How can education help integrate people into society? 22nd Conference of European Ministers of Education

Education ministers from the 49 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe are gathering in Istanbul (Turkey) on 4 and 5 May 2007 to map out education policies that allow everyone, from the earliest age, to become better integrated into society, thus helping to build a more humane and inclusive Europe.

The conference, which is expected to attract around 200 participants, will revolve around three main themes:
– children’s rights in the field of education;
– introducing education policies that promote greater social cohesion and respect for diversity;
– lifelong learning.

Each child’s right to high-quality teaching, measures to promote an inclusive education including for socially and culturally excluded people, education for democratic citizenship, and developing a better understanding of today’s multicultural society are all issues that will be addressed over the two days.

The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, will open the conference on Friday 4 May at 9.30 am (it will be open to the press until 10.15 am).

A press conference will be held on Saturday 5 May at 2 pm (Dolmabahce Ballroom, Ceylan Intercontinental, Asker Ocagi 1). A final declaration will be presented to the press.

To apply for press accreditation, please contact Mustafa Oymak, Turkish Ministry of Education, tel. +90 312 418 28 51, e-mailbhm@meb.gov.tr.

The conference is a follow-up to the Action Plan adopted at the 3rd Council of Europe Summit of Heads of State and Government in Warsaw (May 2005), at which the programme "Building a Europe for and with children" was launched to promote children’s rights and protect children from violence (seewww.coe.int/children).

For further details of the conference, seehttp://istanbul2007.meb.gov.tr