Eurydice Voice

Welcome to the Spring edition of Eurydice Voice, our quarterly newsletter.

We're happy to kick off this edition with a strong focus on the theme of learning for sustainability. Check out an interview featuring our authors, who share some insights of our report, "Learning for Sustainability in Europe: Building Competences and Supporting Teachers and Schools," providing a comprehensive understanding of the current situation. Next up, tune in to the Education for Climate Talk featuring Anna Horvath, Eurydice analyst, and Ulrike Pisiotis from DG EAC. This insightful conversation adds depth to the findings of our report, offering new valuable perspectives.

Explore our Eurydice Focus On article, shedding light on how today's youth is confronting pressing challenges such as the green transition, energy, and security issues. Despite bearing no direct responsibility for these urgent matters, younger generations are already taking action, just think about the global movements like Fridays For Future, initiated by Greta Thunberg. After that, explore the European School Education Platform and the content and webinar it offers related to this vital topic.

But that's not all. May 2024 marks European Diversity Month, an initiative by the EU to foster equal and inclusive environments for all. To celebrate this occasion, we spotlight the findings of our Eurydice report on Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in European Schools. Watch our video for a quick overview of the report's key insights and read the authors’ interview.

In this issue, catch also a glimpse of what's to come at the upcoming Tirana Ministerial Conference and the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Bologna Process. Lastly, have a look at our latest report, "Validation of Non-formal and Informal Learning in Higher Education in Europe," contributing to the enduring impact of the European Year of Skills, recently celebrated at its closing event in Brussels.

Eurydice recently published the report "Learning for sustainability in Europe: Building competences and supporting teachers and schools". We asked our authors, Teodora Parveva, Anna Horvath, Sonia Piedrafita Tremosa and Emmanuel Sigalas to answer a few questions on the situation that emerges from their analysis.

Don't miss out this Education For Climate TALK featuring Anna Horvath, Eurydice analyst, and Ulrike Pisiotis from DG EAC. Get deeper insights into the analysis presented in our latest report, as well as an overview of how 39 European education systems are integrating learning for sustainability into teaching and school life.

Check out this Eurydice Focus On Article on how young people are facing current challenges, such as the green transition, energy, and security issues. Despite bearing no direct responsibility for these urgent matters, younger generations are already taking action.

Do you know the European School Education Platform? It is the meeting point for all stakeholders in the school education sector – school staff, researchers, policymakers, and other professionals – spanning every level from early childhood education and care to primary and secondary school, including initial vocational education and training. June's topic will be learning for sustainability, registrations for the webinar "teaching about climate change" will be opening soon, stay tuned!

No time to fully read our Eurydice report on promoting diversity and inclusion in schools? Don't worry! We have got you covered with our video that provides you with a quick and easy overview of its key features.

An engaging interview with the authors of the latest Eurydice's recent report, Sogol Noorani, Diana Antonello, and Ania Bourgeois. On the basis of their analysis, they examine initiatives supporting disadvantaged students, such as special educational needs and language assistance for migrants and ethnic minorities. They also explore areas that need more dedicated focus, including addressing gender stereotypes and combating discrimination.

Knowledge and skills are commonly developed in structured programmes taking place in education and training institutions. Such programmes usually lead to a certificate or qualification validating the competences acquired. However, it is important to recognise that learning also occurs outside of education and training institutions, for example at workplaces or within non-professional activities of individuals.

The EU supports actions to recognise and valorise different types of learning, including non-formal and informal learning. The idea behind this is that the validation of knowledge and skills acquired in different learning contexts can enhance people’s aspirations for further learning and/or increase their chances on the labour market.

Eurydice’s newest report explores opportunities for the validation of non-formal and informal learning in 37 higher education systems across Europe. The report looks at whether the validation of non-formal and informal learning allows accessing higher education study programmes and to what extent it can contribute to fulfilling higher education study requirements. The report also examines the types of learning activity that can be validated and the quality assurance mechanisms underpinning validation practice. The report contributes to the future legacy of the European Year of Skills, celebrated recently at its closing event in Brussels.

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing recognition of education's crucial role in transforming society towards sustainability, equity, and social justice. Educational institutions are considered vital agents in tackling the sustainability challenges faced by societies, as they play a key role in developing competences through teaching and learning. To effectively prepare learners to address the green transition and promote a sustainable future, it is essential to integrate sustainability competences holistically into the curriculum and provide teachers and school leaders with proper training and guidance. How is this put into practice in European education systems? Eurydice’s latest report focuses on this aspect. The report explores primary and general secondary education across 39 European education systems and examines approaches to learning for sustainability for students and teachers, and the support offered to schools.

The Eurydice Network's task is to provide reliable information and comprehensive analyses of European education systems and policies. The network drafts descriptions of national education systems, comparative studies devoted to specific topics, indicators and statistics.

Through its work, Eurydice aims to promote understanding, cooperation, trust and mobility at European and international levels. All Eurydice publications are available free of charge on the Eurydice website. The network consists of national units located in European countries and is coordinated by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.