Our organisations appreciate the approach taken by the European Commission in the Green Paper to underline the equality of EU citizens and third country nationals as a starting point in the education system as the chances and challenges are rather similar.

While there is a clear link to integration policies of the EU, integration policies are generally targeting third country nationals alone. Our organisations are in favour of a more integrated and integrative approach.

A clear assessment of failures and successes is helpful to determine success in social inclusion and creating welcoming societies. The two-way process of integration policies would be best served by implementing equality in the education systems and overcoming discrimination. Education and schools need to collaborate with others in addressing factors of social exclusion and segregation.

A policy mix would therefore be recommended at EU level as well as at national levels, comprising:

• Applying the Open Method of Coordination in the educational field with benchmarks on success of social inclusion;

• Support for research and analysis;

• Diversity of teaching staff would serve identification with role models;

• Exchange of teachers from various countries: could create diversity in teaching staff and facilitate better language course.

• Underpinning the value of diversity and intercultural learning in practice.

Christian group response to green paper on migration and education.pdf (136.66 KB)