European Identity - Individual, Group and Society - HumanitarianNet

226 EUROPEAN IDENTITY. INDIVIDUAL, GROUP AND SOCIETYThe objective of this contribution is to describe the characteristicsof a school or a school establishment that tries to face up to all thechallenges of society by creating a real learning community within thelocal community and in the current European and world context. Thebasic assumption underlying the arguments in favor of the school as orwithin a learning community is contributing to create real innovatingschools as those referred to in the OECD publication “Innovatingschools” 9 .The present contribution also builds on the achievements of thepedagogical project launched in 2000 within the framework of theUniversal forum on Cultures Barcelona 2004. The pedagogical projectof that forum has focused strongly on the development of learningcommunities build together with and around schools. It has organizedseveral events such as a major international conference on this topic inBarcelona in October 2001.The present interest for the learning communities is also highlightedin Commission documents such as the Communication from theCommission on Lifelong Learning in November 2001. Which statesthat “To promote a culture of learning across Europe, there is a need todevelop learning communities, learning cities and regions and toestablish local multifunctional learning centers” 10 . The present text seesthe learning community involving in a school which can be synonymousof a learning city in some cases. It can also be embedded in a learningregion and can possibly play the role of the multifunctional learningcenter.Characteristics of the School as a Learning CommunityInstead of giving a definition the present contribution stresses someof the key elements which are the main characteristics of the school asa learning community:—the pedagogical project and the school plan as a basis for thelearning community,—a coherent, motivated team composed of members of thelearning community,9OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; InnovatingSchools, Paris, CERI, 1999, 136 pages.10Commission of the European Communities; Communication from theCommission: Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a reality, Brussels, Nov.2001 , COM (2001) 678 final, 40 pages.