European Commission continues to support digital education

CZELO

The Commission published two proposals for Council recommendations in the context of European Year of skills and the DEAP.

The two proposals for recommendations on digital skills are one of the main outcomes of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and they respond to two main challenges identified by the Member States - the lack of cooperation at whole-government levels in the area of digital education and the need to increase the digital skills of all citizens. Along with the proposals, the European Commission has announced the launch of a pilot project for a European Digital Skills Certificate.

This digital skills package is closely linked to other strategies for digital skills and digital transformation and will contribute to achieving the goals of the Digital Decade. The European Commission focuses on supporting Member States through joint peer-learning activities, sharing experiences and examples of good practice, supporting cooperation between member states and relevant stakeholders and supporting cooperation within all relevant European programs (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, etc.) and platforms (European Center for Digital Education, SELFIE tool, eTwinning, EPALE and many others).

An accompanying 'Staff working document' supplements the proposals with more detailed information and offers examples of the evidence, policies and practices on which the proposals are based. Both proposals must now be adopted by member states within the Council of the European Union.

Enabling factors for successful digital education

The proposal for a Council Recommendation on the key enabling factors for successful digital education and training aims at supporting investment in infrastructure, equipment and digital content, supporting the professional development of teachers and educators, as well as detailed monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of relevant educational policies. It also emphasizes an approach that combines a whole-government cooperation and collaboration with other organizations.

It calls on Member States to take specific actions in several areas, among them the development of national priorities and ambitious goals in cooperation with all relevant actors, including the private sector, the support for synergies at the government level, the research and testing of new technologies or the continuous teacher training and their involvement in the decision-making process and strategy creation. It also proposes, for example, the introduction of digital pedagogy into university programs that prepare teachers or the support of investments in high-quality and inclusive digital education. All this with the aim of supporting structural reforms, ensuring a significant progress in digital transformation and helping to improve the ability to adapt to current rapid changes (e.g. in the field of artificial intelligence).

Improving the provision of digital skills in education and training 

The proposal for a Council Recommendation on improving the provision of digital skills in education and training focuses on the provision of digital skills at all levels, from pre-school to lifelong learning, including non-formal education of young people. It also includes targeted activities for any disadvantaged and endangered groups and activities to address the problem of the lack of IT specialists in Europe.

With data showing that only 54% of the population currently have sufficient basic digital skills, and with the Digital Decade target of increasing this proportion to 80%, the proposal calls for strong support for the development of digital skills from kindergarten onwards, through the introduction of technology and teaching methods, which are age-appropriate. The development of skills should then continue through all levels of education (for example, through high-quality informatics in schools) and Member States should not forget about adult education, up-skilling and re-skilling. The proposal does not address only the basic skills, but also calls for the promotion of intermediate and advanced digital skills in all sectors of the labor market, with a specific focus on increasing the number of IT specialists. This requires cooperation across Europe, levels of education, society and various organisations. Therefore, there should be a cross-disciplinary focus, addressing gaps in the labor market and supporting the exchange of experience and sharing good practice examples.

European Digital Skills Certificate 

The digital skills package also includes the launch of a pilot project aimed at the certification and recognition of digital skills across member states (the European Digital Skills Certificate). The Commission wants to ensure an increase in trust and willingness to accept digital skills certificates. The certificate should be based on the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) and thus digital skills should be quickly and easily recognized by employers and education providers. The aim of the certification is not to replace any existing national schemes, but only to complement them and thus support portability across Europe. The first step will therefore be to map already existing initiatives, identify gaps in the market and evaluate the added value of a common European certificate. The results of the pilot project and the feasibility study are planned for the end of 2023, with the subsequent full launch of the certificate in 2024.

More information can be found in the Commission's press release, also more details about specific initiatives can be found at the Digital Education Action Plan website.