E-CONS - COMENIUS 3 - CONSUMER EDUCATION

CONSUMER EDUCATION NEEDS
ANALYSIS BY COUNTRY

BELGIUM BULGARIA CZECH REP. CYPRUS FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HUNGARY ITALY LATVIA	LITHUANIA LUXEMBOURG POLAND PORTUGAL ROMANIA SLOVENIA SLOVAKIA SPAIN UNITED KINGDOM

CONSUMER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN EU

CURRENT SITUATION OF CONSUMER EDUCATION IN THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
(Questionnaire Conclusions, see Annexe 1)

Consumer Education is, up to a point, a reality for thousands and thousands of classrooms at the shcools from all Europe.
Under the development of the Consumer Protection policies promoted by the European Commission, in which the importance of the Consumer Education has been always enhanced, and strengthened by the educational changes that are shaking our schools in the last years, and that point to the need to educate for life, Consumer Education, with the effort of thousands of teachers, professionals and organizations, is no more a strange element in almost any school of all Europe.

Briefly, we also want to explain the situation, in the educational field, of the Consumer Education in the countries which are part of the E-Cons Network :

Country		Current Situation of Consumer Education
*Belgium*		Consumer Education (CE) has been integrated in the programmes of Primary and Secondary in the French-speaking community for more than 25 years. In schools in the Flemish part it is a cross –curricular element that has to be integrated compulsorily and explicitly into curricula.
*Germany*		Consumerism themes are included in one way or another in the school curricula in Germany.
*Greece*		CE forms part of curricula as a possible option for teaching staff.
*Spain*		CE forms part of curricula as a cross-curricular element, it is obligatory for teaching staff. There is a wide local network with the integration of many schools. It counts on ample support from public institutions.
*France*		It is not included in the curricula although recommendations are given for its application in schools that wish to use it as a didactic instrument.
*Italy*		CE does not form part of the curricula as such, teaching staff work on this theme in an optional way as a didactic tool.
*Luxembourg*		It is not a compulsory subject but consumer education in school is considered to be very important in teaching young persons how to consume in a responsible way.
*Portugal*		CE is present in the curricula as a possible option. There is a structured local Network. It counts on the support of public institutions.
*United Kingdom*		CE is not a fully -fledged subject but themes it deals with are included in the subjects of citizenships (citizenship is a core subject in some key stages of the national curriculum of England and Wales), Personal, Social and Health Education.
*Bulgaria*		It is not compulsory in schools, is included in University in certain degree courses: Sociology. Economic Sociology; Business Administration, Consumer Behaviour and Psychology in the area of Tourism.
*Czech Republic*		The change has been fast and consumers do not yet know their rights in common Europe.
*Cyprus*		CE is included in the curricula, not separately, but integrated in almost all subjects. Special importance is given to questions related to consumer rights and health.
*Latvia*		CE is not included in a compulsory way in schools but awareness is being raised to these themes. Projects are beginning to be developed in this field.
*Lithuania*		CE is not included in the curriculum, but the Government has recently adopted a strategy with a view to its integration. CE is beginning to be introduced at different education levels.
*Hungary*		La EC no está incluida en el currículo..
*Poland*		Consumer education is not part of the school curriculum in a sense that there is no separate subject devoted to CE. Instead some consumer related issues are being tought within particular subjects, for example entrepreneurship, knowledge about society etc
*Romania*		CE is one of the education areas most in need of development. It is included in curricula in an optional way, mainly in tutorial classes along with other themes (highway education and others). Similarly there is an optional curriculum on education for nutritional health in which CE is included.
*Slovenia*		CE in schools is necessary because consumers have a low level of knowledge as to their rights. The Consumer Protection Act provides in one of its points, that the curriculum of Primary and Secondary must include basic knowledge of consumer protection, but for the time being this is not so and we would like to change this situation participating in the project.
*Slovakia*		CE is not present in the curriculum in an explicit way but it is considered very important. Work in this project could encourage teachers to develop school projects in this field.