Key Competencies for Europe. Report of the Symposium (Berne, Switzerland, March 27-30, 1996). A Secondary Education for Europe Project.

Overview & Synopsis

A symposium was held in Berne, Switzerland, in March 1996 to define the key competencies that secondary students should acquire to prepare for either employment or higher education. This document summarizes the symposium discussions of plenary sessions and working groups, comprised of teachers and school managers. The conference participants discussed the following issues: (1) clarifying the concept; (2) defining competency requirements in the context of current education systems; (3) identifying the priorities and key competencies; (4) acquiring competencies by doing; and (5) assessing the link between the structure of education systems and the purpose of evaluation. The participants concluded that underlying the question of key components is a whole set of interrelated problems. Educators and policymakers must also consider an education system's long-established curricula, teaching methods, and school contexts. Appendices contain a summary of three papers: "Competencies and Knowledge" (John Coolahan); "Individual Competencies and the Demands of Society" (Gabor Halasz); and "Introductory Notes" (Jean-Francois Perret). The symposium program and a list of participants are also included. (LMI)