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13-06-2007: CESI resolution on equal opportunities: education is key In a recently-adopted resolution on the ‘European Year of Equal Opportunities for all 2007’, CESI comes to the conclusion that education has a key role to play when it comes to guaranteeing equal opportunities in society. In CESI’s view, the school system must make it possible for a child from a disadvantaged background to pursue a career which makes full use of their skills. Commenting on this, General Secretary Helmut Müllers observed: "Childhood schooling - in particular at nursery school and primary school - can help to improve the chances of struggling pupils in the education system. Good post-school training does not just have a positive impact on a person’s income in later life; it also reduces the risk of unemployment and social exclusion." CESI goes on to demand that the exclusion of young people with physical disabilities from ‘standard schools’, still widespread in Europe, be tackled, in order to offer those affected the same educational opportunities. "The necessary building work must be carried out and technology installed so that every general-education school can ensure barrier-free access to its pupils", stressed the CESI General Secretary. The area of further and continuing education is also marked by inequality, according to CESI. The higher a person’s level of education, the more likely s/he is to carry on training, with the result that further and continuing education promotes inequalities rather than reducing them. "It is very much a company trend to invest in staff who have already attained a high level of education. We must, as a matter of urgency, turn this trend around, in order to improve the employment chances of low-qualified workers in the long-term", noted Helmut Müllers in conclusion.

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