurydice Unit in Poland attended majority of meetings held in 2010 in order to present the European context of the problem under discussion. During several meetings, she presented to team members specific legal solutions adopted in other European countries. Based on information collected from Eurydice databases and reports, she talked about: Professional status of teachers in Europe (27 May 2010), Promotion of teachers in Europe based on the example of England, Austria, Bulgaria, Portugal and Latvia (23 June 2010), School headmasters in Europe (21 July 2010), and Teacher’s working time in Europe (4 October 2010). The relevant presentations are available on the websites of the Ministry of Education and FRSE / Eurydice.

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n 16-17 November 2010 Centre for Europe at the University of Warsaw in cooperation with Representation of the European Commission in Poland, European Consumer Centre in Poland and European Information Studio at the Institute of Information and Book Studies of the University of Warsaw organized at the old library building a conference entitled EU Information Networks in Poland. The conference featured presentations of information centres of EU institutions representations in Poland, EU networks operating on behalf of European citizens, consumers, entrepreneurs, as well as information networks supporting employment and career counselling, as well as information networks supporting education sector and these informing about EU programmes.

During the session devoted to the latter representative of Polish Eurydice Unit presented the operations of the European Eurydice Network of Information on Education Systems and Polices in Europe as well as tasks and initiatives of the Polish unit. Later, a representative of Polish Europass Centre presented the concept behind Europass documents and operations of National Europass Centres across the EU, with placing special emphasis on responsibilities of the Europass Centre in Poland. During the next session, entitled Networks providing information about EU programmes, Eurodesk coordinator presented the activities of Eurodesk network in Europe and in Poland.

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Eurydice | Integration of Immigrants

ELL | Integration of Immigrants

ELL | Seminar

ELL | Event

Participation in the Works of National Platform for Immigrants’ Integration in Poland

Forming the Team for Language Education

A Series of Information Seminars for Language Teachers

European Day of Languages

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epresentatives of Polish Eurydice Unit were invited to participate in the National Platform for Immigrants’ Integration, which was launched as a part of the Cooperation for Integration project co-funded by European Fund for the Integration of Third Country Nationals. The project has been implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

The platform aims to enable and enhance the exchange of information about practice and experience in integrating immigrants into Polish society.

Within the platform’s activity a seminar entitled Immigrants at Polish Schools.

Challenges for Polish Migration and Integration Policy was held in Warsaw on 8 October 2010. The meeting focused on the changes in Polish education law and on preparing Polish schools for accepting and educating foreign children.

In one of the panels a Eurydice representative spoke of European solutions for integration of immigrants’ children at schools. The presentation was based on the Network’s recent study on the issue.

The meeting was attended by numerous representatives of public administration – mainly schools and education offices, as well as activists from the non-government sector – immigrants’ associations and academic circles. Participants eagerly exercised the opportunity to question administration officials and broaden their knowledge on new Polish regulations

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n 26 February 2010 at the Foundation for the Development of the Education System representatives of academic circles, ministries and the European Commission met with independent language experts and specialists of national culture institutes. This is how an Expert Team for Language Education was formed. This body shall promote and enhance introducing innovative language teaching methods and tools with regard to characteristics and special needs of different age, social and professional groups.

Subsequent team meetings were held in April, June and September.

The Team set forth following aims of its activity: • to analyse European education programmes which promote the idea of multilingualism and to outline recommendations thanks to which the opportunities for improving linguistic competencies provided by these programmes could be betterused; • to summarise the advantages of Polish educational institutions’ and teachers’ participation in the Lifelong Learning Programme; • to point out priorities of language education in Poland and to define types of activities within European educational programmes which promote foreign language teaching; • to develop a new formula for the European Language Label competition; • to provide expert support for European Day of Languages and for activities promoting the teaching and perfecting language skills during Polish EU Presidency; • to develop a concept for the 10th anniversary of the ELL Programme in Poland celebrations in 2011.

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he European Language Label team in cooperation with Department of Education at Warsaw City Hall, Centre for Education Development (ORE) and Warsaw Centre for Educational and Social Innovations and Training (WCIES) organised a series of seminars on foreign language teaching.

The meetings aimed at encouraging participants to enter European education programmes, such as European Language Label, Europass, Comenius – Mobility and eTwinning. Another objective was to give ORE representatives an opportunity to present the language portfolio and materials for language teaching prepared by the methodology experts from the British Council. During the meetings in-service language teacher training offer prepared by Warsaw Centre for Educational and Social Innovations and Training was presented.

Three workshops took place in 2010.

Foundation for the Development of the Education System hosted the first two meetings, which were addressed to English language teachers, held on 13 and 20 May. These seminars were attended by nearly 60 participants and proved the need for organising such events also for teachers of other languages. Therefore, the third meeting attended by 120 language teachers was held in the Centre for Education Development on November 15.

The seminars enjoyed great interest.

The information and materials presented met the participants’ expectations and served as inspiration for their teaching activity. The workshops showed that such trainings are much needed in 2011 not only for teachers in the capital, but also throughout Poland.

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uropean Day of Languages (EDL) was set up by the Council of Europe in 2001 and has been celebrated on 26 September to promote language learning and cultural heritage of Europe. The motto of European Day of Languages in 2010; Languages Integrate, referred to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion and emphasised communication needs of groups with special educational needs, such as people with hearing impairments.

The celebrations of European Day of Languages 2010 were held under the honorary patronage of Katarzyna Hall, Minister of National Education, professor Barbara Kudrycka, Minister of Science and Higher Education, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw, and professor Katarzyna Chałasińska-Macukow, Rector of the University of Warsaw.

EDL 2010 celebrations lasted the whole week, their major highlights being a city game and a conference entitled Intercultural Communication: Languages Integrate. The EDL started with festival of films in their original language versions at RONIK and Museum of Ethnography, which attracted thousands of residents of Warsaw. The festival featured 20 films representing, among others, cinematography of Greece, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Estonia and Russia.

On 25 September 2010, in the Powiśle and Mariensztat District of Warsaw, a city game entitled Star Letters was played by 100 participants. Representation of European Commission in Poland was a co-organised of the game, which aimed at completing a space probe composed of 12 elements, i.e. a multimedia messages on linguistic and cultural heritage of Europe. In order to grasp

each element of the probe, you had to communicate with game organizers in their mother tongues. In case of difficulties, you could use the assistance of ‘adrift’ foreigners or interpreters or refer to a phrase book. The main prize for the winners was a free language course at an institute of culture.

On 27 September, at the Centre for Foreign Language Teaching of the University of Warsaw, 46 workshops and exemplary lessons were staged during which languages from all over the world were taught. They were attended by more than 1,300 participants. Such exotic languages as Japanese and Armenian as well as Danish and Romanian were extremely popular.

Workshop participants could obtain thorough information on European programmes and initiatives in the field of education: ELL, Europass, Comenius Mobility, and eTwinning. Stands of institutes of culture and languages, as well as FRSE and EC were besieged by persons willing to obtain brochures, cartoons and gadgets.

The workshops at UW campus were accompanied by performances of youth dance and song groups, which presented cultural heritage of countries of Europe and the globe. Among the young artists were laureates of ELL competition and beneficiaries of the Comenius programme.

The main highlight of the celebrations was the conference entitled Intercultural Communication: Languages Integrate held on 27 September 2010 in the lecture theatre of the UW Old Library Building attended and by 400 participants. Speakers at the conference included representatives of FRSE,

European Commission, institutes of culture, Warsaw City Hall and Ministry of National Education.

Foundation for the Development of the Education System organized the celebrations of EDL 2010 in cooperation with the following institutions: European Union National Institutions of Culture (EUNIC in Warsaw), European Commission – Representation in Poland, University of Warsaw, Department of Education at Warsaw City Hall, State Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw, Embassy of Republic of Estonia in Warsaw, Embassy of Greece in Warsaw, Embassy of Ireland in Warsaw, Embassy of Belgium – Délégation des Gouvernements de la Communauté française de Belgique, de la Région wallonne et de la Commission communautaire française de Bruxelles, British Council in Warsaw, Danish Cultural Institute in Warsaw, Goethe-Institut in Warsaw, Instituto Camões in Warsaw, Institut Français in Warsaw, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Varsavia, Österreich Institut in Warsaw, Romanian Culture Institute, Russian Science and Culture Centre, Public Library for the Praga Południe District of Warsaw, Centre for Education Development (ORE), and State Commission for the Certification of Proficiency in Polish as a Foreign Language.

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Good practice database

Dissemination and Exploitation of Results in the

At http://waloryzacja.llp.org.pl you can find a database where good practice examples are uploaded in a unified format. Thanks to userfriendly browser, you can search for projects according to programmes and themes.

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he National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme in Poland encourages the best use of results, innovative products and processes, and the exchange of good practices in the fields covered by the Programme with a view to improving the quality of education and training, pursuant to art. 1 par. 3 of the Decision establishing the Programme. It is worth reminding that dissemination and exploitation of programme results is a planned process of enhancing the value of results achieved within projects and programmes, their active exploitation and introduction into policy and practice on a local, regional, national and European level.

As part of the dissemination and exploitation of the Lifelong Learning Programme results the Foundation for the Development of the Education System, which acts as its National Agency in Poland, since 2007 has organised cyclical thematic conferences to present good practice examples of projects implemented under the Programme. The subject matter of many of these is related to key competencies and themes of European Years annually proclaimed by the European Parliament and the Council. These activities illustrate cooperation between individual sub-programmes and show the possibilities offered by the programme as a whole.

Thematic booklets are prepared for conferences with a view to disseminate and exploit valuable programme results and in order to ensure the sustainability of best practice examples.

Thematic Conferences in 2010 With reference to the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion on 25 May 2010 the Foundation for the Development of the Education System organised in Warsaw a conference entitled Enhancing Educational Opportunities by Implementing Projects under the Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action Programme.

Can better education help to prevent poverty and social exclusion? How educational programmes and initiatives of the European Union support people at risk of poverty and being marginalised? Invited experts and conference participants discussed these

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challenges and presented opportunities offered by European programmes in the context of working with marginalised groups; children, youth, the disabled, and senior citizens. Project coordinators presented good practice examples.

Apart from organising and staging the conference, the Team for the Dissemination and Exploitation of the Lifelong Learning Programme Results (Pol. ZUiWR) has published thematic booklet entitled Enhancing Educational Opportunities by Implementing European Cooperation Projects.

In cooperation with Centre for Education Development, ZUiWR has organised a conference entitled Developing Mathematical Competencies and Basic Competencies in Science and Technology in European Cooperation Projects, which was held on 14 December 2010 in Warsaw.

The conference was attended by representatives of educational authorities, HEIs and other educational institutions, local authorities, school headmasters and teachers. During the conference, interesting lectures on the strategy for the development of education in Poland were presented along with the latest findings of PISA survey. Discussion panels devoted to the need for developing mathematical, scientific and technical competencies from the point of view of general, higher and vocational education were also staged during the conference. Individual project results and opportunities for the development of key competencies offered by the Lifelong Learning Programme were presented.

Thematic booklet entitled Developing Mathematical Competencies and Basic Competencies in Science and Technology in European Cooperation Projects was published for the conference to present good practice examples in this scope.

Dissemination and Exploitation of Centralised Projects’ Results Dissemination and exploitation of the Lifelong Learning Programme’s results is not only about decentralised projects managed by National Agencies T H E

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in individual countries, but also focuses on centralised projects supervised by the EACEA Executive Agency in Brussels.

For this purpose, on 23 November 2010 ZUiWR organised in Warsaw a seminar devoted to the dissemination and exploitation of results of centralised projects implemented by Polish institutions.

The seminar was attended by project coordinators and a representative of EACEA who talked about the role of the Executive Agency and these played

by National Agencies. He emphasised the need for closer cooperation and synergy of operations.

During the discussion, the need for comprehensive, transparent and easily accessible information on projects implemented by Polish institutions was underlined. It was agreed that synergies between centralised and decentralised projects should be improved. National Agency offered to establish a gallery of centralised projects on FRSE website, in the http://waloryzacja.llp.org.pl tab, where beneficiaries could upload information on their projects.

A Special Valorisation Tab on the Website of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System In order to disseminate programme results on a broad scale, a special valorisation tab on the website of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System has been further developed at http://waloryzacja.llp.org.pl.

The tab features, inter alia, all thematic booklets in electronic form, studies, reports and presentations on programme dissemination and exploitation issues, as well as descriptions of conferences and seminars with lecture summaries. At the website you can also find the English version of the LLP Report 2010 (in the form of an e-book).

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73 Each year, the European Commission announces calls for National Agencies of the Lifelong Learning Programme as part of thematic networking designed to answer major questions concerning the challenges related to the implementation of the lifelong learning concept.

Thematic networking projects are implemented by all National Agencies across Europe.

Foundation for the Development of the Education System – the National Agency of the Lifelong

Thematic Networking

Learning Programme in Poland participates as a strategic or supporting partner in many of these projects.

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ITY-M - CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE AND TRANSFERABLE METHODS IN THE TRAINING OF TEACHERS AND TRAINING STAFF The project implemented over a period of two years (2010-2011), funded and supervised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Education and Culture aims at enhancing accessibility and exploitation of LLP sub-programmes’ results, especially these of Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig projects. It focuses on presenting good practices, which may shape teacher training and in-service training policy on national and European level. The CITY-M project is implemented by 13 National Agencies of the Lifelong Learning Programme in 12 countries.

NA in Poland cooperates with its counterparts in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Great Britain (Ecotec and British Council). The project is coordinated by AN PCDE FP, a Romanian National Agency.

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In 2010, following partner meetings in Madrid and Cologne, project assessment criteria have been developed and an inventory of projects implemented in all countries implementing LLP has been made in order to determine whether they meet the criterion of innovativeness and creativity in teacher training. An Internet survey on the use of creative, innovative, and transferable methods has been staged. Survey results are posted on the project website.

In 2011, in the second year of project implementation, three thematic seminars are to be staged in Poland, Sweden and Great Britain in order to enhance the dissemination of selected projects and their results, discuss the most effective methods of project result streamlining, and propose improvements in teacher training with reference to experts, decision makers and partners. The final project conference to present its results will be staged in December 2011 in Romania.

The forecasted project result will consist in a kit describing selected best practices in Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig programmes. The kit will

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tion, such as the elderly, unemployed, persons returning to the labour market, including women, groups in regions at risk of unemployment, the disabled and immigrants.

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feature creative, innovative and transferable methods for education and training of teachers and training staff. It will be accompanied by a report detailing lessons to be learnt and recommendations concerning a better integration of project results into policy development. Project documents will be printed in English, German and French, and other language versions will be published online at http://www.city-m.eu.

INCLUSION - SUPPORTING THE PARTICIPATION OF UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS IN THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME FRSE, acting as the National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme participates as a key partner in the INCLUSION project coordinated by ECOTEC; the National Agency of Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig and Transversal Programme in Great Britain. The project is implemented by National Agencies from the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Finland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Turkey.

The project lasts three years and is implemented from 1 December 2009 to 30 November 2012.

The INCLUSION project aims to discover to what extent the Lifelong Learning Programme succeeds in embracing and including in the lifelong learning process disadvantaged / under-represented groups and these at risk of social and professional marginalisaf O U N D A T I O N

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The project is implemented in stages and includes: • analysing the definition of ‘under-represented groups’ in project partner countries; • examining the efficiency of the Lifelong Learning Programme in including disadvantaged / underrepresented groups; • developing recommendations for the European Commission, Executive Agency and National Agencies concerning greater participation of disadvantaged / under-represented groups in the Lifelong Learning Programme.

Main project results include: • a synthesis report on the level of participation of disadvantaged / under-represented groups in the Lifelong Learning Programme. Foundation for the Development of the Education System is responsible for the preparation of the report; • a report presenting the current surveys/studies on the topic; • a compendium of 150 projects classified as good practice examples in the scope of inclusion of disadvantaged / under-represented groups; • a report for the European Commission, Executive Agency and National Agencies presenting recommendations on greater participation in the programme of disadvantaged / under-represented groups; • project website: http://www.llpinclusion.eu/ • two thematic seminars held in June 2010 and 2011.

• project closing conference in July 2012.

NET ECVET: WORKING TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT ECVET Project Partners are National Agencies of the Lifelong Learning Programme in: Austria, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Denmark, T H E

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Germany, Norway, France, Great Britain, Romania.

NA in Germany coordinates the project.

The project aims at making an inventory of results, methods, and instruments developed under LLP projects related to the implementation and testing of ECVET system. As part of the thematic networking project several initiatives aimed at dissemination of project results and products related to the use of ECVET and dissemination of knowledge on ECVET in vocational education and training circles have been implemented in partner countries.

The following results will be developed under the project: • expanding the ADAM Projects and Products Portal for LdV with projects related to ECVET and uploading key products there; • ECVET interactive Internet platform; • interactive guide on ECVET design; • training materials for trainers on the implementation of ECVET; • four regional workshops on defining and describing learning outcomes and evaluation of learning outcomes units; • final project conference on practical use of ECVET.

project partners include 14 National Agencies of the programme seated in Germany, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Island, Czech Republic, Ireland, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Belgium – German Speaking Community, Luxembourg) and three supporting institutions; NA in Poland and Hungary, as well as EACEA Executive Agency.

The project focuses on Leonardo da Vinci and Grundtvig programmes and covers centralised and decentralised projects.

More information on the project can be found on its website at: www.qalll.eu The QALLL project responds to challenges related to quality assurance in educational activity. Project participants aim to disseminate good practices and tools for assuring quality in lifelong learning. They will develop recommendations for beneficiaries of the Lifelong Learning Programme and national authorities. The project also focuses on defining quality assurance priorities, which could be observed in the next generation European educational programmes.

The project is implemented from 2010 to 2012.

The project is addressed to national experts, authorities, and beneficiaries of educational projects implemented under LLP who deal with implementation and dissemination of ECVET. Therefore its target group encompasses decision makers and stakeholders affected by organisational and contentrelated changes in VET system and also by the modernisation of system of vocational qualification certification.

The project is implemented from 1 December 2010 to 30 November 2013.

QALLL THEMATIC NETWORK - QUALITY ASSURANCE IN LIFELONG LEARNING WITH A FOCUS ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND ADULT EDUCATION The National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme in Austria is the project coordinator; R eport

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Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji (FRSE) jest fundacją Skarbu Państwa. Jej głównym celem jest szeroko pojmowane wspieranie działań na rzecz rozwoju edukacji w Polsce. FRSE realizuje swój cel poprzez koordynację programów edukacyjnych „Uczenie się przez całe życie” i „Młodzież w działaniu”, pełniąc rolę Narodowej Agencji tych programów. Prowadzi Krajowe Punkty Kontaktowe ds. programów UE: Erasmus Mundus i Tempus, Krajowe Biuro Programu Eurodesk oraz Centrum Współpracy z Europą Wschodnią i Krajami Kaukazu SALTO EECA, ponadto realizuje w Polsce inicjatywę wspólnotową European Language Label oraz program eTwinning.

Przy Fundacji działa również Polskie Biuro Eurydice – sieć informacji o edukacji w państwach europejskich. Od 2007 r. Fundacja prowadzi także Polsko-Litewski Fundusz Wymiany Młodzieży, a od 2008 r. – Fundusz Stypendialny i Szkoleniowy (współpraca z krajami EFTA-EOG – Islandią, Lichtensteinem i Norwegią) oraz Fundusz Stypendialny Sciex-NMSch (współpraca ze Szwajcarią).

Educational Leadership in Theory and Practice

PRZYWÓDZTWO EDUKACYJNE W TEORII I PRAKTYCE

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Guide for Mentors of Placements Abroad under the Erasmus Programme

Program Erasmus

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REDAKCJA NAUKOWA STEFAN M. KWIATKOWSKI JOANNA M. MICHALAK

This is a joint work published in cooperation with the Faculty of Management at the University of Łódź. Edited by prof.

Stefan M. Kwiatkowski and prof. Joanna M. Michalak, the publication is devoted to theoretical and practical implications of leadership in education, both in school and out-of-school environment.

Divided into three chapters, it features articles by outstanding teachers, sociologists, and management experts. The last chapter is concluded with an article

by Anna Atłas, Director of the Lifelong Learning Programme in Poland, which describes how the programme supports education leaders.

organizowanych w programie Erasmus

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raport 2009 • Raport 2009 etwinning Raport 2009 • European Language Label • Eurydice • Europass

Narodowa Agencja Programu „Uczenie się przez całe życie” Program Erasmus ul. Mokotowska 43 00-551 Warszawa www.frse.org.pl www.erasmus.org.pl ISBN: 978-83-60058-78-7

Universitätswörterbuch Deutsch-Polnisch Słownik uniwersytecki niemiecko-polski

comenius • erasmus • Leonardo da Vinci • Grundtvig • wizyty Studyjne •

Fundacja Rozwoju SyStemu edukacji waRSzawa 2010

ing Programme in Poland – Report 2009 presents the most important areas of the Foundation for the Development of the Education System’s activity over the past year. Good practices presented in the report show that the programme offers institutions vast opportunities for internationalisation of operations and improvement of educational offer.

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The guide is addressed to HEI staff responsible for organising Erasmus placements abroad. It presents the role and importance of placements in shaping of competencies (practical use of knowledge and skills) useful in the labour market. It describes qualities and competencies to be displayed by a placement mentor, and discusses practical aspects, such as principles for organising placements in the Erasmus programme, required documents, and funding.

• Agnieszka Błażek • Aleka Rapti • Burkhard Schaeder •

Unilex. Uni-

U N I L E X versity GerUniversitätswörterbuch Deutsch-Polnisch Słownik uniwersytecki niemiecko-polski

Erasmus in Poland in the Academic Year 2008/2009

The annual Erasmus in Poland report presents results of the Erasmus programme in Poland. It describes the activity of Polish universities and presents an inventory of statistical data from the countries participating in the programme for academic year 2008/09. The data has been compiled from final reports from the implementation of decentralised Erasmus actions submitted by HEIs to the National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme and statistics published by the European Commission based on reports presented by individual countries participating in the programme. The publication features comparisons of data, graphs and students’ accounts.

Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji Warszawa 2010

ISSN: 1734-9427

poradnik ERASMUS.indd OK1-OK2

raport 2009 Raport 2009 Raport 2009

w roku akademickim 2008/09

Narodowa Agencja Programu „Uczenie się przez całe życie” ul. Mokotowska 43 00-551 Warszawa www.frse.org.pl www.erasmus.org.pl

PORADNIK dla opiekunów praktyk zagranicznych

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rasmus Leonardo Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo da VinciGrundtvig Comenius Eurydice The Lifelong da Vinci Comenius Eurydice uropass European Language Europass European Language Label eTwinning Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo Label eTwinning Learning daVinci Comenius Eurydice Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo Europass European Language da Vinci Comenius Eurydice da Vinci Comenius Eurydice Label eTwinning Europass European Language Europass European Language Programme Label eTwinning Label eTwinning Uczenie się Przez całe życie Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo in Poland – asmus Grundtvig Leonardo da Vinci Comenius Eurydice aropass VinciErasmus Comenius Eurydice Grundtvig Leonardo Europass European Language European Language da VinciLabel Comenius Eurydice eTwinning Report 2009 Label eTwinning Erasmus Grundtvig Leonardo Europass European Language asmus Grundtvig Leonardo da Vinci Comenius Eurydice Label eTwinning aropass VinciComenius Eurydice Europass European Language European Language Label eTwinning Label eTwinning The Lifelong Learn-

Erasmus w Polsce

man-Polish Dictionary

Unilex. University German-Polish Dictionary is a dictionary featuring specialist vocabulary in German and Polish concerning international mobility and cooperation between HEIs. It is addressed to Polish students learning German and these planning or staging mobility at a HEI in Germany.

The publication aims at making phrases used in spoken and written language in the context of studying in Germany comprehensible to all.

Fundacja Rozwoju Systemu Edukacji Warszawa 2010

D E V E L O P M E N T

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E D U C A T I O N A L

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This is the third, amended and updated edition of English-Polish and Polish-English Glossary of Terms Used in European Cooperation Programmes in the Field of Education published for the first time in 1997. Just like the two previous editions, the glossary is addressed to educational institutions and individuals participating or intending to participate in EU programmes and other international projects and initiatives in the field of education.

The publication features more than 4,000 entries and headwords relating to European cooperation in the field of education; current initiatives and processes in the scope of European / EU education; major EU educational programmes under which you can obtain funds for international cooperation, prepare for, implement, monitor and assess projects funded under EU programmes in the field of education; major international institutions operating in the education sector.

Programy wspierające międzynarodową współpracę szkół wyższych

Programmes Promoting International Cooperation of HEIs

The 16-page booklet briefly describes selected international cooperation programmes addressed to European HEIs, including the Lifelong Learning Programme (Erasmus, Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig, Jean Monnet), Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Atlantis Programme for EU-USA Cooperation, UE-Canada Cooperation Programme, Programme for cooperation in education with industrialised countries (UE-Australia, UE-Japan, UE-Korea, UENew Zealand), Scholarship and Training Fund (STF – cooperation with EFTAEEA countries: Island, Norway, Liechtenstein) and Sciex-NMSch fellowships (scientific cooperation with Switzerland).

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projektów programu Leonardo da Vinci

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Kobiety Pracownicy 50+ wyzwania i szanse na rynku pracy

Szanse, korzyÊci, rozwój Program Leonardo da Vinci dla szkó∏ wy˝szych

Chances, Benefits, Development.

Series

Two new booklets have been published in the series. The publications addressed to HEIs and public administration agencies provide examples of the most interesting projects implemented by selected groups of entities and quote accounts by project coordinators and participants.

The booklets present benefits that future beneficiaries can reap from implementing Leonardo da Vinci projects. They aim to encourage future project participants to take similar actions. So far the booklets have been published for: • employers, their unions and associations, • non-governmental organisations, • establishments for teacher training and development, • teachers.

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Compendium of Projects of the Leonardo da Vinci Programme 2010

The compendium describes the projects accepted for implementation within the Leonardo da Vinci Call 2010. It is a mine of information on institutions implementing the projects and their partners abroad. It features comparisons of statistical data and indexes.

ISSN 1898-9365

English-Polish and PolishEnglish Glossary of Terms Used in European Cooperation Programmes in the Field of Education Broszura OK1-OK2

PRZYWÓDZTWO EDUKACYJNE W TEORII I PRAKTYCE

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R ECOMMENDED PUBLIC ATIONS REDAKCJA NAUKOWA STEFAN M. KWIATKOWSKI JOANNA M. MICHALAK

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Employees 50+ / Women.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Labour Market

Elder employees and women are groups that are especially vulnerable for discrimination in the labour market.

The next in the series bulletin of the Leonardo da Vinci programme presents results of actions aimed at counteracting the problem. It presents tips on how to face challenges of the current era, such avoiding being trampled by galloping technology, and age management. The publication also describes methods for strengthening women’s position in the labour market, which have been welltried in Leonardo da Vinci projects.

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Placements in Enterprises

Program eTwinning rejestracja i narzędzia – krok po kroku

przewodnik

The latest bulletin of the Leonardo da Vinci programme presents Sta˝e w przedsi´biorstwach experiences gathered over several years of implementing the programme related to educational mobility and the organisation of placements in enterprises.

Apart from articles discussing specific problems, you can find there examples of best placements, accounts by placement coordinators and their participants.

Report on the evaluation of pilot placement projects for individual beneficiaries staged at enterprises abroad presents very interesting findings on the mobility of young people.

eTwinning Programme.

Registration and Tools – Step by Step Guide

The publication entitled eTwinning Programme. Registration and Tools – Step by Step Guide presents a detailed description of processes used to register schools, individual teachers, and projects, as well as tools used when searching for project partners; Desktop, conducting cooperation and collecting developed materials; TwinSpace and Project Log. Numerous print screens illustrate and provide step by step guidance through all functionalities of the Pulpit (private working space of a registered user).

The guide also features basic information on the Programme and Glossary of basic terms. The publication is posted in the form of an e-book on the national portal of the eTwinning programme at: www.etwinning.pl.

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Winning eTwinning Projects – 2010 The publication presents the most interesting projects selected by the jury in order to inspire and encourage teachers and students to avail of fascinating opportunities offered by the eTwinning programme. It features detailed descriptions of 21 projects; laureates of Our eTwinning Project Poland-wide competition 2010, and thematic eTwinning competitions relating to school library, Maths and Science teachers, and languages.

Focus on Higher Education in EU 2010: The impact of the Bologna Process The report presents an overview of the first decade of Bologna reforms. Apart from comparative analyses presenting the reform outcomes, it features descriptions of higher education systems in individual European countries in the form of diagrams and tables with key information.

The report shows that majority of goals have been achieved in the first decade of reform implementation. However, countries participating in the process should act more swiftly on behalf of encouraging marginalised group and adults to participate in higher education. Efforts aimed at promotion of student mobility should also be intensified, and mobility should become a priority for European higher education area.

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Gender Differences in Educational Outcomes: study on the measures taken and current situation in Europe

New Skills for New Jobs.

Policy initiatives in the field of education: Short overview ofE the current situation in Europe

Why is it so that majority of teachers at schools are women but it is men who manage the systems of education? Why do girls outperform boys and boys more often drop out from school or repeat a class?

The first publication of Eurydice Network devoted to gender equality at schools in Europe tackles these and other problems.

The report shows that gender is still an important factor affecting the selection of study programmes in higher education and school attainment. It proves that counteracting stereotypes is the most serious challenge for gender equality in education. The report presents information collected and analysed by Eurydice. Individual Eurydice units in 29 countries (all UE member states except for Bulgaria, plus Liechtenstein, Island and Norway) worked on the report.

There are 23 million unemployed in the European Union, which means that 10% of people of working age are out of job. On one hand, the situation may have serious repercussions for economic growth and welfare systems in Europe, and on the other employers complain about difficulties with finding workers, especially highly qualified ones.

The report prepared by Eurydice constitutes an input for the European Commission’s ‘New Skills for New Jobs’ initiative.

The network collected data from its 24 member states and presented an overview of national initiatives in the area of forecasting skills required in the labour market and using these forecasts in education and training systems.

Education on Online Safety in Schools in Europe Summary Report

New Skills for New Jobs

Policy initiatives in the field of education: Short overview of the current situation in Europe

November 2010

European Commission

THE SYSTEM OF EDUCATION IN

The report was compiled with reference to the European Commission’s Safer Internet Programme focused on the promotion of safer and more responsible use of the Internet and communications technologies by the young people. The report summarises information provided by 30 countries of Eurydice network and seeks to identify how national education systems approach online safety issues faced by children and what children learn about Online Safety at school.

December 2009

Przykłady dobrej Praktyki w Programie „Uczenie się Przez całe życie”

warszawa 2010

This thematic booklet was prepared as a material for the conference of the same title organised by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System and Centre for Education on 14 December 2010 in Warsaw. It is another in a series of thematic booklets aiming at presenting good practice examples of LLP projects.

The booklet features projects that develop mathematical competencies, which include the ability to develop and use mathematical thinking in order to solve every day problems. The publication also presents projects that promote scientific competencies, which relate to the ability and willingness to employ existing knowledge and methodology to explain the natural world phenomena, formulate questions and made conclusions based on proofs, as well as projects that develop technical competencies.

Enhancing Educational Opportunities by Implementing European Cooperation Projects ZwięksZanie sZans edukacyjnych poprZeZ realiZację projektów współpracy europejskiej prZykłady dobrej praktyki w programach „ucZenie się prZeZ całe życie” i „młodZież w dZiałaniu”

warsZawa 2010

This thematic booklet presents a selection of good practice examples in projects implemented both in the Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action programme, which are supervised by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System.

The booklet in a Good Practice series is devoted to enhancing educational opportunities in order to prevent poverty and social exclusion thanks to the implementation of EU programmes. The publication was published for the conference organised by the Foundation for the Development of the Education System on 25 May 2010 in Warsaw as part of the celebrations of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, pursuant to the Decision of European Parliament and the Council on the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 2010.

POLAND

Polish Eurydice Unit Mokotowska 43 00-551 Warszawa www.frse.org.pl www.eurydice.org.pl

ISBN: 978-83-60058-85-5

Education on Online Safety in Schools in Europe

The System of Education in Poland

Developing Mathematical Competencies and Basic Competencies in Science and Technology in European Cooperation Projects rozwIJanie komPetencji matematycznycH i PodstawowycH komPetencji naUkowycH i tecHnicznycH w ProjektacH wsPÓłPracy eUroPejskiej

The System of Education in Poland is an updated version of a popular booklet describing Polish system of education in English, which features revamped layout.

WARSAW 2010

European Commission

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The Lifelong Learning Programme is implemented to a great extent in the world of modern technologies. The combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate for applying IT

Title THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME IN POLAND – REPORT 2010

technologies is defined as key IT competences. They include the necessary skills for searching for, collecting and processing information posted on the websites and its use in a critical and systematic way.

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Links to websites administered by the Foundation for Development of the Education System The Foundation for the Development of the Education System administers several websites. Moreover, those interested in the programme can access many useful links. Below we recommend websites providing exhaustive information complementing this included in the report, which is recommended for becoming acquainted with the concept of lifelong learning. This additional information certainly provides new perspectives, stimulates creativity in the implementation of original projects, and facilitates the exchange of experience.

Foundation for the Development of the Education System

http://www.frse.org.pl

Youth in Action Programme

http://mlodziez.org.pl

Lifelong Learning Programme

http://www.llp.org.pl

Comenius Programme

http://www.comenius.org.pl

Erasmus Programme

http://www.erasmus.org.pl

Leonardo da Vinci Programme Grundtvig Programme

http://leonardo.org.pl http://www.grundtvig.org.pl

eTwinning Programme

http://etwinning.pl

European Language Label

http://www.ell.org.pl

EUROPASS

http://www.europass.org.pl

EURYDICE – European Education Information Network

http://www.eurydice.org.pl

Preparatory Visits European Year of Creativity and Innovation in Poland

Editors Tadeusz Wojciechowski Ewa Kolasińska, Ewa Koźbiał This report has been compiled in cooperation with teams of the following programmes: Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig, Study Visits, eTwinning, European Language Label, Europass, Eurydice Graphic and Technical Editor Weronika Walasek Graphic design, typesetting and formatting Michał Gołaś, Waldemar Koralewski Print OFICYNA DRUKARSKA Jacek Chmielewski http://www.oficyna-drukarska.pl/ Publisher Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) National Agency for the Lifelong Learning Programme ul. Mokotowska 43 00-551 Warszawa e-mail: kontakt@frse.org.pl www.frse.org.pl www.llp.org.pl

http://www.pv.org.pl http://innowacje2009.pl

Dissemination and Exploitation of Results in the Lifelong Learning Programme in Poland i

Editor in Chief Krzysztof Szwałek

http://waloryzacja.llp.org.pl

Useful links:

Ministry of National Education

http://www.men.gov.pl

Ministry of Science and Higher Education

http://www.mnisw.gov.pl

The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu

The European Commission (Educational programmes)

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture

The official website of the Bologna Process

http://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna

CCEDEFOP (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training)

http://www.cedefop.europa.eu

Europa – The official website of the European Union

http://europa.eu

CThe European Information Centre of the Office of the Committee for European Integration The Bureau for Academic Recognition and International Exchange

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http://www.cie.gov.pl http://www.buwiwm.edu.pl

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ISBN 978-83-62634-30-9 The publication has been funded with the support from the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning Programme.

The European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.

Free copy

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The Foundation for the Development of the Education System National Agency of the Lifelong Learning Programme ul. Mokotowska 43 00-551 Warszawa kontakt@frse.org.pl www.frse.org.pl | www.llp.org.pl ISBN 978-83-62634-30-9

L a n g u a g e

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The Foundation for the Development of the Education System is a State Treasury foundation, whose main goal is providing wide support for actions aimed at the development of the education system in Poland. The Foundation achieves this goal by managing European Union educational programmes and other international programmes in the field of education.

The Foundation coordinates the Lifelong Learning Programme and Youth in Action programme. It also supervises National Contact Points for the European Union’s Programmes: Erasmus Mundus and Tempus, as well as the National Bureau of the Eurodesk programme and the SALTO EECA Eastern Europe and Caucasus Resource Centre. The Foundation also implements the European Union’s European Language Label initiative and eTwinning action in Poland. The Polish Unit of Eurydice, an Information Network on Education in Europe, operates at the Foundation. Since 2007 the Foundation has coordinated the PolishLithuanian Youth Exchange Fund, and - since 2008 - the Scholarship and Training Fund (in cooperation with EEA countries; Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the Sciex-NMSch Fellowship Fund (cooperation with Switzerland).