Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education Meeting in Norway

Meeting in Kristiansand, Norway

Kristiansand, the southernmost city of Norway, will have more than the traditional midsummer celebration on its hands, next week. Kristiansand is hosting the Council of Europe's Standing Conference of European Ministers of Education, whose countries are members of the Council of Europe. The three day conference takes place between 22 and 24 June 1997.

The theme of the Ministerial Conference is Education 2000 : trends, common issues and priorities for pan-European co-operation. This theme is of paramount importance to all countries who are members of the Council of Europe, in view of the changes taking place in the European continent and the challenges that are being faced in the short and medium term.

The Conference takes place at a time when different activities of the Council of Europe are coming to an end, and new activities are being launched. It therefore provides an excellent opportunity for a broad-based political discussion of the future role of the Council of Europe in the field of education and for determining priorities for future co-operation within the framework of the Council of Europe.

Malta is being represented by the Minister of Education & National Culture, Mr. Evarist Bartolo and this will be a first opportunity for him to meet his counterparts from the forty two other countries that will be participating in the conference.

The Norwegians have also sponsored an event to coincide with the Conference which is brilliantly imbued with symbolism. They have invited two young singers (one male and one female) from each participating country to form part of an International Choir which will perform on the opening day of the conference. The future of the European Continent depends on the 'singing' in harmony by members of the younger generations of the countries of Greater Europe - of which both Norway and Malta form an integral part.

The two Maltese choir participants are Ms Claire Debono, hailing from Naxxar, and, Mr Mario Attard, hailing from Mosta. Ms Debono and Mr Attard are both studying voice at the Johann Strauss School of Music.