Recommendation on student mobility (06/24/2010)

The Flemish Education Council suggests that the Flemish Minister for Education would take the opportunity of the Belgian Presidency of the EU to propose recommendations on student mobility.

Some suggestions:

• The mobility policy must be anchored in an internationalization policy;
• Government and institutions must give correct information to students and their parents;
• Data on student mobility should be accurately and centrally collected;
• There is a need for adequate funding. The Flemish Education Council thinks first of all of sufficient resources for the institutions, but also for the European Framework Programme "Lifelong Learning". The Flemish Education Council suggests a mobility fund, providing compensations for study and living cost differences and for costs arising from unbalanced mobility flows between countries that receive a lot of students and countries that send many students; Student grants have to be portable;
• The success of student mobility strongly depends on social and academic conditions.

Mobility should not be limited to the socio-economic privileged or excellent students. Disadvantaged groups need additional support.