Erasmus+ supports teachers’ initial and continuous professional development
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The European Commission recently published the Erasmus+ Programme for the period 2021-2027. The new programme provides funding for around 26 billion EUR including financial support to teachers’ initial education and continuous professional development as well as teachers’ mobility.
Within Erasmus+, institutions of higher education, teacher training and VET that provide in-service training, can apply for grants under the “Jean Monnet Actions” in order to develop or improve their teacher training programmes. The activities supported under Jean Monnet Teacher Trainings need to focus on methodologies, to teach European Union matters and EU subjects and on teachers’ competence development for an inclusive classroom atmosphere using ICT, and teaching in multilingual and multicultural classrooms. Each project should last for 3 years, at the end of which participants receive a certificate. Higher Education Institutions and Teacher Training bodies can apply to this initiative by 2 June 2021. Teachers in higher education and other levels of educations, including vocational education and training are supported under different call for application.
Within Erasmus+, the “Teacher Academies” action programme invites teacher education institutions, ministries and authorities responsible for education and training of teachers, teacher associations, schools working with teacher education providers to create partnerships to set up “Erasmus+ Teacher Academies” that will develop a European and international outlook in teacher education. The initiative also envisages promoting mobility activities, not only in person but also virtual and blended mobility. Each Teacher Academy partnership operates at international level and is composed of at least three partners from different countries. National education trade unions which provide teacher training are eligible to apply for this initiative by 7 September 2021.
ETUCE welcomes the increased financial support of Erasmus+ on initial and continuous professional development of teachers. At the same time, we remark that applicants for the grant should have the certainty that the final certificate of Jean Monnet training and of the trainings within the Teachers Academies initiative is recognised within national systems of continuous professional development (CPD). ETUCE underlines that this is crucial, especially in countries countries where CPD is mandatory or necessary for salary and career progression. In addition, even less information is provided on how the Teacher Academies will work for teachers. ETUCE underlines the need to recognise the mobility period as an integrant part of teachers’ continuous professional development.
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