European Trade Union Committee for Education

Eurydice has published a leaflet of the recent developments in education policies related to the goals of the Paris Declaration. The Paris Declaration on Promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education, adopted by education ministers and Commissioner Navracsics on 17 March 2015, defines common targets for member states at European level:

1. Ensure that children and young people acquire social, civic and intercultural competences, by promoting democratic values and fundamental rights, social inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as active citizenship;
2. Enhance critical thinking and media literacy, particularly in the use of the internet and social media, so as to develop resistance to all forms of discrimination and indoctrination;
3. Foster the education of disadvantaged children and young people, by ensuring that our education and training systems address their needs;
4. Promote intercultural dialogue through all forms of learning in cooperation with other relevant policies and stakeholders.

This publication presents national education policy developments related to the four goals stated above since the adoption of the Paris Declaration. The leaflet highlights that policies contributing to the objectives of the Paris Declaration are, to various degrees, in place in all 28 EU Member States belonging to the Eurydice-network. Since the adoption of the Paris Declaration, two thirds of the countries have broadened their national education policy and numerous education policies have been developed, ranging from establishing new expert groups or specialised bodies to writing or revising regulations, creating programmes and implementing national strategies or action plans.

Eurydice reports that initiatives address mostly priorities 1 and 3 with fewer initiatives seeking to enhance ‘critical thinking and media literacy’ or ‘fostering the education and training of disadvantaged children and young people’.

Summarising the main education policy developments, this leaflet shows that developments in national education policy concern multiple aspects of the education system, such as initial training and continuous professional development of teachers, teaching and learning content, student assessment and student participation within or outside school. The policy developments being mentioned address all levels of education.

As a member of the Education and Training 2020 thematic working group, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) works to prevent discrimination in the education sector and underlines the importance of safeguarding fundamental values such as freedom, tolerance and respect. In the light of supporting education systems, teachers, school leaders and other education staff  as important actors in the prevention of radicalisation and extremism, all educational stakeholders, including national education policy-makers and teacher unions, should work together on these issues as day by day they are of growing concern.