We Think EuropeEuropean Youth Seminars @ Europahaus Marienberg
We Think EuropeAuthor
Education in Europe
by Tomáš Rychetský, 2010
Comenius is an educational program which is named from teacher Johann Amos Comenius. It started in 1995 and it is part of program Socrates. This program is mainly for students, but also for teachers and other people from education community.
Co-ordinators of projects are schools which must have qualifications for communication between partner schools and the organization business. The subject and other things depend on a deal between the schools.
The aim of Comenius projects is helping people improve their knowledge, acquire skills in team work or social relationships. This integration is good not only for personal development, but also for future employment and it could be enriching, because we can get many interesting information about other cultures.
Comenius members participate in project activities, which are for example: discussion and exchange of knowledge, writing documents relating to collective project topics, making art objects or graphics, theatre performances, language teaching, sharing information between institutions in regions, using information and communication technologies. Part of this program is the project meeting and pupil exchange. Project meeting is intended for teachers: preparing, planning and monitoring program statuses. Pupil exchange gives pupil an opportunity to spend some time in partner school and practise language and communication skills.
Project priorities are set annually and current priorities are, e.g. motivation for learning and learning-to-learn skills. Also the project has some key competences, such as: improving language learning; greater literacy; making science more attractive or reinforcing creativity and innovation.
I think this project is very good for everyone, because we can improve our language, moreover we can meet other people and have a great time with them. On the one hand it is a good chance to look in a different place, to meet new people or to go abroad. On the other hand Comenius program doesn't have such a big effect as was expected. But still we can learn something useful from different cultures or countries. At least it is a good move towards the unification of Europe and a good way of integrating young people.
