The choice of the name COMENIUS for this part
of the SOCRATES programme is a reminder of Europe's rich educational heritage.
A century before the Enlightenment, Comenius (1592-1670), born in what is
today the Czech Republic, was a theologian, philosopher and pedagogue who
believed that only through education could man achieve his full potential
and lead a truly harmonious life. He was one of the founding fathers of modern
education, but, having lived through the period of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648),
Comenius was also a cosmopolitan and universalist who strove incessantly for
human rights, peace between the nations, social peace and the unity of mankind.
Comenius: from nursery school to secondary school
Comenius,a 17th century Moravian phi-losopher,felt that schoolshould be outward-looking.
The whole point is to broadenhorizons. European coopera-tion brings a breath
of fresh
air to schools, along withnew ideas. It thus promptsthem to build up new partner-ships,
to work better and differently.
Of Europe's 340 000 schools,10 000 took part in thefirst phase of Comenius
from
1995-99. The aim from 2000 onwards is to considerablyincrease this figure.
The Comenius action focuses on the first phase of education,from nursery and
primary to
secondary school (including technical and vocational edu-cation).This concerns
all the
players of the education com-munity- teachers, education staff and pupils
- while
endeavouring also to actively involve organisations outside the school, such
as parents'
associations, NGOs, local authorities, the business sector, social partners,
etc.
The aim of Comenius is to enhance the quality of teach-ing,strengthen its
European
dimension and promote lan-guage learning. There is also emphasis on certain
important
issues: learning in a multicul-tural framework, which is the cornerstone of
European
citizenship, support for disad-vantaged groups, countering under-achievement
at school
and combating exclusion.
Comenius comprises three major strands.School partnerships
There are three types.
o School projects enable schools (at least three schools from three
participating countries) to work on a theme of common interest. They try to
involve as many pupils as possible and thus work towards closer cooperation,
particularly between different subject areas.
Encouraging the active participation of the pupils is a priority and therefore
a limited number of pupils are given the opportunity of going to another country
to prepare and plan the European project in conjunction with the teachers.
o Language projects involve two schools from two European countries
and focus on the learning of foreign languages. Priority will be given to
the less widely used and taught lan-guages.
The projects entail an exchange involving a stay in the partner establishment
and a return visit (minimum age of pupils: 14).
o School development projects involve schools (at least three schools
from three partici-pating countries) as institutions, the idea being to share
their experiences and to compare notes on teaching methods, organi-sation,
management or themes of common interest, e.g. combating violence at school,
the problem of integrating pupils from different social and cultural environments.
Initial and in-service teacher training The European Commission can subsidise
two types of activity:
o Multilateral cooperation projects between different types of institutions,
particularl establishments providing initial or in-service teacher training.
The aim of these projects is to prepare programmes, courses, strategies or
teaching material for the training of staff involved in education. In addition
to the contribution of these projects to enhancing the quality of training
in Europe, the creation
of links between colleagues working in this area in different European countries
isinvaluable.
o Individual grants for future teachers (including assistantships for
future language teachers), teachers in service and other cate-gories
involved in formal or informal educa-tion (head teachers, inspectors, advisors,
mediators, etc.). These grants are used to subsidise mobility to undertake
practical courses or placements in schools or compa-nies in another country
or to take part in European courses with colleagues from other countries.
The establishment of Comenius networks
Networks must be structured around a specific topic, e.g. citizenship, education
in environmental matters, intercultural education, and involve a wide range
of institutions with experience of Comenius projects.In addition, upon completion
of a Comenius project, the promoters are often eager to pursue and expand
the work they did together. The Comenius networks give them a chance to do
so. Many ideas and proposals can thus be more widely shared, including by
schools which have not yet been able to become involved in a European partnership.
The aim of this action is to consolidate, establish synergy between and spread
positive achieve-ments and innovatory practices, to disseminate ideas and
results, and give the projects a lasting
impact.
Comenius School Development Projects 1.3.3
At a time when the roles of the school and school staff are rapidly changing
and the autonomy of schools in many countries is increasing, direct co-operation
between schools on questions related to management and pedagogical approaches
can be of particular importance. In this context, Comenius School Development
Projects give school managers and teachers an opportunity to exchange experience
and information, to develop together methods and approaches which meet their
needs and to test and put into practice the most effective organisational
and pedagogical approaches in the participating schools.
Broad thematic areas for the development of a project could, for example,
include the prevention of conflict and violence; integration of ethnic minority
groups into mainstream schooling, flexible and personalised teaching methods
and classroom management; or development of pupils' skills with a view to
enhancing their employability. These projects will often involve cooperation
with bodies from the schools' local community, such as local authorities,
social services, associations and business.
Comenius School Projects
Comenius School Projects promote transnational co-operation between schools.
They give pupils and teachers from at least three participating countries
an opportunity to work together on one or more topics of mutual interest.
This co-operation enables participants to exchange experiences, explore different
aspects of European cultural, social and economic diversity, increase their
general knowledge and learn to understand and appreciate each other's views.
Comenius School Projects should be integrated into the regular activities
of the school, take place within the curriculum, involve several class groups,
and have as wide an impact on the school as possible.
All pupils attending a school which is involved in a project may participate
in project activities. Ideally, pupils should participate actively in all
phases of the project, including the planning, organisation and evaluation
of the activities. The primary focus of Comenius School Projects is the cooperation
process itself - the carrying out of a project with a number of partners from
other European countries. However, projects will usually also produce outcomes
such as project diaries, booklets, objects, artistic performances, web sites,
CD-ROMs and so on.
Comenius Language Projects
Comenius Language Projects seek to increase young people's motivation, capacity
and confidence to communicate in other European languages. A Comenius Language
Project is carried out by groups of at least 10 young people aged 14 or older
from partner schools in two participating countries. Its main element is not
formal language instruction as such, but the learning of languages through
work with young people from another country on a topic of mutual interest
. Project work should be integrated into the regular school activities and
take place within the curriculum. exchanges lasting at least 14 days (including
travel) are an integral part of Comenius Language Projects. The exchanges
are working periods where the two groups of young people work closely together
on the project using foreign languages as a means of communication and learning.
The pupils will usually stay with each other's families during their stay
abroad. This will further enhance the opportunity to learn the partner language
and to get to know the partner culture. Each project should result in a 'product'
produced jointly by the two groups of pupils. The product, if based on the
written or spoken word, should be produced in the languages of the two partners
or in a mixed language version in which both languages are fully represente
The Objectives of COMENIUS
The overall objectives of COMENIUS are to enhance the quality and reinforce
the European dimension of school education, in particular by encouraging transnational
cooperation between schools, contributing to the improved professional development
of staff directly involved in the school education sector, and promoting the
learning of languages and intercultural awareness.
COMENIUS seeks to help those learning and teaching in schools to develop a
sense of belonging to a broader and outward-looking European community - a
community characterised by diverse traditions, cultures and regional identities,
but rooted nevertheless in a common history of European development.
COMENIUS contributes to enhancing the quality and reinforcing the European
dimension of school education by:
" promoting transnational cooperation and exchanges between schools and
teacher training establishments;
" encouraging innovation in pedagogical methods and materials;
" promoting the transnational dissemination of good practice and innovation
in the management of schools;
" developing and disseminating methods for combating educational exclusion
and school failure, promoting the integration of pupils with special educational
needs, and promoting equal opportunities in all sectors of education;
" promoting the use of information and communication technology in school
education and in the training of staff working in this sector.
COMENIUS contributes to promoting the learning of languages in school education
in Europe by transnational measures designed to:
" improve the quality of the teaching of European languages as foreign
languages;
" improve the pedagogical skills of language teachers;
" improve the language skills of teachers of less widely used and less
taught languages;
" increase the diversity of foreign languages taught;
" motivate all teachers and learners to increase the number of foreign
languages they speak and improve the standard to which they speak them.
COMENIUS contributes to promoting intercultural awareness in school education
in Europe by transnational activities designed to:
" promote enhanced awareness of different cultures;
" develop intercultural education initiatives for the school education
sector;
" improve the skills of teachers in the area of intercultural education;
" support the fight against racism and xenophobia;
" improve the education of children of migrant workers, occupational
travellers, gypsies and travellers. up