Presentation for Transatlantic Educators Dialogue 2012 - Economics session

1. Transatlantic Educators Dialogue
Spring 2012
April 15-Week 9:
Economics
Laura Maffei

2. Economics – Education – Ethics
How do the three Es relate to each other?

3. 1. Education and Training affect
Economy
• It’s in the countries’ interest to invest on
education
• the education and training of a country's workers
is a major factor in determining the future of the
country's economy
• the education provided by developing countries
will determine the future of the economy in both
developing and developed countries

4. Steps of the EU's strategy
Education and Training 2010 work
programme (launched in 2001)
strategic framework for European
cooperation in education and training
("ET 2020") adopted by the Council in
May 2009

5. Lisbon Strategy
make the EU "the most competitive and dynamic
knowledge-based economy in the world capable of
sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and
greater social cohesion" (by 2010)
The Reference Framework sets out 8 key competences:
3. Communication in the mother tongue
4. Communication in foreign languages
5. Mathematical competence and basic competences in Science and Technology
6. Digital competence
7. Learning to learn
8. Social and civic competences
9. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
10. Cultural awareness and expression.

6. The five benchmarks for 2010
• Low achievers in reading: by 2010 the percentage of low achieving 15 year-
olds in reading literacy in the EU should decrease by at least 20%
• Early school leavers: by 2010 a share of early school leavers of no more than
10% should be reached
• Upper secondary attainment: by 2010 at least 85% of 22 year-olds in the EU
should have completed upper secondary education
• Maths, science & technology graduates: the total number of MST graduates
in the EU should increase by at least 15%, gender imbalance should decrease
• Participation of adults in Lifelong Learning: the EU average level of
participation in lifelong learning should at least reach 12.5% of the working
age population (25-64)

8. Most of the goals were not met
ean
re
E
p
uro not
s
WHY ? rri
cu d ?
c ula
A c her ugh ? r
ou ate
tea eno re utd
g ood A o
Are
we u
sing
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meth g
odol
ogy
? e
Was t e th s a
here Wer ark
probl a
m
coord em in be nch ke ?
i
the d nating m ista
iffer
meas ent
ures
?

9. Strategic Objectives for 2020
The long-term strategic objectives of EU education and training policies are:
• Making lifelong learning and
mobility a reality
• Improving the quality and
efficiency of education and
training
• Promoting equity, social
cohesion and active citizenship
• Enhancing creativity and
innovation, including
entrepreneurship, at all levels of
education and training.

10. The five benchmarks for 2020
• at least 95% of children between the age of four and the age for
starting compulsory primary education should participate in early
childhood education
• the share of 15-years olds with insufficient abilities in reading,
mathematics and science should be less than 15%
• the share of early leavers from education and training should be less
than 10%
• the share of 30-34 year olds with tertiary educational attainment
should be at least 40%
• an average of at least 15 % of adults (age group 25-64) should
participate in Lifelong Learning

11. Question time
• Are there similar priorities and/or problems
in the US?
• Which ones are in your opinion the major
obstacles to the reaching of the set goals?
• Do you think there is a connection between
the low educational achievements and the
present economical crisis?

12. 2. Economy affects Education and
Training
• In a time of crisis, governments usually cut on funds
for Education and Training.
• …because they need money now, while the effects
of these cuts will be seen in the future.
• Less money for the schools can be hardly expected to
lead to an improvement of education.

13. What kind of crisis?
On September the 15th 2008, the firm filed for Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection. It’s the largest bankruptcy in US history.
Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley
required or received government support.
They technically were on the verge of bankruptcy.
What’s the difference with previous hard times?
What kind of crisis is it?

14. Gi
an
t lo
ec risis ss
in
g
m ortga the
bp rime de
ri
Su va
tiv
es
Highly risky Financial ma
rke
ts
investments
crisis risk
s at
Incre
ase in co unt
Natio
n en t ac
al de
bt
ret irem
id ual
i v
Ind
…are we Living on Borrowed Time ? (Z. Bauman)

15. from financial crisis
to
“real economy” crisis
Fall in aggregate demand
of goods and services
Recession

16. What can be done?
According to economic theories, there are two main strategies:
• Direct support to aggregate demand
(Keynes - states spend money and increase
their debt)
• Monetarism: reduce interest rate, reduce
inflation, reduce public debt etc. to stimulate
economic growth.
It’s beyond this presentation to decide which one is the best 

17. Question time
• Is there any kind of economic crisis in your country?
• Is it a financial crisis?
• Is it a “real economy” crisis?
• Can you see in your school any effect of the crisis?
• What’s your government doing to deal with the
crisis?
• Is your government reducing or increasing funding to
schools and education?

18. 3. The last E - Ethics
“But while they prate of economic laws,
men and women are starving. We must
lay hold of the fact that economic laws
are not made by nature. They are made
by human beings”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
On Wednesday the 4th, Dimitris Christoulas shot himself in front of
parliament.
The 77-year-old pensioner couldn't cope with the austerity imposed
upon him by Greece's technocratic government. In his suicide note, he
confessed he couldn't bear to look his children in the eye any more.
He’s become the symbol of the pain caused by austerity.

19. When Ethics are out of the
picture…
• Economy = Money
• Money = Value
• No money = Useless
Are we sure that’s the rule we
want our students (our children)
to live by?

20. Conclusion
• What kind of future for our countries?
• What kind of future for our schools?
• What can we learn out of this crisis?
• Will the role of teachers change in the near future?
How?
• Quoting Keynes: “in the long period, we’re all dead”.
Do you think government can learn some long-term
educative strategies or schools will always be seen as
free-cash you can save money on?
Laura Maffei