Europe’s role in reinventing the future of education
Why Europe must rapidly re-envision the learning experience
Education and culture are widely acknowledged as central to building up future-relevant skills among an ageing workforce. They are also recognised as fundamental for fostering critical thinking and media literacy in a context where ‘alternative facts’ and disinformation are proliferating at a disconcerting pace. Even more importantly, they play a key role in fostering a greater sense of belonging and bridging across differences and diversity. With these dimensions in mind, EU leaders committed, as part of the Rome Declaration marking the 60th anniversary of the EU, to building a ‘Union where young people receive the best education and training and can study and find jobs across the continent’.
New realities in education:
The aspirations are there, but the data is mixed. Europe has the most educated workforce in its history, yet at the same time, one in five pupils in the EU has insufficient proficiency in reading, mathematics and science (according to latest data from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment — PISA).
Between 2012 and 2015, underachievement in the EU as a whole has worsened. European universities remain largely excluded from international rankings. Most regions in Europe combine shortcomings with regard to the access, quality and affordability of early childhood education, despite evidence that it lays a solid foundation for learning at school and throughout life. It is still rare to find lower-skilled adults, including those who struggle with basic skills or who are in precarious or fragmented work situations, taking part in lifelong learning.
Source: OECD calculations based on the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC)
The debate on the adequacy of education systems across Europe is a recurring one that dates back to long before the creation of the EU. But in most cases, education reforms are mere ‘tweaks’ to well-established practices, rather than transformational innovations, and Europe is yet to move from the current, industrial-era education system to a digitally-enabled, learner-centred one.
Clearly, EU competences in this field are limited in any case. At best, it can encourage cooperation, support and complement national actions, and finance programmes such as Erasmus+ for education, or Media for culture.
But this support actually goes a long way. By complementing national efforts, EU level investment in education and training can be a game changer in a context of tight public finances. The potential of using innovative forms of funding, for example by tapping into private investment and using investment tools such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments, should be explored for digital infrastructure development in schools, universities and other learning establishments, thereby also facilitating access to new platforms, tools and methods for learning and teaching.
The EU also offers a valuable framework for facilitating policy learning by bringing together governments, social partners and civil society to learn from one another and explore common challenges for instance as regards upskilling adults with low level of skills. The toolbox may be limited, but if leveraged strategically, it can have impact.
What are the sweeping changes that are already — or should be — reshaping the way Europeans teach and learn throughout their lives in an increasingly digital society?
