The importance of competences in the language(s) of schooling for equity and quality in education and for educational success - CM/Rec(2014)5 and explanatory memorandum

This recommendation concerns the mastery of the language of schooling in the various subjects taught and its importance for learners' success. Many factors have well-documented roles to play in a learner's educational success or failure (the family's socio-economic situation, help available to learners from their parents, educational activities, level of teacher training, early support, etc.). Inadequate command of a wide range of linguistic forms partly determines educational failure, as confrmed by the programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Mastery of the language(s) of schooling is one of the ways to achieve the goal set by the European Commission and by a wide range of national authorities of reducing the number of learners leaving the education system without qualifcations.
The measures to promote an adequate mastery of competences in the language of schooling on the part of all students are part of the action against educational failure, and thus an important contribution to the search for equity and quality in education.