European Trade Union Committee for Education

In response to the DG CONNECT report on “Digitisation, Employment and Inclusiveness”, a statement adopted by the ETUCE Committee has now been published. Digitalisation is an important issue for teachers and education personnel across Europe, as addressed in our policy paper “The 21st Century Teaching Profession and the Use of ICT” which was adopted by the ETUCE Conference in 2016.

Whilst ETUCE welcomes the publication of this report, which includes sections relevant to teachers in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, our statement points out several issues under all three areas of the report which represent both challenges and opportunities for teachers and other education personnel in regards to digitisation. This includes, amongst others, the following points:

• Education is a fundamental human right and public good which must be made inclusive
• Investing in digital skills in education is essential
• Inclusive and ICT barrier-free learning environments must be promoted at all levels of education
• Providing initial training and continuous professional development in the use of ICT and teaching methods

It is important to reiterate that whilst the majority of teachers and other education personnel welcome digitalisation and the use of new technology in education. Its application and integration into education should be done in consultation with education trade unions. The aim of digitisation in education should be for it to be used to create more inclusive learning environments for the benefit of teachers and students alike.

To read the full ETUCE statement, click here.