Transcript Social and educational change in Central Europe

Social and educational change in
Central Europe
Janos Setenyi
GCEE
Budapest 2009
Old countries – new democracies
(GDP 2008)
From rag to riches
• Lack of long-lasting democratic traditions (except of
Czechoslovakia)
• Demoralizing effect of communist rule
• Inherited economic crisis and the high costs of
economic change/transition
• Peaceful transition (except of Romania) to democracy
• Stable governments and public administration
• Economic revival and growth since the mid 90s period
• Reasonably good infrastructure and improved
environmental conditions
• EU-membership in 2004
The ageing continent
Changing societies
• Expansion of secondary and higher education,
• Expansion of white-collar jobs and service
economy, collapse of the traditional industries,
• University degree’s rate of return still very high,
• The rich countries provide social benefits, the
poorer send the unemployed to the West
(Poland, Romania)
• The rise of the Roma (no third world migration
yet)
Educational performance in international
comparison PISA 2006 reading skills
Educational performance in international
comparison PISA 2006, low performing
students (%)
Average literacy performance of students
according to secondary school types, PISA 2006
Digital opportunity index in Europe,
2006
Future challenges
• Create a new society with democratic values,
entrepreneurship and high fertility
• Improve language education
• Develop vocational education to train highly skilled
workforce for future economy
• Create some world class universities in the region
• Mobilizing innovation in order to climb up on the global
value chain
• Improve the social intergation of the disadvantaged
groups (especially the Roma)
• Start a social dialogue on mass migration from the
South/East