European Schools facts for kids
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Schola Europaea
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| Formation | April 12, 1957 |
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| Founders |
Inner Six states
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| Founded at | Luxembourg City, Luxembourg |
| Type | Intergovernmental organisation |
| Purpose | Education |
| Headquarters | Office of the Secretary-General of the European Schools rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium |
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Region
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European Union |
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Membership
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Secretary General
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Andreas Beckmann |
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Main organ
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Board of Governors |
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Formerly called
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European School |
The European Schools (in Latin, Schola Europaea) is a special group of international schools. They were created mainly to educate the children of people who work for the European Union (EU). These schools teach in many languages.
The European Schools organization also checks and approves other schools. These "Accredited European Schools" can teach the same lessons and offer the European Baccalaureate. This is a special diploma for finishing secondary school.
The organization started in 1957. It was first called the "European School." It grew from a small school started in 1953 by staff of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). They wanted a good school for their children. Over time, more schools were built near other EU offices. In 2002, the organization officially became "European Schools." Today, it includes all 27 EU countries, the EU itself, and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom).
Since 2005, the European Schools organization has allowed other schools to offer its special curriculum and the European Baccalaureate diploma.
The main group that runs the European Schools is called the Board of Governors. It includes education ministers from EU countries. It also has representatives from the European Commission, staff, parents, and even students.
As of September 2017, there are 13 European Schools run directly by the organization. They are in six EU countries. By September 2021, 20 other schools in 13 EU countries were approved to teach the European Schools' lessons.
Contents
History of European Schools
How the Schools Began
After the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) started in Luxembourg in 1952, many people moved there for work. They needed schools for their children that taught in their home languages. If there were no such schools, it was hard to get people from different countries to move.
In 1953, ECSC employees started a small school. It taught young children in nursery and primary classes. The ECSC helped pay for it. Teachers were hired and paid by this group. The school opened on October 4, 1953.
But by 1954, the school was not enough. It couldn't teach older students. Jean Monnet, a key person in creating the ECSC, invited education leaders from the six founding countries to Luxembourg. They formed a group called the Board of Governors. This group would create a new, official school. Countries agreed to send teachers and pay their salaries. On October 12, 1954, the first secondary school classes began.
On April 12, 1957, the six ECSC countries signed a special agreement. This agreement made the European School an official international organization. It meant the school had legal rights and could achieve its goals. The school would be run by the Board of Governors, Boards of Inspectors, an Administrative Board, and a Head teacher.
More Schools Open
After the European Economic Community (EEC) and Euratom started in 1957, more European Schools opened. They were built in places like Brussels and Mol, Belgium (1958), Varese, Italy (1960), Karlsruhe, Germany (1962), and Bergen, the Netherlands (1963). A second school in Brussels opened in 1974. To help these new schools, countries signed another agreement in 1962.
In 1967, the EEC, ECSC, and Euratom joined together to form the European Communities. The European Commission then represented these groups on the Board of Governors. In 1975, an agreement allowed a European School to open in Munich, Germany, for children of staff at the European Patent Organisation.
In 1973, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Ireland joined the European Communities. They also joined the European School agreement. In 1978, a European School opened in Culham, UK. This school was for children of staff working on a nuclear fusion project. By 1986, after Greece, Spain, and Portugal joined, the schools taught students from 12 different countries. Finland joined the agreement in 1995.
Adapting to Growth
As the European Union grew, the schools needed new rules. In 1994, all 12 EU countries signed a new agreement. This new agreement replaced the older ones. It officially started on October 1, 2002. As more countries joined the EU, they also joined this agreement. Today, all 27 EU countries, the EU, and Euratom are part of it.
Brexit's Impact
When the UK left the EU (known as Brexit), the UK government decided to leave the European Schools agreement. The UK officially left the European Schools system on August 31, 2021. This was at the end of the school year.
However, the UK agreed to protect the rights of former students. It also agreed to protect students who were already in secondary school at a European School before August 31, 2021. These students can still get their European Baccalaureate diploma.
Brexit caused problems for the Europa School UK in Oxfordshire. This school was an "Accredited European School." But accredited schools must be in an EU country. So, Europa School UK lost its special status on August 31, 2021. It can no longer offer the European Baccalaureate.
Why European Schools Are Important
The first European School opened just eight years after World War II. Its founders saw it as a way to bring people together. Children whose parents had fought in the war would learn side by side. They would also learn history and geography from different viewpoints.
René Mayer, a leader of the ECSC, said in 1957: "May the Europe of the European schools definitively take the place of the Europe of the war cemeteries." This powerful idea is written in Latin on a special stone at each European School. It means:
Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.
This means that by learning together, students will grow up without old biases. They will appreciate different cultures. They will realize they belong together as Europeans. They will still love their home countries but also work to build a strong, united Europe.
How European Schools Are Run
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors is the main group that makes decisions for all European Schools. They decide on teaching, management, and money matters. When the Board is not meeting, the Secretary-General handles its duties.
- Who is on the Board?
* Education ministers (or their representatives) from each EU country. * A representative from the European Commission (for the EU and Euratom). * A representative from the European Patent Office. * Representatives from the teachers and parents (with some voting rights). * A student representative (from CoSup) who observes meetings.
Boards of Inspectors
Two Boards of Inspectors check the quality of education. One board is for nursery and primary schools. The other is for secondary schools. Each of the 27 EU countries has one inspector on each board.
Administrative Boards
Each European School has its own Administrative Board. This board manages the school's daily operations. The Secretary-General of the European Schools leads this board.
- Who is on the Administrative Board?
* The school's director. * A representative from the European Commission. * Elected teachers and parents. * A representative for administrative staff. * Two elected student representatives (who observe most meetings).
Directors and Teachers
Each school director is chosen by the Board of Governors for nine years. There are usually two deputy directors, one for secondary and one for primary/nursery. They are also appointed for nine years.
Some teachers are sent by their home countries for up to nine years. Other teachers are hired directly by the schools. These locally hired teachers are becoming more common.
Staff Committees
Teachers at each European School elect representatives every year. These representatives form a European School Staff Committee. They speak for the teachers on the Board of Governors and other boards. Since 2016, locally hired teachers also have representatives. These representatives attend meetings to share the views of their colleagues.
Complaints Board
The Complaints Board is like a special court for the European Schools. It helps solve problems because the schools have a unique international legal status.
Parents' Associations
Every European School has a Parents' Association. These groups help with things like school buses, canteen services, and after-school activities. Any parent with a child at the school can join. They also have a place on their school's Administrative Board.
All the Parents' Associations work together through a group called InterParents. InterParents attends meetings of the Board of Governors. This way, parents have a say in how the European Schools are run.
Pupils' Committees and CoSup
Students at each European School have the right to organize and represent themselves. They do this through a Pupils' Committee (PC). Each PC has a president chosen by the students. The way each PC works can be different, depending on its local rules.
All the Pupils' Committees from different European Schools join together to form CoSup. This name comes from its French title, Conseil Supérieur des Elèves. CoSup is officially recognized by the Board of Governors since 2006.
- What CoSup Does:
* Each Pupils' Committee sends two representatives to CoSup meetings. * CoSup speaks for all students on important committees. * It can help Pupils' Committees with money if needed. * CoSup organizes the yearly Euronight (formerly Europarty). This event is for students over 16 and happens in a different European city each year. * CoSup meets four times a year. Decisions are made by voting, with each school getting votes based on its number of students.
See also
- Accredited European School
- European Baccalaureate
- European School
