The Commission asked the Economic and Social Committe to give its opinion on the Green Paper on Migration & mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education systems (COM(2008) 423 final) addressing a major challenge facing education systems today, which - whilst not new - has become more serious and more widespread in recent years.

The fact that there are a large number of children in schools from a migrant background living in a precarious socio-economic situation.

The Commission feels that it would be valuable to consult the relevant players about education policy for children from a migrant background and to make their views known about: 

  • the policy challenge;
  • good policy responses to this challenge; 
  • the possible role of the European Union in helping Member States address these challenges; and
  • the future of Directive 77/486/EEC.

Reference: Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the Green Paper Migration & mobility: challenges and opportunities for EU education systems. In Official Journal of the European Union, C 218, 11.9.2009, p. 69-77.