In 1953, when a European Union was not even dreamed of, a number of parents set themselves up to create educational establishments where children of different European backgrounds could be taught side by side in their respective mother tongues, learning from each other while broadening their horizons. This experiment was subsequently taken up by the European Commission and its institutions. There are now several schools across Europe based on this concept. Uniquely, European Schools offer a European Baccalaureate giving right of access to all higher education institutions across the European Union.
Our strategic outlook
One of our main objectives is to support the establishment of schools in England and Wales offering multilingual European education. Currently, there is only one school of this kind in England, in Culham (Oxfordshire) and its future has been in question for some time. The ETEE has therefore fought to safeguard the presence of this unique European School, with the ultimate objective of supporting the setting up of similar units elsewhere in England and Wales.
Our initial plan was approved by the government, parents and other stakeholders, instigating the creation of a new charitable company, called CLASS and led by one of our Patrons, Lord Jay of Ewelme. This new charitable company will now seek to create a "European Languages and Science Academy". The new Academy will not only ensure the future of the current school, but also its opening up to the community at large.
In conjunction with our continuous interest in the future of the Culham School, we aim to set a support network for teachers working in existing multilingual schools and, later on, to set up further schools in England based on the concept of bi-literal and multilingual education.
More widely, we are also forging links with the Scottish European Educational Trust as well as seeking to create a federation of similar European Education Trust in the rest of the continent.
The Objects of the ETEE
Excerpt from the Trust's Deeds of Incorporation:
“The objects of the Trust are to advance education for the public benefit in multilingual education a) by supporting the establishment and development of schools and curricular programmes in England that will advance such education; b) by advancing the education of persons working in schools or any other institutions or services, or working otherwise in the field of education, to advance multilingual education; c) by promoting good practice in the training and education of teachers for multilingual education; d) by disseminating information and recommendations on good practice in the above field."
