Tue 9 December, 15:00-18:00 // European Economic and Social Committee, Citizens’ Auditorium (Room REM-1), Rue Belliard 93, Brussels 

There has been a growing support for long-term investment in education and training from the EU, stakeholders and citizens. However, although our socio-economic models rely heavily on quality education, budgets are shrinking in most EU Member States. There is a clear lack of coherence between the call for sustainable investment in growth-friendly areas, such as education, and the call for austerity measures, which damages them. The EU shall address this contradiction within the European Semester. How to bridge EU recommendations and national policies? How to find a balance between efficiency and equity in investing in education? Providing quality education for all is a responsibility of public authorities, but what about the cost-sharing challenge? What should new performance-based funding models look like? What about the important side policies like childcare service and student support?

We are happy to invite you to our Round Table on ‘Efficient and equitable funding of education: A target beyond reach?’ during the Lifelong Learning Week 2014. By gathering European institutions and civil society representatives and researchers, the policy debate will aim at finding some of the answers in order to have a more sustainable funding of our education and training systems.

The event was organised by the European Civil Society Platform on Lifelong Learning (EUCIS-LLL), with the support of MEP Jill Evans (Greens/EFA, UK).