Objectives

The main objectives of the Conference are the following:

To raise the compromise of the education community and the society in the improvement of our education system.

To get under way the analysis of the system, with the corresponding contrast of opinions, leading to consensus solutions.

To make explicit the organisation objectives and criteria considered most appropriate for our education system.

To consolidate the introduction of the new education system with regards to its basic principles, without excluding the possibility of modifying certain action strategies.

Structure

The Conference structure is formed by an Organising Committee and seven Areas. The organisation support and overall co-ordination is the responsibility of the Consell Superior d'Avaluació. As a guarantee of participation, it has a special relation with the Consell Escolar de Catalunya.

Organising Committee

The Organising Committee's functions are: to establish the functioning criteria for the whole of the Conference, to approve the working plans of the different areas, to carry out the overall follow-up and organise the joint events.

It is presided over by the Education Councillor and formed by the Education Secretary General, the General director of Ordenació Educativa, the President of the Consell Superior d'Avaluació, the President of the Consell Escolar de Catalunya, the Subdirector general of Inspection and the leaders of each of the Conference areas.

The President of the Consell Superior d'Avaluació acts as Executive director of the Organising Committee.

Areas

Each area if formed by a coordinator, a technical team and a participative team.

They elaborate their working plan for the whole period of duration of the Conference.

They have their own budget to programme and develop their activities.

The final work of each area will be a document about the situation of the system in the aspects analysed and the corresponding improvement proposals, if convenient.

Thematic areas

Decentralisation and autonomy of the centres
Teaching
Role of the local corporations
Management of the centres
Coordinator: Mr Serafí Antúnez i Marcos

Importance and social function of teachers
Social image
Teaching
Management of the centres
Coordinator: Mr Josep M. Terricabras i Nogueras

Catering for diversity
Attention to students with special educational needs
Attention to culture minority groups
Coordinator: Mr Cesar Coll i Salvador

Vocational training and work insertion
Social guarantee programmes
Specific vocational training
Non-regulated vocational training
The managerial world as education agent
Coordinator: Mr Francesc Solé i Parellada

Evaluation of learning procedures and orientation
Evaluation
The tutor system and personal orientation
Accreditation
Coordinator: Mr Joan Mateo i Andrés

Artistic programmes
Music
Visual arts
Scenic arts
Coordinator: Mr Helio Piñón i Pallarés

Basic skills
Grading of the basic skills
Evaluation of the level of command
Coordinator: Mrs Joana Noguera i Arrom

Development

The National Education Conference will guarantee the involvement of all the areas and organisations of the Catalan Education world so that it can be effective in its proposals.

The present representation at the Consell Escolar de Catalunya has been the starting point to guarantee the wide and diverse participation of different sectors and organisations in the different areas. It has then been extended to other groups.

There will be periodical and public information at the Consell Escolar about the development of the Conference.

Each area will organise public events and will carry out the necessary research studies to get to know and evaluate the situation of the education system concerning the themes it works for.

The Consell Superior d'Avaluació is responsible for the organisation and coordination of the Conference.

Calendar

October 2000: presentation of the Conference to the education community

2002-2003: activities of the different areas

June 2002: General convention of conclusions

Information and participation

The Conference has its own website to provide updated information about its development. It will also incorporate a forum to enable the participation of all those interested, which will be available from September 2000.