Education and vocational training
In accordance with the subsidiarity principle, primary responsibility for education and training policies lies with the Member States, with the European Union having only a supporting role. However, a number of challenges are common to all Member States – ageing societies, skill deficits in the workforce, global competition and early childhood education – and thus call for joint responses, with countries working together and learning from each other[1].
Legal basis
While vocational training was identified as an area of Community action in the Treaty of Rome in 1957, education was formally recognised as an area of EU competence in the Maastricht Treaty in 1992. The treaty states that the Community ‘shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity’.
The Treaty of Lisbon retained the provisions on the role of the EU in education and training (Title XII, Articles 165 and 166), while adding a provision that can be described as a horizontal ‘social clause’: Article 9 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) states: ‘In defining and implementing its policies and activities, the Union shall take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health’.
Moreover, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states: ‘Everyone has the right to education and to have access to continuing and vocational training’ (Article 14), as well as ‘the right to engage in work and to pursue a freely chosen or accepted occupation’ (Article 15).
Objectives
In its policies and actions, the Union must take account of requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of lifelong education and training, the mobility of learners and teachers in Europe and the development of a sense of belonging to the Union. To that end, in a communication published in September 2020 (COM(2020)0625), the Commission outlined a ‘European Education Area’ based on six dimensions: quality of education and training, inclusion, green and digital transitions, teachers and trainers, higher education and the geopolitical dimension. Following the Commission’s communication, in February 2021 the Council adopted a resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030). This resolution sets out a list of objectives to be achieved in the coming years:
- The rate of 15-year-olds with underachievement in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15% by 2030 (2020 rate: 22.5% for reading, 22.9% for mathematics and 22.3% for science);
- The share of low-achieving eighth-graders in computer and information literacy should be less than 15% by 2030;
- At least 96% of children between 3 years old and the starting age for compulsory primary education should participate in early childhood education and care by 2030 (2020 rate: 94.8%);
- The share of early leavers from education and training should be less than 9% by 2030 (2020 rate: 10.2%);
- The rate of 25 to 34-year-olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 45% (2020 rate: 40.3%);
- The proportion of recent graduates from vocational education and training benefiting from exposure to work-based learning during their studies should be at least 60% by 2025;
- At least 47% of adults aged 25-64 should have participated in learning during the last 12 months by 2025.
Compared to the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020), the most significant new feature is the digital skills indicator. The indicators adopted should be monitored through a governance body set up to implement the European Education Area.
Achievements
A. Erasmus+
Erasmus+ is the EU programme for the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2021-2027. The specific objectives pursued by the Erasmus+ programme are: (1) to improve the level of key competences and skills, with particular regard to their relevance for the labour market and their contribution to a cohesive society; (2) to foster quality improvements, excellence in innovation, and internationalisation of education and training institutions; (3) to promote the emergence and raise awareness of a European lifelong learning area designed to complement policy reforms at national level; (4) to enhance the international dimension of education and training; and (5) to improve the teaching and learning of languages. For the education sector, the programme is delivering on these goals through a framework of key actions:
- Key Action 1: Learning mobility of individuals;
- Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices;
- Key Action 3: Support for policy reform.
B. Education and employment
In July 2020, the Commission published a communication entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’ (COM(2020)0274), in which it proposed twelve actions to help individuals and businesses develop more and better skills:
- Action 1: Pact for Skills;
- Action 2: Strengthening skills intelligence;
- Action 3: EU support for strategic national upskilling action;
- Action 4: Proposal for a Council recommendation on vocational education and training;
- Action 5: Rolling out the European Universities initiative and upskilling scientists;
- Action 6: Developing skills to support the twin digital and green transitions;
- Action 7: Increasing the number of STEM graduates; promoting entrepreneurial and transversal skills;
- Action 8: Skills for Life;
- Action 9: Initiative on individual learning accounts;
- Action 10: A European approach to micro-credentials;
- Action 11: A new Europass platform;
- Action 12: Improving the enabling framework to unlock Member States’ and private investments in skills.
C. Other achievements
On 18 April 2018, Parliament and the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2018/646 on a common framework for the provision of better services for skills and qualifications (Europass).
Students are not the only focus of EU initiativesregarding education. In 2020, the Commission launched the European Innovative Teaching Award, which aims to recognise the work of teachers (and their schools) that make an exceptional contribution to the profession.
Role of the European Parliament
Parliament has always supported close cooperation between Member States in the fields of education and training and encourages the development of a European dimension in Member States’ education policies.
A. Erasmus+
In its resolution of 14 September 2017 on the future of the Erasmus+ programme, Parliament acknowledged the extremely positive impact of Erasmus+. It stressed that the new programme should be more open and accessible, and drew attention to difficulties with the recognition of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) credits. It called for the creation of a European student eCard to give students Europe-wide access to services. Members emphasised the need to foster active citizenship, civic education and European identity through the programme.
On 15 September 2020, the resolution on effective measures to ‘green’ Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps was adopted to strengthen the environmental dimension of the Erasmus+ funding programme, among other things.
In May 2021, Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2021/817 establishing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2021-2027. With a budget of EUR 26.6 billion (compared to EUR 14.7 billion in the previous period), the new edition of the programme aims to ensure equal opportunities for all citizens. The programme focuses on increasing its reach to people with disabilities, disadvantaged economic backgrounds and/or educational difficulties, as well as to those living in rural and remote areas. Erasmus+ will support lifelong learning for adult learners. Administrative formalities will be digitalised and simplified. Lastly, the programme will contribute to the EU’s climate objectives through measures to reduce its climate footprint.
B. Education/training and employment
On 19 May 2022, Parliament adopted a resolution on establishing the European Education Area by 2025, in which it welcomes the Commission’s proposals to develop a European approach to micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for environmental sustainability. This is part of the objectives for achieving a European Education Area by 2025. The proposed developments will help make learning paths more flexible, broaden learning opportunities, deepen mutual recognition, create ties with the digital and green transitions and strengthen the role played by both higher education and vocational education and training institutions in lifelong learning.
Decision (EU) 2023/936 of the European Parliament and of the Council inaugurated the European Year of Skills on 10 May 2023. The European Year of Skills 2023/2024 is giving fresh impetus to lifelong learning, thereby helping to reach the EU 2030 social targets of at least 60% of adults in training every year. The EU is promoting a mindset of reskilling and upskilling, to help people to get the right skills for quality jobs.
C. Other specific areas
Parliament takes a strong interest in addressing and advocating for specific areas of education and training. The following examples illustrate this.
Parliament’s resolution of 25 March 2021 on shaping digital education policy sets out its position on the Commission communication entitled ‘Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) – Resetting education and training for the digital age’ (COM(2020)0624).
On 17 January 2024, Parliament adopted a resolution on European historical consciousness. The resolution stresses the vital role of education and calls on Member States to update current curriculums and teaching methodologies with a view to shifting focus from national history to European and global history. Parliament encourages allowing for multiple perspectives on history and fostering teaching styles that favour reflection and discussion over the sole transfer of knowledge.
Parliament runs the European Parliament Ambassador School and Euroscola education programmes to help increase awareness about European democracy and values. On 6 April 2022, Parliament adopted its resolution on the implementation of citizenship education actions. The resolution expresses concern about the imbalances in terms of average civic knowledge across and within Member States, and makes various recommendations to tackle this. On 27-28 November 2023, the Committee on Culture and Education discussed the topic of European citizenship education with 17 national parliaments.
On 12 September 2023, Parliament adopted its resolution on the European schools system (ESS) on the European schools system (ESS), which addresses the state of play of the ESS, the challenges it faces and Parliament’s perspective on how the ESS should reform. Recommendations were informed by the study on the same subject, which was requested by the Committee on Culture and Education.
D. Proposals for the amendment of the Treaties
On 22 November 2023, Parliament adopted its resolution on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties. In the field of education, it called for the Union to develop common objectives and standards for an education that promotes democratic values and the rule of law, as well as digital and economic literacy. Parliament further called for the Union to promote cooperation and coherence between educational establishments systems while guaranteeing cultural traditions and regional diversity. It also called for the Union to develop common standards on vocational training to increase the mobility of workers. It proposed that the Union aim to protect and promote access to free and universal schooling, institutional and individual academic freedom, and human rights.
For more information on this topic, please see the website of the Committee on Culture and Education.
Lina Sasse / Kristiina Milt