5 research outputs found
Hard measures for soft stuff: citizenship indicators and educational policy under the Lisbon Strategy
How far is the European Union a vehicle for inclusion and empowerment of a new range of policy actors in education? This article explores the role of actors in policy formation through a case study. It examines European Union attempts since 2000 to develop indicators of âactive citizenshipâ and âeducation and training for active citizenshipâ. It is based on two main sources: policy documents on the development of indicators and benchmarks; and a case study of an exercise (2005-07) to develop such indicators, initiated by the European Commissionâs Directorate General for Education and Culture. It shows that policy actors have attempted to take advantage of the Open Method of Coordination, often seen as a neo-liberal control mechanism, to ensure that citizenship remains on the
policy agenda
Filling in the gaps: European governance, the open method of coordination and the European Commission
The article addresses the way in which EU policy-making operates, explains the relevance of 'lifelong learning' for the European Commission and analyses the mechanisms by which the Commission has advanced policy-making in education and training since the Lisbon Summit. The article reviews in particular the alleged lack of effectiveness of the Open Method of Coordination in education and, second, the notion that the EU advances 'slowly and persistently' in its acquisition of competences in this area