The results of the latest round of the OECD TALIS survey inform and support the EU’s policy work with Member States, notably through the Strategic Framework for Education and Training (ET2020). The Commission's 2012 Communication Rethinking Education: investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes set supporting Europe's teachers as one of its priorities, since high quality and well-trained teachers have an important influence on ensuring that learners develop the skills and competences demanded by a rapidly changing global labour market. The Rethinking Education's proposals were endorsed in the 2013 Council Conclusions on Investing in Education and Training, which confirmed the importance of revising and strengthening the professional profile of the teaching profession. Through the 2014 Council Conclusions on Effective Teacher Education, Member States committed to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession, ensure quality Initial Teacher Education, and promote professional development. 

 

The TALIS 2013 survey covered 19 EU countries and regions (BE nl, BG, ES, CZ, CY, DK, EE, FI, FR, HR, IT, LV, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SK, UK-ENG), as well as 15 other non-EU countries and economies. The release of TALIS2013 data, based on perception of teachers and school leaders on teaching practices, working conditions and school environments, is particularly timely in view of forthcoming EU priorities, and within the framework of the 2014 European Semester.

 

In 2014, the Commission proposed a Country-specific Recommendation on quality of schools and/or basic skills of young people for 11 countries participating in the TALIS survey (BG, CZ, DK, ES, FR, IT, LV, PT, SE, SK, and UK-ENG). The European Social Fund provides funding opportunities for EU Member States to invest in teacher education, particularly in the less developed regions. The ongoing negotiations on funding priorities for the 2014-2020 period are expected to result in ESF support for the majority of EU Member States on teacher education, and in particular the on continuous professional development of teachers. Teachers and teaching are also key themes of the peer review on schools that took place at the meeting of Director Generals of schools (DG Schools) in Athens in March 2014. 

 

While taking full account of the perception-based nature of the TALIS data, as well as the underpinning socio-economic and cultural contexts, the European Commission policy note sets to highlight key European findings from the survey and contribute to shaping the new political priorities for education and training.