The objectives of SOCRATES
SOCRATES is Europe’s education programme and involves around 30 European countries. Its main objective is precisely to build up a Europe of knowledge and thus provide a better response to the major challenges of this new century: to promote lifelong learning, encourage access to education for everybody, and help people acquire recognised qualifications and skills. In more specific terms, SOCRATES seeks to promote language learning, and to encourage mobility and innovation.
SOCRATES / ERASMUS
The SOCRATES II programme supports European cooperation in eight areas, from school to higher education, from new technologies to adult learners. The higher education section of SOCRATES II ("ERASMUS") continues and extends the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students (the "ERASMUS programme"), established in 1987. It is named after the philosopher, theologian and humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam (1465-1536). An untiring adversary of dogmatic thought in all fields of human endeavour, Erasmus lived and worked in several parts of Europe, in quest of the knowledge, experience and insights which only such contacts with other countries could bring. By leaving his fortune to the University of Basel, he became a precursor of mobility grants.
SOCRATES - Action 6 Observation and Innovation
Objectives
"Observation and Innovation" is the name given to the action of the Community programme in the field of education, SOCRATES, for the period 2000-2006, that aims at promoting European co-operation in educational policies.
The main objectives for this action are to:
1. Improve the quality and transparency of education systems
2. Further the process of educational innovation in Europe through the exchange of information and experience, the identification of good practice, the comparative analysis of systems and policies in this field, and the discussion and analysis of matters of common educational policy interest to be determined by the Council.
