Schola Europaea

European Schools system

The European Schools are official educational establishments controlled jointly by the governments of the Member States of the European Union on the basis of Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools. There are currently 14 European Schools in 7 different countries and with a total of approximately 21,000 pupils.

How the schools are managed

The governing body of the European Schools is composed of 31 members:

the Ministers of Education, usually represented by senior civil servants from the Ministries of Education or Foreign Affairs of each Member State
a Commission official representing all the other Community institutions
a representative from the European Patent Office
a representative appointed by the teachers’ Staff Committee and
a representative of the parents appointed by the Parents' Associations.

The mandate of the Board of Governors covers educational, administrative and financial matters. When it is not in session, its powers are exercised by its officially appointed Secretary-General.

The schools are mainly financed by public funding and are independent from national educational systems. The EU contributes around 50 per cent of the overall budget of the European Schools. Member States provide about 23 per cent of the budget revenue directly by seconding teaching staff as agreed in a specific Convention.