In Rome Agreement (1957) and Maastricht Agreement (1992) on the establishment of the European Community, educational priorities of the EC have been defined and various education activities have been carried out in parallel to these priorities.

Education and education theory is linked to humans and their development in time. Education, in broad terms, is learning to become a human. General education includes the reflection of important political, economical and cultural values and duties in the education programs.

The Leonardo da Vinci Program is a vocational education action plan, which was accepted in the EU on December 6th 1994 in order to improve vocational education, the 1st phase was implemented between 1995-1999 and the 2nd phase is being implemented in 2000-2001.

Overall Goal

Specific Goal

Scope

*The behavior to be taught by education must conform to individual and social requirements. Education is one of basic tools for facilitating development, increasing employment and improving national competitive power.

*SEZGİN İlhan
Education, Teaching and Youth Policies of the European Union
Gazi Education Faculty,
Ankara.

Goal

Scope

Education system must be continuously developed because of the fast changes in economical and social life caused by the scientific and technologic advancements, and the international cooperation and competition.

Final Status
The basic policies followed by the EU;

- Increasing the quality of education
- Developing the languages of the AC countries
- encouraging the use of technology in education
- Facilitating access to education opportunities among the EU countries
- supporting Europe on the way to lifelong learning and being a learner community
- adapting technical labor to industrial changes through vocational education
- reinforcing the relations between vocational technical education institutions and business world
- exchanging knowledge and experiences among EC countries in relation to the vocational technical education system
- integrating youth with the community and establishing a youth network

The project covers subjects such as encouraging student and teacher movement among the EU countries in vocational and technical education, facilitating access to vocational education opportunities among the EU countries.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION

Apart from the education programs of the EU, developments and activities included in the "Youth for Europe" program aimed at the activation of youth has been monitored by the Prime Ministry General Directorate of Youth and Sports.

Our country is currently participating in the projects of "Modernization of Vocational and Technical Education Institutions", "Reinforcing the Vocational Education and Teaching System in Turkey" and "Supporting the Basic Education" as part of the Europe Mediterranean Countries Cooperation programs of the EU.

2.2.1. Socrates Program
Goals of the Socrates Program:
- To support the European dimension and to ensure equality of opportunity and wide access to educational resources at all levels of education,

- To encourage the intercultural dimension of education and the understanding and mutual support among the people of the EU by developing language education within the European Union,

- To encourage inter-institutional exchange in the field of education, to recognize open and remote education, diplomas and periods of work and to develop information exchange,

- To reinforce the use of innovative approaches and technologies when developing education practices and materials and identify common areas of policy in the field of education.

The Socrates program has given positive results on subjects of:
- Increasing activities in education
- Cooperation among education institutions
- Recognition of diplomas and course credits
- Learning about the EU countries and their languages.

2.2.2. Leonardo da Vinci Program
2.2.2.1. Goals of Leonardo da Vinci Program
- To help member countries develop their related policies and innovative actions by supporting the vocational education projects of international partnerships established by different institutions,

- To improve the skills and qualifications of individuals, particularly adolescents, through pre-vocational education at all levels

- To increase the opportunities of providing continuous vocational education and lifelong acquisition of skills in order to support technological and organizational change,
- To increase the contribution of vocational education to the renovation process of societies, taking into consideration new employment opportunities, competitiveness and entrepreneurship.

2.2.2.2. Groups to Benefit from the Program
The program is accessible to all public and private institutions and organizations related with the types of vocational education defined below.
- Organizations including vocational education institutions at all levels, centers and universities
- Research centers and institutions
- Particularly small and middle-scale businesses, industrial organizations and organizations related to vocational education
- Commerce-related organizations including chambers of industry and commerce
- Social partners: (employers and workers' organizations established at national level and in conformance to national laws)
- Local and regional institutions and organizations
- Non-profit organizations, volunteer organizations and non-governmental organizations.

2.2.2.3. Fields of Action of the Leonardo da Vinci Program
1. Support for international movement of people, particularly adolescents, having received vocational education and for those responsible for education (movement).

2. Support for pilot projects based on international partnerships designed to develop innovation and quality in vocational education (pilot projects).
3. To develop language skills, including those less commonly used and taught, and familiarization with different cultures in terms of vocational education (language skills).
4. Support for the development of international cooperation networks that enable exchange of experience and best practices (international networks).
5. Information exchange on a wide-scale in order to develop and update reference materials for examinations and analyses, and to monitor and expand best practices (reference materials).

2.2.3. Project for Supporting Basic Education
The project for "Supporting Basic Education" that will be financed by the donations provided as part of the European Union Mediterranean Program, has been accepted by the European Commission, and the Project Financing Agreement was signed by the European Commission on 03.11.1999 and by the Ministry of National Education on 04.02.2000. The project period is 6 years and the total cost is Euro 100.000.000.

The overall goal is to develop the living conditions of the population in the most disadvantaged rural, urban areas and shantytowns. The project currently supports the coverage of children, adolescents and adults who are outside the basic education.

The specific goal is to increase the average level of formal and non-formal education, particularly of women and girls. This goal shall be pursued all over the country, especially in the disadvantaged areas and shantytowns in Istanbul, Antalya, Bursa, Mersin and Adana.
The road that leads to achievement of the goal has 3 stages. First part of the program, which is scheduled for completion in six years, continuous pre-service and in-service training shall be provided for teachers. The National Education Academy, which is being constructed for that purpose and is designed to provide pre-service and in-service training for teachers, shall be completed and equipped and the existing in-service training centers in 14 cities (Aksaray, Amasya, Balıkesir, Çanakkale, Hatay, Kırklareli, Kırşehir, Manisa, Muðla, Tokat, Van, Yalova) shall be reinforced to expand the training in the cities.
In the second part, the activities recommended in the basic education program (increasing the enrolment rate in Pre-primary and primary education, and improving the multi-purpose training centers, etc.) shall be encouraged in the cities selected for the program (Adıyaman, Aðrı, Sakarya, Ardahan, Bayburt, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Kars, Muş, Þanlıurfa and Siirt).
The third part of the program includes provision of basic education for children, adolescents and adults who are out of the education system and expansion of the education opportunities in the shanty towns in cities with the highest rate of immigration (Istanbul, Antalya, Adana, Bursa, Mersin).
Job definitions for the technical consultancy tender prepared by the European Commission and the Ministry of National Education have

been prepared as well as the preparatory work plan and the costs for the first six months of the projects. The project shall commence after the Treasury Undersecretariate opens the private project account. The Ministry of National Education has identified the personnel to be employed in the Central Project Execution Unit. Project execution units have been established within the provincial national education directorates in the 17 cities covered by the project. Technical consultancy tender for the project is expected to be awarded in April 2001.

2.2.4. Project for Reinforcing Vocational Education and Teaching System in Turkey
Financing Agreement of the project for Reinforcing Vocational Education and Teaching System in Turkey, that shall be executed using the donations provided as part of the European Union's Mediterranean Program, was signed by the European Commission on 19.01.2000 and by the MNE on 04.07.2001. The project period is 5 years and the total cost is 58.190.000 Euro. 51.000.000 Euro of the costs shall be financed by the EC and 7.190.000 Euro by the Turkish Government.
The goal is to increase competition among Turkish entrepreneurs and to prepare them for the common market with the European Union by increasing the activities and quality of Vocational Education and Teaching in Turkey, parallel with the demands and participation of the Private Sector.
The program is to support the Turkish reforms for building a bridge between vocational education and teaching and the qualified labor required by the private sector by establishing coordination in between. The main purpose of the structural reform supported by the program is to increase competition among entrepreneurs by further developing the qualified labor to meet the requirements of the business market.
The program is expected to give the below results.
- To establish an effective and self-financing regional public-private sector partnership to plan, implement and monitor the vocational education and teaching activities.
- To increase capacities of the public and private sector organizations to support the human resources development function of the regional enterprises (small and middle scale).
- To provide, at the Ministry of National Education level, effective and adequate implementation conditions for the vocational education and training activities directed at the coordination of requirements.
- To provide, in the selected cities, effective and adequate implementation conditions for the vocational education and training activities.
- To encourage the demand-oriented, vocational education and training activities based on the supported local enterprises and resources.
- To establish effective and efficient regional program management teams.

Project Financing Agreement has been signed by the European Union, the Minister of National Education and the Treasury Undersecretariate. Job definitions for the education requirements assessment that shall be performed during the first six months of the project and the job definitions for the Technical consultancy that shall provide technical support for the Project Execution Service during the project implementation period have been prepared. The project is expected to start at the end of 2001.

2.2.5. Project for Modernization of Vocational and Technical Education Institutions
The project for Modernization of Vocational and Technical Education Institutions that will be financed by the donations provided as part of the European Union's Mediterranean Program has been accepted by the European Commission, and the Project Financing Agreement was signed by the European Commission, the Ministry of National Education and the Prime Ministry Undersecretariate of the Treasury on 25.07.1997. The project period is 4 years and the total cost is 18.500.000 Euro. 14.000.000 Euro of the costs shall be paid by the EC and 4.500.000 Euro by the Turkish Government.
Project Goal;
To increase the quality, efficiency and conformance of the vocational and technical education at the level of intermediate labor (technician) using proper programs and equipment, to develop quality and performance of teachers, to reinforce the research and development capacity of the vocational and technical education and teaching institutions.
Project Scope;
" Adaptation of the vocational and technical education to industrial requirements through cooperating with employer organizations or improving the existing cooperation
" Producing more effective and suitable programs for technician training in the selected vocational high schools
" Equipping the workshops of 19 pilot schools (12 Industrial Vocational High Schools, 5 Vocational High Schools for Girls, 2 Anatolia Vocational High Schools for Communication) in the selected 11 cities in accordance with the requirements of 8 vocational areas with the highest employment potential (Automatic Control, (CNC),

Electronic, Electric, Computer, Airplane Maintenance and electronics, Cooling and ventilation, Communication and information technologies, Entertainment and food technology), and increasing the effectiveness and educational quality of these schools.

" Provision of the human resources, flexible structures and buildings needed to give in-service training to teachers in 5 of the selected schools.

" Also, reinforcing the research and development capacity of the Ministry of National Education through technical support and education

FINAL STATUS
Because the project activities could not be commenced after the date the project was signed, the meeting held on 27.01.2000 with the expert from the European Commission included the discussion on making changes in the project schools and vocational areas covered by the project, and opinions of the Ministry of National Education have been advised to the Turkish Representative at the EU. Finally, a new additional agreement was sent by the European Union in relation to the project. This agreement includes support for the Project of Reinforcing the Vocational Education and Teaching System in Turkey so that the project establishes as single system for the vocational and technical education. Project implementation is expected to begin at the end of 2001.

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Ministry Of National Education
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