Eurydice

The Strategy has been running for 4 years, the results are overall positive on the identified education policy areas, especially on the educational sectors the Strategy refers to: primary and secondary education, higher education, technical and vocational education, and adult and continuing education.

The Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs establishes the University of West Attica. The aim is to strengthen Higher Education Institutions, so as to be able to meet the economic and social needs at local and national level, but also become internationally competitive at scientific, research and academic level.

As from October 2015, the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the main provider of post-secondary VET courses in Malta, has been reorganised to further develop and strengthen its organisational structure and better address the needs of students at different levels.

The French Community adopted its Declaration on Community Policy (DPC) 2014-2019 in July 2014 in which several priorities are presented, including the adoption of a Teaching Excellence Pact. The Teaching Excellence Pact is based on a participatory process running from 2015 until mid-2016. It aims at defining action priorities at a 10-year horizon to strengthen the quality in education at various levels: • Quality of guidance, consistency of students' courses • Quality of training, support and guiding of the education actors • Quality of the offer, skills and knowledge • Quality and efficiency of education governance

Sweden introduced a National Qualifications Framework (Sveriges referensram för kvalifikationer, SeQF) on 1 October 2015, in accordance with the European Parliament recommendation on a European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning. Learners, graduates, education providers and employers can use the Framework to understand and compare qualifications awarded in different countries and by different education and training systems. The government decides which level of the National Qualification Framework certain qualifications correspond to. It will be also possible to apply for level assessment of other qualifications. The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education (Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan) is responsible for coordinating the Swedish Qualifications Framework.

The Federal and Länder governments want to significantly improve literacy skills amongst adults in Germany over the next ten years. To this end, the former National Literacy and Basic Education Strategy will be transformed into a Literacy Decade. Adults will be offered more support and opportunities that should help them learn to improve their reading and writing skills. Over this decade, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) will invest up to 180 million Euros in literacy projects, and develop course concepts and opportunities for self-learning.

A reform of vocational education and training programmes came into force in Denmark on 1 August 2015. It aims at ensuring high quality vocational education and training as well as improving opportunities for further education. The reform is based on the Agreement on Better and More Attractive Vocational Training and Education (February 2014) which establishes four overall objectives for vocational education and training (VET):

This means that talented children will be introduced at a younger age to subjects like physics, and that pupils will be better prepared for the transition to secondary education. The new measures approved by the Cabinet come in response to the proposal submitted by the State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science. These measures are due to be introduced on 1 August 2016.