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Commissioner Oettinger pledges support to European schools

Gregor Prajs
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Commissioner Oettinger pledges support to European schools

“European schools are more than ever a must in particular as the pupils will be raised in a European spirit based on our values which is more important than ever.” Mr Oettinger said during the meeting with school directors. He also added: “I want to ask what we can do – within the current budgetary limits and in view of the Commission’s competencies- to help you optimise your offer to the families further.“

The European Schools were created in 1953 in Luxembourg to accommodate the schooling of children of staff of the Institutions in their mother tongue, based on a common curriculum. The aims of the European Schools is “Educated side by side, untroubled from infancy by divisive prejudices, acquainted with all that is great and good in the different cultures, it will be borne in upon them as they mature that they belong together. Without ceasing to look to their own lands with love and pride, they will become in mind Europeans, schooled and ready to complete and consolidate the work of their fathers before them, to bring into being a united and thriving Europe.”

The system is governed by an intergovernmental convention, with a decision-making body (the Board of Governors) bringing together Members States, the European Commission, and representatives of parents, teachers and staff. The European Patent Office, European Investment Bank/ European Investment Fund and EU Intellectual Property Office are also represented.

The Presidency rotates among the EU Member States every school year – in alphabetic order rather than following the EU Presidency. For the school year 2017-2018, Estonia holds the Presidency.

European Schools in figures

  • Number of European Schools: 13 in six countries
  • Total number of pupils: 26,690
  • Number of Category I pupils (children of EU staff): 21,310
  • Number of teachers: 2,193 (1,282 seconded by Member States)
  • Biggest European School: Brussels (Uccle) with 3,344 pupils
  • Oldest European School: Luxembourg I, founded in 1953
  • Number of accredited European Schools: 13
  • Find more infromation here:European schools brochure

Why are SWALS students leaving European schools

Gregor Prajs
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Why are SWALS students leaving European schools

Letter from the parent, which clearly express all the frustration regarding SWALS students * and passive and indifferent school management of European school Luxembourg 2 who doesn’t care about minorities.

Dear Ms Soekov and Mr. Frithiofson,

Thank you for your reply regarding our request to change L2 to French for our daughter. Unfortunately your decision comes too late (26 days after passing the admission test) and we managed to find an alternative solution in the meanwhile. Today is my daughter’s first day in her new school which offers to her an appropriate level of French and importantly also appropriate level of English. Secondary cycle of European School Lux 2 fails to provide the latter to SWALS despite several years of efforts by parents flagging that a change is needed desperately. Purely for your info and comparison; the procedure to admit her to her new school – a Luxembourgish Lycee – was finalized in roughly 2 hours after her admission test. Regardless of this solution, we found your offer of the L2 change problematic and not easy to legally justify given that my daughter’s conditions for subsequent L2 change would be worse than that of her peers’ (3rd bullet point from your letter).

School’s attitude towards SWALS students

SWALS students leaving school
Children leaving school

I would like to use the opportunity of my daughter’s departure to give a brief feedback. The school left her with a big load of happy memories, many friendships with wonderful people but also with a bad taste in her mouth. Unfortunately the school has often been perceived more as a bureaucratic institution which focuses on strict interpretation of rules. Instead it of looking for ways to invest in its students and reaching for their upmost potential (by efficiently adapting learning conditions to students’ needs) together with parents.

One particular concern is the attitude of the school toward SWALS students. My daughter often perceived her SWALS status as a stigma which we find strongly misaligned with the fact that the school was founded for EU countries and as such SWALS status (which is restricted to certain member states) should never come as penalization. We know many SWALS parents who feel discriminated not only against non-SWALS nationalities but also against non-EU members and would hence gladly switch to the system used for children’s peers from e.g. Turkey or Pakistan.

Price to pay

I understand that the main objective of European School is to protect the mother tongue. While I haven’t met any parents who find this objective unimportant it is evident that the protection of mother tongue in European School simply comes at a too high price.

bad/good weather
bad/good weather

Firstly, students are isolated from local community as the school doesn’t provide education for any of the local languages (case of SWALS students in English section) and apparently organisation of extravehicular lessons of French or German in school is not allowed. Second price to pay is the well-known inadequate and frustrating teaching of the tuition language for SWALS students in secondary cycle. Until these issues are addressed parents (and students) will continue to look for alternative solutions and the objective of protecting mother tongue will not be achieved. One example is our eldest daughter who as of today ceased with her mother tongue lessons due to these considerations. Perhaps European School would have managed to protect her mother tongue had it provided a different, more flexible setup.

I hope this honest feedback is accepted constructively and might be useful in future search for improvements. I remain available for any further discussions.

Kind regards,

Parent of ex-European-School-student

*SWALS (Students without a language section) –

Pupils for whom there is no language section corresponding to their mother tongue/dominant language will be enrolled at the schools/sites specified below, provided that there are places to be filled.

People Responsible for Data Protection in Schools

Gregor Prajs
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People Responsible for Data Protection in Schools

Ultimately, everyone has a responsibility in ensuring data is processed securely in a school. Staff and even students who handle personal data need to prevent it from coming into possession of anyone who hasn’t been given permission to view or process it.

There should be specifically elected individuals who are educated on data protection and who implement and uphold systems and policies.

The Senior Information Risk Officer (SIRO)

All schools should have a senior member of staff who is familiar with information risks and the school’s risk-reduction strategies. This is usually a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

The Senior Information Risk Officer must:

  • Ensure appropriate mitigations are in place to minimise risks.
  • Foster a culture that values, protects, and utilises information securely and in a way that benefits the organisation.
  • Take charge of the information risk policy and risk assessments, and ensure they are implemented by the Information Asset Owner(s).
  • Act as an advocate for information risk management.

SIROs should undertake training annually to keep their skills and capabilities up to date and relevant to their organisation. It’s essential that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to fulfil their role and ensure people’s privacy.

The Information Asset Owner (IAO)

The IAO is a member of the school community who is responsible for compiling or working with specific personal information. They must:

  • Know what information the organisation holds and for what purpose.
  • Understand how information is amended, added to, removed, or moved overtime.
  • Know who has access to the data and for what purpose.
  • Recognise how the information is retained and disposed of securely.
  • Information Asset Owners should:
  • Maintain a log of access requests made to the organisation.
  • Monitor users’ rights to transfer information to removable media, i.e. USB and external hard drives.
  • Negotiate, manage, and approve agreements on the sharing of personal information.
    Monitor access to personal information.
  • Provide an annual written assessment to the SIRO detailing the security and use of their asset.

When appointed to their position, they must undertake information management training, and retake it at least annually.

Preventing Data Security Breaches in Schools

Gregor Prajs
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Preventing Data Security Breaches in Schools

Schools must consider how to prevent breaches of data through the internet, intranet, and email systems.

  • Does the school have a Data Protection Policy in place?
  • Does the school have a Use Policy in place?
  • Is the use of the internet, email, and/or chat rooms monitored and regulated in some way?
  • Are filtering systems used to prevent access to inappropriate materials and sites on the internet and network?
  • Is there a reporting procedure in place for accidental access to inappropriate materials or sites?
  • Is internet safety taught as part of the curriculum?
  • Does the school follow safe practices when publishing images and names of students on their website?
  • Is information sent to parents via email?

Indicators of inadequate data protection practices include a lack of e-safety education across the curriculum, no internet filtering or monitoring, and students being unaware of how to report problems.

Data Protection Policies and Training

Gregor Prajs
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0
Data Protection Policies and Training

The aim of a data protection policy is to help staff understand how to safely and fairly process personal information.

The policy should include practical guidance on what can and cannot be done with data. Furthermore, it should be communicated to employees regularly. It’s important that all staff receive guidance on the confidentiality of personal information.

The policy will stipulate how individuals can use the internet and email for private communications securely. It should also cover issues of security when the school’s intranet is accessed from outside of the school grounds via a phone or tablet etc.

Aspects that a use policy should cover include:

  • Email – is homework or other personal data allowed to be shared between students and staff via email? Can it be done securely? Can emailing parents sensitive data be avoided? When sending bulk emails, are staff using BCC so that potentially hundreds of email addresses not disclosed?
  • Chat rooms – students should only have access to chat rooms that are educational in nature and are moderated. As part of e-safety education, teach students to never give out their or others’ personal data over chat.
  • Mobile technology – the policy should stipulate how these can be used securely and safely and what restrictions apply where needed. Aspects to consider include video messaging, mobile access to the internet, entertainment services (e.g. streaming), and information-based services.
  • School websites – a clear, detailed privacy statement should be displayed on the website. It should state how any information the school acquires will be used
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