The Commission of the European Communities (CEC) has proposed a program for practical cooperation among Member States in secondary education. The strategies and methods of cooperation developed in two previous action programs must be adapted to the evolving situation of the 1990s. Factors of particular importance are continuing structural change in the labor market, a steady drop in the number of young people entering the labor market, and the need for a system for the management of change. Further preparatory and analytical work has been carried out in two important thematic areas: inservice training at the "grass-roots" level and illiteracy prevention. These priorities have been identified from the following needs: (1) to prepare teachers better for their new roles in the transition process; (2) to promote closer links between education and economic development; (3) to combat school failure; (4) to strengthen the specific role of the school in the guidance process; (5) to promote gender equality in education; and (6) to strengthen partnership between parents and secondary schools. The CEC intends to monitor innovation in secondary education, identify opportunities for cooperation, and establish a task force that will provide technical assistance. (YLB)