Skills are a crucial driver of the EU’s competitiveness and innovation capacity and a key determinant of social cohesion and personal well-being. Ongoing technological transformations and fast economic restructuring require people to engage in continuous learning throughout their lifetime. Member States are thus engaging in reforms to improve the capacity of their education and training systems to deliver high quality education and ensure their citizens have constant and equal access to it. The Commission supports them by providing expertise and exchange of relevant practices, thus complementing other available support.
In line with European Commission and national priorities, the Commission helps Member States reform their education and training systems in a way that both helps recovery from the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and makes them more resilient in the long term, tackling negative social impacts, in particular.
To do so, the Commission engages with Member States administrations on a wide range of topics. Beneficiaries include Ministries in charge of education, vocational education and training, employment, research and innovation, as well as relevant state agencies and regional authorities.
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Inclusive education
Areas to support reforms for inclusive education include special education needs, tackling early school leaving and raising the quality of early childhood education and care. The Commission provides support on improving the governance, quality and flexibility of adult education. A particular focus is on enhancing digital skills and competences, both in the workforce and among citizens in general,. On vocational education and training, reforms aim at raising the adaptability and capacity of systems to support the development of relevant skills.
EXAMPLES OF SUPPORT AREAS
- Addressing low education outcomes and early school dropouts
- Adult education
- Digital education and skills
- Early childhood education and care
- Efficiency of funding and spending systems
- Inclusive education
- Monitoring of education systems and policymaking
- Vocational education and training
The Commission is supporting the Portuguese Ministry of Education to stir the discussion with all relevant stakeholders to define standards, indicators and procedures in a comprehensive system to monitor the implementation of the new law on inclusive education.
The Commission supports the French Ministry of Education to reform the implementation framework of the French Centres of Excellence (Campus des Métiers) to eventually increase their quality and effectiveness.
The Commission has provided technical support to Belgium, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal to upgrade their adult education systems.
Higher education and research
The Commission also supports reforms to raise quality and stimulate excellence in higher education and research, including policies to make systems more inclusive, connected and innovative.
Across all sectors of education and training, reforms aim at enhancing the quality and professionalism of the teaching force, including educational leaders.
EXAMPLES OF SUPPORT AREAS
- Curriculum reform (including student assessment)
- Higher education, research and innovation
- Teachers and school leadership policy
The Commission has provided technical support to Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Lithuania and Slovakia to upgrade their teacher policies and support the implementation of curriculum reforms.
The Commission is supporting the Flemish Department of Education and Training (Belgium) in setting up an effective induction system for novice teachers in order to tackle early drop-out from the profession and to ensure better careers for teachers in the longer term.
The Commission is supporting Hungary’s effort to review its strategic framework for the digital transformation of the higher education system, building on other national policies and practices.