Minutes of meeting A&D-L with Mrs Emer Daly,

Director of DG ADMIN/D

Brussels, 15/4/2005

Mrs Daly welcomed the members of A&D-L and remarked that although she was willing to listen, she is only one voice out of 29 on the Board of Governors and thus had very limited powers. She represents all the Institutions (not only the Commission) on this Board.

1. Financing of the European Schools

A&D-L pointed out that since the implementation of the “Special levy” foreseen to increase financing of the European Schools, the Commission had, in fact, cut the budget. For example, the funding for the canteen of the European School in Luxembourg had been cut by €200.000 last year. Since September 2004, prices had dramatically increased in the School canteen, but quality had dropped even further.

Ms Daly said that the budget had not in fact been cut, but an increase had been refused – especially as the School had not managed to exhaust its budget for the previous year. There could be a number of reasons - the current complexity of the financial ruling or a lack of forward planning for example.

2. Free schooling

A&D-L pointed out that although no actual fees were paid for children of the statutory staff to attend the European Schools; the school system was far from being “free”. Indeed parents are solicited to pay for everything from school books, school trips to every photocopy that is used in class! They even have to subsidise the library. Perhaps a liberalisation of the financing system of the European Schools could enable the Schools to pay for these items.

3. Luxembourg II – Mamer

A&D-L informed Mrs Daly of the refusal of parents in Luxembourg of the new site in Mamer proposed for the Luxembourg II School and listed the reasons for this. It also added that there had been a demonstration organised by parents that lunchtime and supported by all European Schools. Mrs Daly said that the site had been agreed by the Board of Governors with the agreement of the Parents’ Association. A&D-L pointed out that because of this; the governing members of the Parents’ Association had been voted out and replaced by new people.

Mrs Daly seemed to think that it was too late to change this decision and also that nothing could be done to change from a vertical split to a horizontal split if the site of Mamer is maintained: this condition was imposed by the Luxembourg Government and agreed upon by the Board of Governors. The only recourse was to lobby the Luxembourg Government.

4. Village Pédagogique

A&D-L informed Mrs Daly of the lamentable conditions of the prefabricated buildings in the Village Pédagogique. Due to the lack of cooperation from the School and the Luxembourg Government, parents had now decided to take the Luxembourg’s Government to court.

5. Time-table

A&D-L informed Mrs Daly that although the Schools had to provide 181 days schooling per year for all pupils, the Schools only provide 171 for those pupils in secondary school due to the organisation of the Baccalaureate. Mrs Daly did not seem to find this a problem.

A&D-L pointed out that the School in Luxembourg had decided to change the free afternoons for children in secondary school according to what year they were in and that his would cause many problems for those children with extra-curricular activities outside school (all activities in Luxembourg being based on the principle that all children are free on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons). The reason given by the School for this change was that it was necessary in order to provide extra tuition for SWALS children. Although A&D-L has much sympathy for these children, it did not see why the life of all children should be perturbed to cater for a very small minority. Mrs Daly did not see a particular problem here and said that parents should be more understanding of SWALS children’s needs. She said that when there are enough children to form a language section, it would then be created. However, she did not know the exact number when prompted by A&D-L.

6. Help for children with specific problems

A&D-L raised the problem of many children failing in the 4^th and 5^th year secondary. A&D-L felt that this was due in part to the fact that certain subjects were given in the second language and many children did not possess enough knowledge of the language to follow adequately. Also the lack of harmonisation in the syllabus and the lack of harmonisation of testing (content and number of tests per year) were left completely up to the teachers.

A&D-L told Mrs Daly that it appears that the SEN children, some of which are very capable, are systematically not helped. And it appears that the school does not show any inclination to keep them beyond the first two years of secondary. The SEN budget is always underused.

The idea of a Technical European Baccalaureat or another school leaving certificate as proposed in the document of the Commission was welcomed by A&D L.

Mediation – see our document in annex « Propositions sur la Réforme des EE ».

7. Decision-making procedures

See our document in annex « Propositions sur la Réforme des EE ».

8. Future of the European Schools

Mrs Daly and A&D-L discussed the document. A&D-L promised to give Mrs Daly its comments in writing (see document in annex). Although A&D-L was on the whole positive towards the document, it pointed out that reforming the system should not mean cutting the budget!

9. Wider acceptance of European Baccalaureate

There was unfortunately not enough time to discuss this point.

10. Children’s rights

This was covered when discussing points 2 and 6.