A3-0217/93

Resolution on distance learning and its future in the European Community

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Commission's proposal for a directive on the protection of participants in home-study courses, which was withdrawn following opposition from the Member States,

-having regard to Rule 121 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the sixth indent of Article 126(2) of the Treaty on European Union,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Frémion on open-access universities, summer schools and other forms of teaching open to all (B3-1561/92),

-having regard to its resolution of 10 July 1987 on open universities in the European Community,

-having regard to the Commission's memorandum on distance learning in the European Community (COM(91)0388),

-having regard to the Commission's report on distance education in the Member States (SEC(91)0897),

-having regard to the report of its Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media (A3-0217/93),

A.whereas open and distance learning may enable any group disadvantaged by reason of finance, family commitment, geographical location, physical disability or lack of prior qualifications, to take full advantage of education and training,

B.whereas distance learning is both an educational and an economic asset and therefore has points of contact with both the internal market and the people's Europe,

C.whereas distance learning enhances education and training owing to the flexible forms of instruction it allows,

D.whereas in the Member States distance learning is part of a developed education system and whereas the Member States bear sole responsibility for the education system in the Community,

E.whereas the conditions for entry to universities offering distance learning differ in the various Member States; whereas these institutions enable persons in employment in particular to follow a course of higher education or further training,

F.whereas distance learning can never replace forms of tuition based on personal interaction,

G.whereas distance learning is an effective, alternative and economical method of higher education and of up-dating knowledge and training,

H.whereas distance learning can offer the individual a large measure of freedom to organize his own learning process and education,

I.whereas although recognition of the diplomas awarded by distance-learning universities is essentially a national affair, the chances of mutual recognition could be improved by introducing comparable entry conditions for these universities,

J.whereas the market in private distance learning facilities must be organized in such a way as to protect consumers, i.e. students, from unscrupulous and dishonest operators throughout the Community,

K.whereas the suppliers of distance learning courses, open universities, industry and students have already organized very successful Community-wide cooperation and networks,

L.whereas, given its complementary nature and particular characteristics, distance learning should only be incorporated into action programmes to promote student mobility by way of preparation for periods abroad,

M.whereas distance learning can make a contribution towards rebuilding liberal and free democratic education systems in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to accompany the political, social and economic restructuring process,

N.whereas in regard to copyright, the conflicting interests of authors and users must be reconciled,

O.whereas distance learning may be a means of enabling ideas to circulate more quickly and of exchanging knowledge and experience throughout the Community more effectively and on a broader basis,

P.whereas the use of distance learning in vocational training has proved the value of the partnership between educational institutions and industry,

I.Calls on the Commission,

1.to submit a proposal as to how the quality of distance learning, in particular the products on offer but also the economic and educational integrity of the suppliers, can be ensured and improved in practical terms at Community level;

2.in doing so, to take account of the particular conditions of distance learning with regard to the way contracts are concluded, the particular features of the product, the objectively possible educational achievement as the 'substance' of the service, and the dual nature of these products as educational and economic assets;

3.to support the European dimension of distance learning in so far as:

(a)it increases the choice of learning methods for the citizens of the Member States,

(b)it can contribute to political, social and cultural education about Europe and thereby help to bring about a people's Europe,

(c)it offers disadvantaged groups the opportunity to take part in education and training;

4.to promote the development, in all the languages of the Community, of European, educationally high-quality software, in particular the creation of a uniform user interface for educational purposes,

5.to encourage existing distance learning networks to focus on Europe in all its aspects, particularly the social, legal, historical and cultural aspects, which have hitherto been too often neglected in favour of the economic and social dimension alone,

6.to introduce clear copyright rules for distance learning products which reconcile the interests of the authors who want recognition of creative, educational presentation and processing of knowledge as creative work and the interests of users who want to ensure that the material is used appropriately for non-commercial educational purposes;

7.to incorporate distance learning in existing Community action programmes (for example, LINGUA, COMETT, ERASMUS) to the extent that this seems reasonably compatible with the objective of the particular programme, i.e. in the case of the ERASMUS programme, for example, to look at the scope for using aspects of distance learning in preparation for periods abroad, not only in the subject area to be studied and familiarization with the relevant language and country but also in obtaining information and selecting an appropriate place and country of study, in order to improve the effectiveness of the mobility grant, while adhering to the general objective of the ERASMUS programme - encouraging mobility to promote learning and understanding - and the related criteria governing the duration and nature of the period abroad;

8.to enhance the contribution made by distance learning in reorganizing the education and economic systems in the fledgling democracies in Central and Eastern Europe;

II.Calls on the Member States,

9.to give distance learning the status it merits in their education systems;

10.to acknowledge and promote the European aspect of distance learning in all fields,

III.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council.