Murcia Leads European Collaboration in Education
The LeadEx Kick-off Meeting, hosted by the General Directorate of Human Resources, Educational Planning and Innovation of the Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Employment of the Region of Murcia, took place from 19 to 21 May 2025 in Murcia, Spain.
The meeting brought together eight partners: the lead partner—General Directorate of Human Resources, Educational Planning and Innovation (Regional Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Employment of the Region of Murcia); the communication manager and advisory partner—EARLALL; Podkarpackie Region from Poland; Central Denmark Region; Ministry of Education of Slovenia; the Centre for Vocational Education from Montenegro; Estonian Quality Agency for Education (HAKA); Varaždin County; and the associated policy authority—the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation of Montenegro.
The first day of the project began with a welcoming session led by Víctor Marín, the Minister of Education of the Region of Murcia, at the Regional Ministry of Education and Vocational Training. All partners then visited Miguel de Cervantes Secondary School, where each partner introduced themselves and provided a general overview of the education systems represented within the LeadEx project. Each participant also shared their ambitions, priorities, and expectations for LeadEx, describing it as a platform for a shared vision and sustainable innovation. These presentations highlighted both the differences and similarities between education systems across various EU regions and countries, enabling participants to identify good practices among the LeadEx partners from the outset. It was noted that most education systems have undergone reforms related to digital transformation, green skills, and inclusion. In the evening, participants gathered for a cultural tour of Murcia to learn more about the city’s history.
On the second day, EARLALL, as the communication manager, presented the dissemination and communication strategy for LeadEx, outlining its key principles and objectives. This session allowed partners to become familiar with the main communication activities already completed, as well as those planned for the first semester of the collaboration. It also explained how partners should implement the communication plan. The project’s target audience, communication tools, website, and promotional video were all discussed in detail.
The day concluded with a Steering Committee (SC) meeting, during which participants formally approved its constitution. The purpose of the SC includes overseeing the overall implementation of the project; managing and resolving risks and conflicts among partners; supporting the coordinator and fostering synergies across thematic activities; validating main deliverables and outputs; and ensuring the quality of interregional and policy learning outcomes. Additionally, the committee approved the Project Management Manual, confirmed the roles of the work package coordinators and project partners, endorsed the detailed Semester 1 work plan, and discussed the methodology developed by EARLALL—the advisory partner—for the Regional Education Diagnosis reports.
The final day was dedicated to field visits, which allowed participants to identify initial good practices from the Region of Murcia. They explored two local educational institutions. The first was IES Politécnico de Murcia, founded in 1954, with over 2,000 students and 190 teachers. Presented by its director, Valentín García-Donas Valero, this secondary school places a strong emphasis on vocational training and serves as a model of lifelong learning—offering opportunities to adults without age restrictions. The school is also an active participant in the Erasmus+ programme. Participants toured classrooms and workshops dedicated to marketing, mechanical manufacturing, electronics, IT, and nursing.
The second field visit was to the primary school CEIP Federico de Arce, which serves a total of 460 students. The aim of this study visit was to gain deeper insight into the functioning of a primary and preschool institution—its infrastructure, internal organization, educational projects, and teaching methodologies. During the visit, LeadEx partners had the opportunity to tour the school and observe its teaching practices firsthand.
The Kick-off Meeting concluded with a gala dinner celebrating the launch of this European partnership. During the dinner, the legal representative of the Estonian Quality Agency for Education delivered a thank-you speech and proudly extended an official invitation to all partners to attend the next LeadEx meeting, which will be hosted in Estonia in January 2026.