Eurobarometer 44.1: Education and Training Throughout Life and the Common European Currency, November-December 1995 (ICPSR 6723)

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This round of Eurobarometer surveys queried respondents on standard Eurobarometer measures, such as how satisfied they were with their life, whether they attempted to persuade others close to them to share their views on subjects they held strong opinions about, whether they discussed political matters, and what the goals of the European Union (EU) should be for the next ten years. Additional questions focused on the respondents' knowledge of and opinions on the EU, including how well-informed they felt about the EU, what sources of information about the EU they used, and whether their country had benefited from being an EU member. Other areas of investigation were education and training, the common European currency, Third World development, food product quality labels, the 1996 InterGovernmental Conference, and the European Parliament. Questions concerning education and training throughout life were asked only of respondents 15-24 years old and covered topics such as reasons for learning throughout life, the likelihood that continuing training throughout life would improve the respondent's work and personal life, participation in a training course in the last year, the main role of schools, and satisfaction with the way schools help develop children's personalities, broaden their abilities, and teach children to live in society and adapt to changes. Also covered were the most important qualities for a person to have and the importance of the parent, school, and working environment in developing those qualities. Parents' level of involvement in education was also explored, with questions on choosing children's schools, following their school work, talking to teachers, and helping children if they have difficulties. Respondents were also queried on the role businesses should play in schools and vocational training, the role of the EU in continuing education, and the influence of technology and new communication techniques on education and instruction. Questions on the common European currency included respondents' preference for or against having one currency in all EU member states, how well-informed respondents were about the common European currency, their knowledge of the conditions member countries must meet to join the European Economic and Monetary Union, and their opinions on when European currency would be introduced. Opinions were also elicited on the effects of the European currency on economic growth, jobs, shopping, currency exchange, cross-border travel, the costs of doing business between Monetary Union member states, the degree of turmoil and volatility in international currency markets, inflation, and the disparity between the rich and the poor. In addition, respondents were queried about Third World development, including what the important development problems were and whether decisions about those problems should be made by member countries of the EU acting together or by each country separately, information sources about Third World countries and the main topics covered by those sources, attitudes toward helping Third World countries, what the principal aim should be in relations with Third World countries, whether industrialized countries were currently helping Third World countries to become less poor, to lead the Third World to economic independence, or to enable them to solve their own problems, who provided the most help to Third World countries (the EU, international organizations, the United Nations, private companies, or non-governmental agencies), what conditions should be met before help is given, and whether the major part of the EU's assistance to the Third World was devoted to emergency humanitarian action or to longer-term development. Questions concerning quality labels for food products included how often the household bought various categories of food products, the three most important things people take into account when buying food products, awareness of and trust in quality labels on food products, awareness of and purchase frequency for food products with a "Designation of Origin" label and what the label means, willingness to pay more for food products of guaranteed origin, consumption frequency for food products made or produced in the traditional way, and confidence level if a food product were guaranteed by the EU as to origin and traditional method of production. Regarding the 1996 InterGovernmental Conference, respondents were queried on their awareness of the conference and which fundamental objectives the EU should set within the scope of that conference. Further questions probed respondents' opinions on the degree of influence that big and powerful member states in the EU had, whether trade unions, political parties, professional organizations, newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations represented respondents' views about Europe and the EU, how soon the countries of Central and Eastern Europe such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia should become members of the EU, and why they should become members. Other conference topics included the preferred effect of granting EU membership to Central and Eastern European countries on aid to farmers, how much weight should go to each vote in the EU Council of Ministers, which rights were most important for citizens of the EU, which aims should be given priority in the EU over the next ten years, the role of the EU in avoiding war between member states, what the level of cuts in Social Security benefits should be, Europe's competitiveness in world markets, how helpful all member states were in working together to fight unemployment and create jobs, the relative influence of the opinions of people like the respondent on the decisions made by their national government versus those made by the institutions of the EU, and the respondent's length of stay in other countries of the EU. Topics relating to the European Parliament (EP) included the extent that its decisions were in the interest of people like the respondent, the EP's importance in the life of the EU, and areas of policy the EP should pay particular attention to. Demographic items include age, gender, marital status, size of household, education, occupation, and household income.

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