COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document proposal for a Council Recommendation on common values, inclusive education and the European dimension of teaching
Date: 2018-01-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: European citizenship, civics, cooperation in the field of education, education policy, integration of migrants, social integration, teaching, teaching method, vocational training, young person

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.1.2018 SWD(2018) 13 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document proposal for a Council Recommendation on common values, inclusive education and the European dimension of teaching {COM(2018) 23 final}  
 
 
Table of Contents 

1. 

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 2 

a.  Political context ............................................................................................................... 3 

i. 

Common values in the EU education and training agenda ................................................ 3 

ii.  Articulation with other initiatives and measures .............................................................. 4 

2.  CHALLENGES UNDERLYING THE PROPOSAL ...................................................................... 7 

a. 

b. 

c. 

Low achievers: a challenge for common values ................................................................ 7 

Sense of belonging and social cohesion .......................................................................... 10 

Students' civic attitudes ................................................................................................. 14 

3.  RESULTS FROM THE STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ...................................................... 17 

a.  Online public consultation ............................................................................................. 17 

Effectiveness of policy approaches, tools and methods ........................................................ 19 

b.  Position Papers – Key Themes ........................................................................................ 21 

c.  Overall feedback from public consultations ................................................................... 22 

4. 

SUPPORTED POLICY POINTERS ....................................................................................... 23 

a.  Promote common values ............................................................................................... 24 

b.  Provide inclusive education ........................................................................................... 31 

c. 

Promote a European dimension of teaching ................................................................... 35 

d. 

Support teachers and teaching ...................................................................................... 38 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION 

As President Juncker emphasised in his 2017 State of the Union address ‘Europe is more 
than  just  a  single  market.  More  than  money,  more  than  the  euro.  It  was  always  about 
values.’1 As stated in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, ‘The Union is founded 
on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law 
and  respect  for  human  rights,  including  the  rights  of  persons  belonging  to  minorities. 
These  values  are  common  to  the  Member  States  in  a  society  in  which  pluralism,  non-
discrimination,  tolerance,  justice,  solidarity  and  equality  between  men  and  women 
prevail’.  The  Preamble  to  the  Treaty  refers  to  the  cultural,  religious  and  humanist 
inheritance of Europe which has inspired these values. 

The common values have been fundamental in forming a Union that has bound countries, 
communities and people together in a unique political project, enabling Europe's longest 
ever  period  of  peace.  This  has  spanned  overcoming  Europe's  deepest  divisions 
immediately after World War Two to the peaceful transition to democracy in countries of 
Central and Eastern Europe after 1989.  A peaceful, social and democratic Union is built 
on these values, which are not only valid within Europe, but are those that represent the 
Union in the world.    

By global standards, European societies are prosperous and affluent places to live. They 
have  the  highest  levels  of  social  protection  in  the  world  and  rank  highly  in  terms  of 
wellbeing,  human  development  and  quality  of  life.  Yet,  although  the  Union  is 
experiencing  strong  growth  and  unemployment  is  at  its  lowest  level  since  2009,  when 
asked  about  the  future,  many  express  anxiety  and  concern,  in  particular  for  future 
generations, in a context of growing threats and uncertainties both at home and abroad, 
increasing inequalities, a resurgence of racism and xenophobia and the viral spreading of 
misinformation and fake news.  

High  quality  education,  enhanced  through  mobility,  transnational  cooperation  and 
structural  reforms,  is  critical  in  reducing  inequalities;  fostering  inclusive,  stable  and 
democratic societies; and making a success of migration and globalisation, all of which 
can  help  combat  the  risk  that  social  challenges  .threaten  our  ability  to  maintain  open, 
equal and cohesive societies.  

Building  common  values  into  all  learning  environments  can  help  mitigate  intolerance, 
polarisation and divisive nationalism. Education is central, therefore, in safeguarding the 
foundations  of  our  societies.  It  supports  social  cohesion,  enhances  the  emergence  of  a 
common sense of belonging  — be it at local or national level and strengthens people’s 
confidence in public institutions and in our democratic systems.  

This is particularly true for the European Union. A widespread lack of awareness of its 
origins, its basic functioning and its raison d’être favour misinformation and prevent the 
formation of informed opinion on its actions and evolutions. Moreover, Europeans know 
little about the social, religious and cultural diversity, heritage and the political realities 
of  their  own  countries  and  those  of  other  Member  States.  This  prevents  both  a  deeper 
understanding of their respective realities as well as the emergence of a collective sense 

1 

State  of  the  Union  Speech,  19  September,  2017  —  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/state-union-
2017_en. 

2 

 
 
 
                                                            
of belonging across Member States. The promotion of the common values embedded in 
Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Union is vital to reverse those trends.   

Education,  at  all  levels,  be  it  formal,  informal  or  non-formal,  is  essential  in  ensuring 
social  mobility  and  inclusive  education,  inculcating  common  values  and  in  building  a 
common sense of belonging at European level. Concrete steps have already been taken in 
that direction. On 17 March 2015, Member States’ education ministers called for actions 
at all levels of government to reinforce the role of education in promoting citizenship and 
the  common  values  of  freedom,  tolerance  and  non-discrimination,  strengthening  social 
cohesion  and  helping  young  people  become  responsible,  open-minded  and  active 
members of our diverse and inclusive societies2. More recently, the Commission recalled 
in  its  reflection  paper  on  globalisation  that  ‘equal  access  to  high-quality  education  and 
training is a powerful way of redistributing wealth in a society. This should start with a 
high  standard of basic education and access at all  ages  to training  and skills’3. Finally, 
ahead  of  the  Social  Summit  held  in  Gothenburg,  the  Commission  published  its 
Communication  on  ‘Strengthening  European  Identity  through  Education  and  Culture4.  The 
text  stresses  that    ‘it  is  in  the  shared  interest  of  all  Member  States  to  harness  the  full 
potential of education and culture as drivers for jobs, social fairness, active citizenship as 
well as a means to experience European identity in all its diversity. 

Against  this  background,  this  Recommendation  seeks  to  create  the  conditions  for  a 
greater commitment of Member States and render their education systems more resilient, 
inclusive,  and  values  based.  The  Recommendation  is  built  on  three  main  objectives: 
promoting common values at all levels of education, fostering more inclusive education 
as  well  as  encouraging  a  European  dimension  of  teaching.  To  achieve  those  aims,  the 
Commission  will  take  steps  to  increase  virtual  exchanges  among  schools,  notably 
through  the  e-Twinning  network  and  boost  school  mobility  under  the  Erasmus+ 
programme. The European Structural and Investment funds can be availed of to support 
teacher training or fund physical infrastructure that enables inclusive education.  

a.  Political context 

i.  Common values in the EU education and training agenda 

One of the objectives of the ET2020 framework for European  cooperation in education 
and training, namely to promote equity, social cohesion and active citizenship, has been 
established  on  the  basis  that  education  should  promote  intercultural  competences, 
democratic values and respect for fundamental rights, combat all forms of discrimination, 
and equip young people to interact positively with their peers from diverse backgrounds. 

2 

Paris  Declaration,  17th  March,  2017 
education_en. 

-  http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/20150316-paris-

3  Reflection 

paper 

on 

harnessing 

globalisation, 

10th 

May, 

2017 

- 

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/reflection-paper-harnessing-globalisation_en. 

4  Commission  Communication  on  Strengthening  European  Identity  through  Education  and  Culture; 

COM(2017) 673 final 

3 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
ET 2020 was updated in 2015. The 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission 
on the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education 
and  training  (ET2020)  states  that  ‘Education  and  training  have  an  important  role  in 
ensuring  that  the  human  and  civic  values  we  share  are  safeguarded  and  passed  on  to 
future generations, to promote freedom of thought and expression, social inclusion and 
respect for others, as well as to prevent and tackle discrimination in all its forms …’ and, 
furthermore, proposed ‘inclusive education, equality, equity, non-discrimination and the 
promotion  of  civic  competences’  as  a  new  priority  area  for  European  cooperation  in 
education  and  training.  In  this  context  an  ET  2020  Working  Group  on  Promoting 
citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through 
education was established. 

Recommendation  2006/962/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18 
December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning identifies the knowledge, skills 
and  attitudes  for  personal  fulfilment,  active  citizenship,  social  cohesion  and 
employability. Critical thinking, sense of responsibility, conflict resolution are identified 
as concepts transversally underlying all other competences. 

In  the  'Communication  on  Improving  and  Modernising  Education’  adopted  on  7 
December  2016  and  subsequently  the  youth  initiative  adopted  on  30  May  2017,  the 
Commission set out its strategy for high quality, inclusive and future-oriented education 
with  specific  measures  including  School  Development  and  Excellent  Teaching  for  a 
Great Start in Life,5 a Renewed EU Agenda for Higher Education6 and a proposal for a 
Council Recommendation on graduate tracking.7 Along these lines, the Communication 
proposed  actions  related  to  inclusive  education  and  the  promotion  of  common  values 
including the continued professional development of teachers, the further development of 
the European Toolkit for Schools as well as the use of Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 funds 
to  promote  good  practice  in  the  area  of  inclusive  learning  (e.g.  integration  of  migrant 
pupils and imparting common values). 

The European Structural and Investment Funds also help to promote inclusive education, 
by  supporting  projects  targeting  education  systems,  teachers  and  schoolchildren.  They 
finance initiatives to ensure young people complete their education and get the skills that 
make  them  more  competitive  on  the  jobs  market.  Reducing  school  drop-out  rates  is  a 
major priority, along with improving vocational and tertiary education opportunities. In 
the 2014-2020 period more than EUR 39 billion are allocated to achieving that objective.  

ii.  Articulation with other initiatives and measures 

A  number  of  initiatives  at  EU  level  are  already  in  place,  which  highlight  the  need  to 
support promotion of common values, to support integration and social cohesion. 

5  

6  

7  

Commission Communication of 30 May 2017 on School Development and Excellent Teaching for 
a Great Start in Life; COM(2017) 248. 

Commission  Communication  of  30  May  2017  on  a  Renewed  Agenda  for  Higher  Education; 
COM(2017) 247 . 

Proposal for a Council Recommendation on tracking graduates; COM(2017) 249. 

4 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
EU leaders meeting at the Social Summit in Gothenburg in November 2017, endorsed the 
Commission  Communication  on  ‘Strengthening  European  Identity  through  Education 
and Culture’8 

The Action Plan on the Integration of Third-Country Nationals highlights that integration 
is a precondition for an inclusive, cohesive and prosperous society and sets out the joint 
responsibility and common interest to work together on integration; 

The 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage aims to raise awareness of common history 
and  values  and  encourage  people  to  explore  Europe’s  rich  and  diverse  cultural 
heritage; 

The  European  Agenda  on  Migration  develops  President  Juncker’s  Political  Guidelines 
into  a  set  of  mutually  coherent  and  reinforcing  initiatives,  based  around  four  pillars,  to 
manage migration better in all its aspects. 

The European Agenda on Security guides the Commission’s work in this area, setting out 
the main actions to ensure an effective EU response to terrorism and security threats in 
the  European  Union.  Preventing  and  fighting  radicalisation  is  one  dimension  of  this 
agenda, where education has an essential role. As part of that agenda, the Radicalisation 
Awareness  Network  is  an  umbrella  network  connecting  people  involved  in  preventing 
radicalisation  and  violent  extremism  throughout  Europe  that  has  a  specific  Working 
Group on education. 

The  Commission  2016  Communication  on  Supporting  the  prevention  of  radicalisation 
leading  to  violent  extremism'  put  forth  key  areas  whereby  the  EU  can  help  support 
Member  States  in  preventing  and  countering  violent  radicalisation  leading  to  terrorism. 
This Communication proposes the need to ‘promote inclusive education and EU common 
values’ through specific measures including announcing this Council Recommendation, 
mobilising  Erasmus+  funding,  establishing  a  network  of  positive  role  models  and 
awarding student credits for volunteering. 

In July 2017, the European Commission set up a High Level Group on Radicalisation9 to 
step  up  efforts  to  prevent  and  counter  radicalisation,  including  through  educational 
policies and to improve coordination and cooperation between  all relevant  stakeholders 
building  on  achievements  so  far.  In  November  2017,  the  High  Level  Group  issued  an 
interim report with preliminary findings and a set of first practical recommendations in 
different areas.  

As  regards  education,  the  High  Level  Group  has  mainly  recommended  to  instigate  the 
use  of  opportunities  offered  by  existing  platforms  (such  as  eTwinning)  to  promote 
fundamental  values,  democracy  and  citizenship  and  help  develop  critical  thinking,  as 

8  

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/communication-strengthening-european-

identity-education-culture_en.pdf. 

9   Commission  Decision  of  27  July  2017  setting  up  the  High-Level  Commission  Expert  Group  on 

radicalisation. JO C252/3, 3.8.2017. 

5 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
well as to develop the awareness of teachers and their ability to work in the best possible 
way within the school if there are signs of radicalisation. 

Other EU initiatives are referred to in the ‘state of play’ sections in chapter 4. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
2.  CHALLENGES UNDERLYING THE PROPOSAL 

Terrorism  and  social  issues  are  a  prominent  concern  of  EU  citizens.  In  the  2017 
Standard  Eurobarometer,10  terrorism  is  on  top  of  the  issues  that  citizens  cite  when  it 
comes to challenges that the EU is currently facing, and the number one concern for the 
EU in 21 Member States while this was the case in one country only in autumn 2016. In 
the 2016 Eurobarometer report on ‘Future of Europe’, more than one third of respondents 
considered social inequalities to be the main challenge for the EU, alongside migration 
issues  (both  36 %).11  When  asked  to  identify  up  to  two  areas  they  thought  should  be 
emphasised  by  society  in  order  to  face  major  global  challenges,  almost  half  (46 %)  of 
respondents  mention  social  equality  and  solidarity.  A  majority  of  respondents  in  21 
Member States think social equality and solidarity should be emphasised in order to face 
major global challenges. 

EU citizens are also very much attached to the EU values as defined in Article 2. The 
EU’s  respect  for  human  dignity,  freedom,  democracy,  equality,  the  rule  of  law  and 
respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities are seen 
as its main assets. Peace, freedom of opinion, social equality and solidarity, and tolerance 
and openness to  others are the values considered to  be best embodied  by the European 
Union.  Almost  six  in  ten  respondents  say  the  EU  best  embodies  peace  and  freedom  of 
opinion  (both  57 %),  while  55 %  say  this  about  social  equality  and  solidarity  and  52 % 
about tolerance and openness to others. 

However, since 2012, there has been a decline across the EU in those who think the EU 
best  embodies  these  values.  Furthermore,  more  than  half  of  Europeans  (52 %)  feel that 
their voice does not count in the EU. This is also reflected in participation in European 
Parliament elections, with a voter turnout of 43 % at the 2014 elections, and only 28 % of 
people  aged  between  18  and  24.  When  looking  in  details,  the  evidence  shows  that 
common values are not at a level where they should be. 

a.  Low achievers: a challenge for common values 

The EU is lagging behind in the latest PISA survey 

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)12 is the basis for the 
ET  2020  benchmark  on  underachievement  of  15-year-olds  in  basic  skills.13  This 
benchmark, which aims to increase equity in education,14 states that the share of 15-year-
olds who are low achievers in reading, maths or science should be less than 15 % in the 
EU by 2020.   

10 Standard Eurobarometer 87, Data collected in May 2017. 

11 Special Eurobarometer 451, Future of Europe, Data collected in autumn 2016. 

12 https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2015-results-in-focus.pdf 

13 Low achievers are students who do not reach competence level 2. 
14 See also https://ec.europa.eu/education/news/20161206-pisa-2015-eu-policy-note_en. 

7 

 
 
 
                                                            
In the PISA 2015 results, very few Member States have met the 2020 benchmark: 4 in 
reading,  3  in  maths  and  2  in  science.  But  most  importantly,  the  EU  as  a  whole  is 
seriously lagging behind in all three domains and has taken a step backward, compared to 
the  PISA  2012  results  (science:  20.6 %,  +4.0  percentage  points;  reading:  19.7 %,  +1.9 
percentage  points;  maths:  22.2 %,  +  0.1  percentage  point).  Low  achievers  cannot 
successfully  complete  basic  tasks  that  are  required  in  modern  societies  and  the 
consequences of this underachievement, if it is not tackled successfully, will be eminent 
and costly in the long run for them individually, but also for societies as a whole. 

The socio-economic gap in low achievers is much bigger in some EU countries 

In  many  countries,  schools  tend  to  reproduce  existing  patterns  of  socio-economic 
advantage,  rather  than  contribute  to  a  more  equitable  distribution  of  learning 
opportunities and outcomes. Socio-economic status continues to be a strongly influential 
factor for 15-year-old students’ achievement in science, with much higher shares of low 
achievers among the lower social groups than among students of higher socio-economic 
status. 

The figure below shows the share of low achievers in science in PISA 2015 in the bottom 
quarter of PISA’s socio-economic index and the share of low achievers in science among 
the  upper  25 %  of  this  index;  thus,  this  comparison  includes  half  of  the  student 
population that took part in PISA 2015 and is not just a comparison of extremes. 

Also,  the  gap  among  the  upper  and  lower  social  quarters  is  very  different  across  EU 
Member States: while it is 26.2 percentage points in the EU average, it is especially large 
in BG (42.1 percentage points) and above 35 percentage points in LU, HU, RO, SK and 

8 

 
 
 
 
EL.  There  are,  however,  countries  that  are  able  to  combine  both  low  levels  of  low 
achievement with a low level of reproduction of socio-economic patterns. 

Too many students with a migrant background do not achieve the necessary basic skills 

A  student’s  migrant  background  is  an  additional  factor  that  is  related  to  high  shares  of 
low achievers in most EU Member States. Even after taking into account the effects of 
socio-economic  background,  too  many  students  with  a  migrant  background  do  not 
achieve  the  necessary  basic  skills,  and  a  gap  remains  among  children  of  migrants  who 
were born in the country where the test was taken. 

In almost all of the Member States shown here with relevant shares of migrants among 
their  student  population,  the  difference  in  the  share  of  low  achievers  between  migrant 
students  and  their  non-migrant  counterparts  is  quite  large.  In  most  EU  Member  States 
with  more  than  3 %  second  generation  migrant  students,  the  share  of  low  achievers 
among second generation students is lower than among first-generation students, except 
in DK, IE and HR but a gap remains between second generation migrants and students 
without a migrant background. 

Low achievers are less likely to feel a citizen of the European Union 

Even if feeling like a citizen of the European Union is not similar to sharing EU values, it 
can however be considered as an indicator. 66 % of respondents feel they are citizens 
of  the  European  Union.15  The  proportion  of  respondents  reporting  this  feeling  is 
declining in some Member States and in some Member States not feeling a citizen of the 
EU is quite high: 45 % of respondents in the UK say they do not feel citizens of the EU, a 
figure that is higher still in Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece. 

More  importantly  and  reflecting  the  contribution  of  education,  a  clear  majority  of 
respondents who studied up to  the  age of  20 or beyond  feel like EU citizens (76 % 

15 Standard Eurobarometer 85, European citizenship, Data collected in Spring 2016. 

9 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
versus  23 %),  while  those  who  left  school  at  the  age  of  15  or  earlier  are  evenly 
divided (49 % versus 49 %). 

b.  Sense of belonging and social cohesion 

PISA 2015 data on the sense of belonging 

The  ‘sense  of  belonging’  as  used  in  the  PISA  2015  data  is  defined  as  feeling  accepted 
and liked by the rest of the group, feeling connected to others and feeling like a member 
of  a  community.  In  school,  a  sense  of  belonging  gives  students  feelings  of  security, 
identity  and  community,  which,  in  turn,  support  academic,  psychological  and  social 
development. 

The  majority  of  students  in  the  PISA  2015  survey  feel  that  they  belong  to  the  school 
community. 

Advantaged students tend to feel more socially connected at school than disadvantaged 
students.  On  average  across  OECD  countries,  disadvantaged  students  were  7.7 
percentage  points  less  likely  than  advantaged  students  to  report  that  they  feel  that  they 
belong at school. 

In  the  table  below,  students’  responses  to  these  questions  were  used  to  construct  the 
index  of  sense  of  belonging.  Positive  values  on  this  scale  mean  that  the  student  has  a 
greater sense of belonging than an average student in OECD countries. 

10 

 
 
 
 
Migrant  students  are  less  likely  than  students  without  a  migrant  background  to  feel  a 
sense  of  belonging  at  school.  In  Latvia,  Luxembourg,  Spain,  and  Sweden  (for  EU 
countries),  migrant  students  reported  the  greatest  sense  of  alienation  from  schools 
compared  to  students  without  a  migrant  background.  Second-generation  students 
expressed a stronger sense of belonging at school than migrant students, particularly in 
Austria, Spain and Sweden for EU countries (Table III.7.6). 

11 

 
 
 
 
Figure III.7.3 shows the percentage of migrant students who reported that they feel that 
they  belong  at  school,  by  country  of  origin  and  country  of  destination,  taking  into 
account  differences  in  the  socio-economic  status  of  students  from  the  same  country  of 
origin  who  settled  in  various  countries.  Around  83 %  of  students  who  were  born  in,  or 
whose  parents  were  born  in,  Arabic-speaking  countries  and  who  settled  in  the 
Netherlands reported feeling that they belong at school, but only 67 % of students from 
Arabic-speaking countries who settled in Denmark reported the same. 

These results suggest that schools and communities have an important role in supporting 
students  to  integrate  and  in  improving  their  well-being.  Providing  dedicated  support  to 
migrant students to help them integrate into their new school community can strengthen 
the  overall  performance  of  education  systems;  this  is  especially  relevant  for  those 
countries that recently saw a surge in migrant inflows. 

Diversity linked to immigration seen as an issue rather than an asset 

The  fact  that  more  than  half  of  Europeans  disagree  that  ‘migrants  contribute  a  lot  to 
(OUR COUNTRY)’  (52 % total ‘disagree‘, +2), with  great variations between  Member 
States16  makes  it  even  harder  for  migrants  students.  This  results  in  perceptions  of 
globalisation  as  a  threat,  and  to  potential  for  a  lack  of  social  cohesion  between 
communities.  

16 Standard Eurobarometer 85, European citizenship, Data collected in spring 2016. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
In  contrast,  8th  grade  students  interviewed  in  the  2016  ICCS  study  expressed  more 
tolerant  opinions.  93 %  of  them  agreed  that  migrant  children  should  have  the  same 
opportunities for education as other children. 88 % agreed that migrants should enjoy the 
same rights as everyone else in the country. Educational approaches that build on these 
tolerant attitudes have potential to contribute to sustaining greater openness among adults 
later in life.  

Social cohesion a challenge in some EU countries 

This  question  from  the  Eurobarometer  echoes  in  the  general  public  the  figures  on  the 
sense of belonging among students presented earlier. 

Across  the  EU  more  than  half  of  respondents  agree  that  people  in  (OUR  COUNTRY) 
have  many  things  in  common.17  Agreement  is  highest  in  Ireland  (92 %)  and  Sweden 
(90 %)  and  lowest  in  Luxembourg  (58 %)  and  France  (59 %),  the  only  two  countries 
where it is below 60 %. Since autumn 2015, the belief that people have a lot in common 
in  the  respondent’s  country  has  declined  in  19  Member  States,  most  noticeably  in 
Belgium (62 %, -13 percentage points). 

17 Standard Eurobarometer 85, European citizenship, Data collected in Spring 2016. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
c.  Students’ civic attitudes 

A 2017 Eurobarometer study18 highlighted that education and training is one of the areas 
in  which  EU  citizens  think  the  EU  should  take  action  to  encourage  young  people  to 
express solidarity (68%). Furthermore, a large majority of respondents (89%) agree that 
rights  and 
national  governments 
responsibilities as EU citizens. For 83%, learning about European matters should be part 
of compulsory school education.  

school  education  about 

strengthen 

should 

The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Survey 201619, in which 14 Member States 
participated,  offers  a  unique  opportunity  to  investigate  students’  civic  knowledge  and 
attitudes  as  well  as  the  role  of  the  educational  systems  in  promoting  educational 
outcomes related to civic and citizenship competences. ICCS collected data from 13-14 
year  old  students,  their  teachers  and  schools.  It reports  on  student  achievement  using  a 
test of conceptual knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship. It collects data 
about students’ values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours and behavioural intentions related to 
civics and citizenship.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Students’ perceptions of good citizenship 

Students’ perception of the importance of citizenship is based on 6 Likert-type items 
that rank the importance students give to certain behaviours in order to be a good adult 
citizen, including: (1) Voting in every national election; (2) Joining a political party; (3) 
Learning about the country’s history; (4) Following political issues in the newspaper, on 
the radio, on TV, or on the internet; (5) Showing respect for government representatives; 

18 Flash Eurobarometer survey FL455 European Youth.  

19 http://iccs.iea.nl/home.html 

14 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
and  (6)  Engaging  in  political  discussions.  The  answers  range  from  ‘Very  important’, 
‘Quite important’, ‘Not very important’ to ‘Not important at all’. 

Only four countries, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania and Latvia, have students with above 
average perception of the importance of conventional citizenship. 

Students’ trust in institutions 

Institutional  trust  reflects  students’  feelings  of  trust  in  a  variety  of  state  and  civic 
institutions  in  society,  and  relates  mainly  to  civic  society  and  systems.  The  institutions 
listed  in  the  questionnaire  include  (1)  the  national  government  of  the  country;  (2)  the 
local  government  of  the  own  town  or  city;  (3)  courts  of  justice;  (4)  the  police;  (5) 
political  parties;  and  (6)  the  national  parliament.  Likert-scales  were  used  and  students 
were asked to indicate whether they ‘completely trust’, trust ‘quite a lot’, ‘a little’ or ‘not 
at all’ these institutions. Students in most countries indicate above average trust in civic 
institutions in general. The exceptions are Croatia, Latvia and Slovenia.   

15 

 
 
 
 
 
Engagement:  Students’  expectations  of  electoral  participation  as  adults  (behavioural 
intention) 

The  scale  for  measuring  students’  expected  electoral  participation  was  based  on  3 
Likert-type items (4 response categories: ‘I would certainly do this’, ‘I would probably 
do this’, ‘I would probably not do this’, and ‘I would certainly not do this’) about their 
future intentions of: (1) voting in local elections; (2) voting in national elections and (3) 
getting information about candidates before voting in an election. Students in 6 countries 
indicate above average intentions to participate in future elections, namely DK, FI, HR, 
IT, LT and SE, with BG, LV, MT and SI on average. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
3.  RESULTS FROM THE STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION 

In  2016, the Commission initiated a broad consultation  process to  support the proposal 
for  a  Recommendation  on  common  values  through  education,  training  and  non-formal 
learning. 

A series of dedicated consultation meetings at different political levels as well as expert 
seminars  have  been  held.  A  dedicated  ET  2020  Working  Group20  was  launched  in 
February  2016  specifically  on  that  issue  and  has  reported  to  the  High-Level  Group  on 
Education and Training, a Group composed of Member States policymakers. DG Higher 
Education and DG Schools have also been consulted. 

High level reporting on the implementation of the Paris Declaration and policy debates 
took  place  at  the  Council  meetings  in  February  2016,  May  2016  and  February  2017. 
Large-scale  events,  where  input  from  stakeholders  have  been  gathered  include  a  Jean 
Monnet conference, a Colloquium hosted by Vice President Timmermans on ‘Tolerance 
and respect: preventing and combating anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe’, a 
Colloquium  hosted  by  Commissioner  Navracsics  on  Promoting  Inclusion  and 
Fundamental  Values  through  Education,  the  European  Education  Training  and  Youth 
Forum  (ETY)  and  dedicated  meeting  with  Civil  Society.  Finally  a  public  online 
consultation was held from May to August 2017. 

The main findings of this process were that respondents felt unanimously that inclusive 
education which addresses the needs of all learners should be promoted, while only 16 % 
feel  that  education  is  currently  achieving  this;  and  revealed  virtually  unanimous 
agreement (95 %) that education should help young people ‘understand the importance of 
and  adhere  to  shared  values’  and  that  the  EU  should  help  Member  States  in  this  task 
(98 %). 

This  chapter  will  summarise  the  key  findings  of  the  consultation  process.  A  complete 
report on the consultation process can be found on the consultation website.21 

a.  Online public consultation 

The consultation was launched on 19 May 2017 and was open until 11 August 2017. In 
total,  1 124  responses  were  received  from  respondents  all  over  Europe  and  beyond, 
submitted by respondents replying in either an individual capacity (866), and on behalf of 
an organisation (258). 203 respondents also included position papers. 

Data on the background and main area of activity indicated that a majority of respondents 
were working in education and almost half of the respondents as teachers and trainers.   

20 See Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the strategic framework 
for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) New priorities for European cooperation 
in  education  and  training  (OJ  C  417,  15.12.2015)  for  an  explanation  of  the  ET2020  governance 
structures. 

21  https://ec.europa.eu/info/consultations/public-consultation-recommendation-promoting-social-inclusion-

and-shared-values-through-formal-and-non-formal-learning_en . 

17 

 
 
 
                                                            
Profile of respondents to online survey 

In  terms  of  geographical  balance,  responses  were  received  from  individuals  and 
organisations  across  Europe  and  beyond.  Most  responses  by  far  came  from 
Mediterranean countries: in particular, Spain (294), Italy (156) and Portugal (123). They 
were  followed  by  a  high  number  of  respondents  from  West  European  countries:  in 
particular  Germany  (93),  France  (78).  A  good  response  rate  was  also  received  for 
Belgium (36), South-Eastern European countries [in particular: Greece (59) and Romania 
(34)],  the  UK  and  Ireland  (35).  Responses  were  also  received  from  Nordic  Countries 
(21), Candidate Countries (36) and Other Countries (23). 

The consultation showed strong support for the proposal. More than 90 % of respondents 
acknowledged  the  importance  of  education  in  helping  young  people  understand  and 
adhere to shared values. In addition, the vast majority (97.8 %) of survey respondents felt 
that the EU should support Member States in that goal. 

Early  childhood  education  and  care  (ECEC)  (75.6 %),  primary  (77.6 %)  and  secondary 
education (73.6 %) are seen as quite effective to transmit shared values. Higher education 
(69.9 %), vocational education and training (68 %) and adult learning (66.5 %) are seen 
as less effective. 

Overall  40.1 %  of  respondents  consider  there  is  some  form  of  discrimination  against 
learners in education and training institutions. This is particularly true for discrimination 
based on learners’ socio-economic background, disability and sexual orientation. 

18 

 
 
 
 
Discrimination for learners in education and training institutions 

Socio-economic background

57,7% 

42,3% 

51,5% 

53,4% 

55,4% 

59,4% 

63,4% 

48,5% 

46,6% 

44,6% 

40,6% 

36,6% 

Disability

Ethnic origin

Sexual orientation

Mother tongue

Religion or belief

Sex

Age

Total

25,4% 

20,6% 

74,6% 

79,4% 

40,1% 

59,9% 

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90% 100%

Yes

No

When asked to indicate whether education should offer support to all learners according 
to  their  needs,  respondents  almost  unanimously  (98.6 %  overall)  replied  this  should  be 
the  case.  However,  only  16.6 %  of  respondents  observed  that  the  support  is  currently 
being provided. 

Effectiveness of policy approaches, tools and methods 

When  asked  about  the  most  effective  policy  approaches  when  it  came  to  teaching  and 
learning  content,  respondents  put  forward  citizenship  education  (81.8 %),  curricula 
that  focus  on  different  cultures,  religions  and  beliefs  (81.5 %),  intercultural 
understanding  through  arts  and  culture  (81.4 %)  and  curricula  to  enhance  knowledge 
and understanding of shared values (80.5 %). 

Effectiveness of teaching and learning content: average by type of respondent 

19 

Teacher/TrainerRepresentative of an organisationStudentOther individuals working in educationOther (researcher, consultant…)OverallOffering citizenship education82.8%81.6%83.2%77.6%80.5%81.8%Usingcurriculathatpromoteknowledgeofdifferent cultures, religions and beliefs82.9%81.8%81.2%78.0%78.9%81.5%Promotingsubjects/coursesoncultureandarts to enhance intercultural understanding83.5%82.0%73.6%78.4%81.6%81.4%Usingcurriculathatenhanceknowledgeand understanding of shared values82.5%81.9%76.4%78.9%75.4%80.5%Offering courses/subjects on ethics74.6%74.8%78.0%74.8%74.6%75.0%Providingadditionalsupporttolearnersintheir mother tongue75.6%75.5%70.8%69.5%73.3%74.2%Offering religious education in one's religion57.6%57.1%59.3%51.3%51.5%56.3%Overall77.1%76.4%74.6%72.6%73.7%75.8% 
 
 
 
 
 
When  asked  about  the most  effective  policy  approaches  when  it  came  to  empower  and 
support teachers, respondents put forward a focus on innovative pedagogical approaches 
(89.2 %),  dealing  with  diversity  (88.7 %),  open  classroom  climate  (88.1 %), 
transmitting  shared  values  (85.7 %),  recruiting  teachers  from  diverse  backgrounds 
(80.5 %). 

Effectiveness  of  actions  to  empower  and  support  teachers:  average  by  type  of 
respondent 

When asked about the most effective policy approaches when it came to create inclusive 
learning  environments,  respondents  put  forward  creating  opportunities  for  civic 
engagement  and  volunteering  (87.3 %),  participation  in  extracurricular  activities 
(86.6 %),  democratic  learning  environments  (86.6 %),  participation  in  cultural 
activities (85.9 %). 

20 

Teacher/TrainerRepresentative of an organisationStudentOther individuals working in educationOther (researcher, consultant…)OverallSupportteachersinlearninginnovativepedagogicalapproaches,forinstancetopromote group work, critical thinking etc.90.8%90.7%79.8%90.7%86.7%89.2%Empoweringteachersandeducatorstodealwithdifferenceanddiversityintheclassroom89.0%90.6%86.6%87.2%87.0%88.7%Supportingteachersandeducatorstocreate a space for dialogue on controversial issuestoencourageself-reflectionandmutual understanding88.0%89.8%84.4%88.8%87.8%88.1%Empoweringteacherstotransmitsharedvalues87.5%86.7%82.6%85.3%80.9%85.7%Recruitingandtrainingteachersfromawider variety of backgrounds79.7%82.6%81.0%81.0%78.5%80.5%Empoweringteacherstotransmitthenationalcultureandidentityofwhereonelives79.2%76.5%70.6%74.5%72.8%76.5%Creatingincentivestoattractthebestteachers to "challenging" schools77.8%77.7%61.9%76.4%72.6%75.4%Overall84.6%84.9%78.1%83.4%80.9%83.4% 
 
 
 
Effectiveness  of  actions  to  create  inclusive  learning  environments  and  links  with  the 
local communities: average by type of respondent 

b.  Position Papers — Key Themes 

The position papers  highlighted  the need  to  build  inclusive education systems to  fight 
social exclusion, create democratic environments and build resilient, active and socially 
engaged citizens capable of tackling the multiple challenges society is faced with today, 
and in the future. For this a multi-level and multi-actor approach is needed including the 
following: 

  Empowering  and  strengthening  the  role  of  teachers  (e.g.  initial  teacher 
training (ITE) and continuing professional development (CPD) so they are able to 
teach about citizenship, human rights, the functioning of the European Union and 
the values highlighted in the Lisbon Treaty and lead open discussions with pupils 
on sensitive and topics such as radicalisation, social exclusion and discrimination 
and  other  challenging  teaching  tasks  related  to  dealing  with  diversity  in  the 
classroom. 

  Adapted  school  curricula  which  focus  on  the  transversal  issues  of  citizenship, 
democratisation  and  human  rights,  and  that  take  into  account  the  needs  of 
individual  learners,  teacher  expertise  and  local  specificities.  Diverse,  innovative 
and learner-centred teaching methods should be used to develop key competences 
and citizenship — using the Key Competences Framework as a guiding tool. 

  Supporting disadvantaged learners by providing mentoring and peer guidance 
as a way of preventing early school leaving and social exclusion. Several papers 

21 

Teacher/TrainerRepresentative of an organisationStudentOther individuals working in educationOther (researcher, consultant…)OverallCreatingopportunitiesforcivicengagement and volunteering88.1%88.7%81.9%87.5%85.8%87.3%Encouragingparticipationinextra-curricularactivitiessuchasmusic,sport and youth activities87.1%87.6%87.4%85.3%83.2%86.6%Supportingademocraticlearningenvironmenttoallowlearnerstoexperiencedemocracyandmutualrespect87.5%88.1%83.2%86.9%82.9%86.6%Encouragingparticipationinculturalactivitiestopromoteculturalawarenessandanunderstandingofdifferentculturesandofthenationalcultureandidentity of where one lives87.4%86.7%83.3%85.6%81.8%85.9%Encouragingsocio-economic,ethnicand cultural mix in schools83.5%85.9%83.4%86.3%80.2%83.9%Offeringguidanceforfamiliesonhowtosupport their children's learning84.1%84.2%78.9%85.9%80.5%83.3%Involvingteachers,parentsandlearnersin the running of schools82.9%83.1%73.9%81.8%78.7%81.4%Encouragingtheuseofmediatorsandschoolassistantstobuildstrongerlinksbetweenschoolandthelocalcommunities81.0%82.1%71.2%82.4%78.0%80.1%Overall85.2%85.8%80.4%85.2%81.4%84.4% 
 
 
 
also  mentioned  the  importance  of  providing  financial  support  to  migrant  and 
refugee  students,  ensuring  a  mix  in  classrooms  of  students  from  different 
backgrounds  and  cultures  to  avoid  segregation  and  foster  inclusiveness,  and 
recognition of prior learning, especially with reference to skills, competences and 
knowledge gained abroad or in different (often non-formal) learning settings. 

  Relying on non-formal learning with actors in the field of non-formal learning 
trained  and  made  aware  of  their  role  in  promoting  shared  values;  and  likewise, 
teachers inside formal education and training should encourage the participation 
in  extracurricular  activities  as  a  way  of  bridging  and  increasing  cooperation 
between formal and non-formal education providers. 

  Importance of involving the wider community in the promotion of EU values 
and social inclusion. Parents, families, local authorities, social services and third 
sector  organisations  should  be  involved  to  support  the  development  of  ‘whole-
school’  approaches  for  creating  democratic  environments  where  cooperation 
among  all  community  actors  takes  place  and  people  learn  to  live  together  in 
mutual  respect  for  each  other’s  culture,  language,  religion,  gender,  sexual 
orientation and expression. 

c.  Overall feedback from public consultations 

Overall  the  public  consultation  is  supportive  of  the  four  themes  identified  in  the 
Recommendation: 

  Respondents  support  citizenship  education,  curricula  that  focus  on  different 
cultures, religions and beliefs, intercultural understanding through arts and culture 
and curricula to enhance knowledge and understanding of common values and to 
create a democratic learning environment with opportunities for civic engagement 
and volunteering as a key objective. 

  Respondents  are  very  supportive  of  targeted  actions  towards  disadvantaged 

learners. 

  Respondents are very supportive of initiatives that would increase understanding 

of the European Union. 

  Respondents  support  the  need  to  empower  teachers  to  develop  innovative 
pedagogical  approaches,  to  be  able  to  deal  with  diversity  (88.7 %),  and  they 
support an open classroom climate. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
4.  SUPPORTED POLICY POINTERS 

Education  institutions  are  seen  as  among  the  most  significant  socialising  factors  for 
students  to  become  well-informed,  socially  integrated,  active  and  responsible  young 
individuals capable of contributing to the well-being of the society in which they live. It 
is also acknowledged that students’ civic knowledge and civic engagement is linked with 
individual’s  characteristics  and  activities  outside  the  school  (family,  peers,  local 
community and, recently, social media). 

The  results  from  the  ICCS  survey  show  that  although  more  than  half  of  the  explained 
variance  for  non-cognitive  civic  outcomes  is  attributable  to  individual  characteristics, 
school  characteristics  and  policies  can  make  an  impact.  School  characteristics  have  a 
moderate  impact  in  particular  on  students’  trust  in  civic  institutions  as  well  as  on  their 
perception  of  equal  rights  for  migrants.  In-school  practices  (participatory  governance, 
student councils, etc.) contribute to the variance explained in students’ expected electoral 
participation, their perception of the importance of personal responsibility for citizenship 
and their perception of the importance of active forms of citizenship such as participating 
in  peaceful  protests  or  engaging  in  environmental  protection.  In  some  countries,  in-
school  practices  explain  a  much  bigger  share  of  the  variance  on  expected  electoral 
participation, as for instance in the Netherlands. 

However,  civic  and  citizenship  knowledge  together  with  civic  self-efficacy  (e.g.  one’s 
perceived  ability  and  self-confidence  in  promoting  one’s  views  on  civic  issues)  remain 
more  important  predictors  of  the  students’  civic  attitudes,  behavioural  intentions  and 
openness  for  diversity  (e.g.  non-cognitive  outcomes),  than  the  pure  educational  factors. 
Civic  self-efficacy  is  consistently  positively  related  to  all  the  eight  non-cognitive 
outcomes across all the countries. Civic knowledge is positively related to the students’ 
attitudes  on  the  importance  of  active  forms  for  citizenship,  to  their  feeling  of  personal 
responsibility  for  citizenship  issues,  to  their  intentions  for  future  electoral  participation 
and to their positive attitudes towards ethnic minorities and migrants. 

From this rather complex argument a picture emerges: Any education system that aims to 
improve  students’  civic  attitudes  needs  to  foster  students’  formal  civic  and  citizenship 
knowledge and their civic self-efficacy. Both efficacy and knowledge remain influential 
on  students’  civic  attitudes  after  taking  into  account  a  wide  range  of  school  and 
educational  factors.  These  two  individual  characteristics  seem  to  be  crucial  to  foster 
positive civic attitudes. 

Research confirmed by ICCS 2016 has identified three channels through which education 
institutions can most effectively improve such civic attitudes: 

  Formal learning of civic and citizenship education improves civic knowledge 
and skills, and by promoting a broader understanding of social processes can lead 
to openness and tolerance, as well as increased support for democratic values; 

 

Informal learning taking place in the learning environment, in particular through 
an open classroom climate, allows students to experience the right to have their 
say  and  to  openly  discuss  sensitive  issues  improves  civic  knowledge  as  well  as 
political self-efficacy, and institutional trust; 

23 

 
 
 
  Informal  learning  outside  the  learning  environment,  for  instance  through 
unpaid  service  activities  for  the  wider  community,  can  also  have  a  positive 
impact.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

The chapter below sets out a selection of thematic approaches through which education 
policies and practices can help to support social cohesion and create a sense of belonging. 
Each theme is presented in three main sections, covering the state of play, an explanation 
of the content and scope of the theme, and suggestions with regard to its implementation, 
including national case studies. 

a.  Promote common values 

The  first  approach  is  to  promote  common  values.  In  democratic  societies  citizenship 
education supports students in becoming active, informed and responsible citizens. The 
aim is not to create parallel societies but make young people able to take responsibility 
for  themselves  and  help  them  to  develop  a  sense  of  belonging  and  prevent  feelings  of 
rejection and alienation from society. 

Despite various policies developed and adopted at the EU and national levels, indicators 
of intolerance, discrimination and racism have not shown any significant decrease across 
Europe in recent decades (see also chapter 2). 

According  to  the  ICCS  survey,  formal  learning  impacts  positively  on  several  non-
cognitive outcomes in the 14 participating EU Member States. In seven Member States 
formal  learning  of  civic  issues  is  associated  with  attitudes  towards  conventional 
citizenship (BG, DK, HR, IT, MT, NL and SI). Formal learning is associated with trust in 
civic institutions in BG, DK, FI, HR, MT and SE, and associated with intentions of future 
electoral participation in BE, DK, SE and SI. 

However, the knowledge, skills and attitudes a student needs to become an active citizen 
is not only something that can be taught in school. The lived experience, both inside the 
learning  environment  and  outside,  tends  to  be  one  of  the  most  powerful  influences  on 
young people’s attitudes towards citizenship. Learning to be an active citizen within the 
school  environment  is  an  important  factor  in  the  equation,  alongside  the  influences  of 
family, peers and neighbourhood. 

Values  cannot  be  successfully  conveyed  in  the  classroom  by  ‘preaching’  what  students 
should  think;  if  a  student  does  not  feel  that  values  which  are  preached  correspond  to 
his/her own values, this can lead to a blockage and a rejection of the set of values being 
promoted  and  potentially  —  on  a  wider  level  —  lead  to  a  disconnect  with  society.  A 
range of classroom and teaching practices can more effectively promote and convey core 
values  including  exercises,  role  plays,  debates  and  methods  to  deconstruct  negative 
values or stereotypes. 

The  rise  of  populism  and  extremisms  in  particular  generates  a  need  to  learn  how  to 
address controversial issues in the classroom. ‘Containment’ (not addressing these issues 
for fear of opening Pandora’s Box) is harmful as extreme opinions are left unaddressed 
and those holding minority opinions can feel marginalised, which can impair confidence 
and sometimes leading to more extreme behaviours. 

24 

 
 
 
Learners  need  to  be  given  opportunities  or  platforms  to  discuss,  in  an  appropriate 
manner, sensitive and ‘burning bridge’ issues that divide communities, weigh on children 
and  encourage  simplistic  views  of  the  world  and  others.  By  creating  safe  spaces  for 
constructive  dialogue,  where 
learners  experience  non-conflictual  discussions  on 
controversial topics, education systems help learners develop a personal understanding of 
complex issues and question their own assumptions and those of others. 

Education is also a means to combat polarisation and equip learners with the tools to deal 
with increasing volumes of information, be aware of risks related to the reliability of the 
information  sources,  help  distinguish  fact  from  fiction,  and  exercise  sound  judgment. 
Such media literacy and critical thinking contribute to active and responsible citizenship, 
employability and personal development. 

The advent of the internet and information technology is creating a revolution in the lives 
of  young  people  and  also  in  education.  It  provides  both  opportunities  and  threats. 
According to a recent study, some 90 % of EU households have access to the internet,22 
which  allows  students  to  access  information  almost  without  boundaries.  At  the  same 
time,  research  is  increasingly  showing  that  the  internet  and  social  media  can  promote 
intolerant  acts  and  cause  psychological  harm.  Cyberbullying  is  a  real  danger  to  young 
people  in  today’s  classrooms,  as  is  exposure  to  extremist  ideas  and  hate  speech. 
Furthermore, extremist groups benefit from the opportunities they get on the internet and 
through  social  media  to  influence  young  people  and  recruit  new  members,  as  well  as 
reinforce divisions and existing prejudices. 

The  concept  of  digital  citizenship  encompasses  a  range  of  competences,  attributes  and 
behaviours  that  harness  the  benefits  and  opportunities  the  online  world  affords  while 
building resilience to potential harm. 

State of play 

Council Conclusion on inclusion in diversity to achieve a high quality education for all 
from 2017, in which Member States and the Commission agreed to put measures in place 
to  promote  a  democratic  and  inclusive  school  culture,  develop  measures  that  allow  the 
early identification and prevention of social exclusion and encourage closer cooperation 
between education and other relevant areas, such as culture, youth, sports, employment, 
welfare, security and other channels of work on social inclusion. 

Council Conclusion on the role of youth work in supporting young people's development 
from  2017,  in  which  Member  States  and  the  Commission  agreed  to  strengthen  the 
cooperation, peer learning and exchange with regard to the promotion and development 
of life skills among young people. 

The  Expert  Group  on  Youth  has  prepared  a  document  with  specific  focus  on  the 
prevention  and  the  contribution  youth  work  and  youth  workers  can  make.  It  is  very 
important  to  state  that  radical  ideas  are  not  in  themselves  problematic.  This  changes 
when radical ideas develop into violent extremism. Violent radicalisation jeopardises first 
and foremost a young person’s future and wellbeing and with that our European project. 

22 Eurostat (2015) http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php/File:Proportion_of_households_with_access_to_computers_and_the_internet_at_hom
e,_EU-28,_2007 %E2 %80 %9314_(%C2 %B9)_(%25)_BYIE15.png. 

25 

 
 
 
                                                            
Youth  work  has  a  role  to  play  in  building  democratic  resilience  and  empower  young 
people to become active citizens with our European society.23 

Recommendation  2006/962/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18 
December  2006  on  key  competences  for  lifelong  learning24  identifies  the  knowledge, 
skills  and  attitudes  for  personal  fulfilment,  active  citizenship,  social  cohesion  and 
employability. 

The Council Conclusions of  25 November  2014 on a Work Plan for Culture 2015-
2018 prioritises EU policy collaboration on the contribution of culture to social inclusion, 
building  on  the  commitments  to  cultural  diversity  and  intercultural  dialogue  in  the 
European Agenda for Culture. 

A  comprehensive  survey  on  Citizenship  Education  at  School  in  Europe  has  been 
carried out by Eurydice and published in October 201725. 

The  report  shows  that  all  countries  have  ambitious  curricula  to  develop  a  number  of 
competences related to interacting effectively and constructively with others, acting in a 
socially  responsible  manner,  acting  democratically  and  thinking  critically.  The  report 
also documents that citizenship education appears to be an issue, which is currently in the 
spotlight in a number of countries across Europe. Countries have increased the number of 
teaching hours, the curricula have been revised, teacher initial and professional training 
have  been  upgraded  and  improved  guidance  and  support  material  is  more  widely 
available. 

Furthermore, despite progress in recent years, nearly half of the countries surveyed in the 
Eurydice  study  on  civic  education  still  have  no  regulations  or  recommendations  on  the 
development  of  prospective  teachers’  citizenship  education  competences  through  initial 
teacher education Furthermore, although the majority of education authorities organise or 
support  opportunities  for  teachers’  continuing  professional  development  in  this  area  of 
learning, similar opportunities for school heads are rather limited. 

In  almost  half  of  education  systems,  there  are  no  central  level  regulations  or 
recommendations on suitable methods for classroom assessment in this area of learning. 

Council  Conclusions  on  developing  media  literacy  and  critical  thinking  through 
education and training It is one of the four pillars of the Paris Declaration to strengthen 
‘children’s and young people’s ability to think critically and exercise judgment so that, 
particularly in the context of the Internet and social media, they are able to grasp realities, 
to  distinguish  fact  from  opinion,  to  recognise  propaganda  and  to  resist  all  forms  of 
indoctrination and hate speech’. 

23 

https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0ad09926-a8b1-11e7-837e-

01aa75ed71a1/language-en. 

24  Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18  December  2006  on  key 

competences for lifelong learning OJ L 394, 30.12.2006, p. 10. 

25 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/images/6/68/215_EN_Citizenship_2017_N.pdf 

26 

 
 
 
                                                            
The  November  2017  Council  conclusions  on  Smart  Youth  Work26  focus  on  how  youth 
work can help young people fully benefit from recent technological developments. 

The  European  Solidarity  Corps27  is  a  new  European  Union  initiative  which  creates 
opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or 
abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe. 

The  EU  research  Framework  Programmes  for  Research  and  Innovation  (Horizon  2020 
and FP7) have funded a substantial body of research on issues related to education, social 
inclusion and youth participation28. Their results have been discussed in the conference 
(Brussels, 2016) "Great start in life – The best possible Education in the early years", that 
brought together about 300 researchers, policy makers, teachers and early education and 
care practitioners to explore the best possible provision for children from birth to the end 
of compulsory primary schooling.29  

Horizon  2020  will  support  in  2018  research  projects  on  the  inclusion  of  children  in 
migration within EU education systems (Societal Challenge 6, Work Programme 2018-
20). 

Implementation 

Measures to deliver on this approach could encompass: 

  ensuring  the  provision  of  citizenship  education  that  combines  dedicated 
subjects;  citizenship  issues  integrated  into  other  subjects  and  learning 
materials that reflects different perspectives; 

  creating  a  supportive  learning  environment,  where  all  learners  are  respected, 
listened  to  and  supported  where  learners  can  voice  their  thoughts  and  concerns 
without  being  criticised  and  can  learn  to  understand  the  beliefs,  interests  and 
viewpoints of others; 

  promoting a democratic school culture30 that actively engages all members of 
the school community, where diversity is encouraged, recognised and respected; 

26   http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-14205-2017-INIT/en/pdf. 

27   https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en 

28   

http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-sciences/pdf/project_synopses/ki-01-16-979-

en.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none  

http://ec.europa.eu/research/social-

sciences/pdf/project_synopses/kina27205enc.pdf#view=fit&pagemode=none 

29   https://ec.europa.eu/education/great-start-in-life_en 

30  The  whole-school  culture  and  approach  to  citizenship  education  can  be  an  important  factor  in 
successfully implementing the subject at class level and thereby have a positive impact on individual 

27 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
  developing media literacy and critical thinking in a proactive manner through 
curriculum  development  and  innovative  teaching  approaches  relevant  to  all 
learners  such  as  experiential  project-based  learning,  role  plays,  collective 
deconstruction  of  media  content  and  structured  analysis  of  disinformation 
propagation; training educators in innovative teaching  methods  and resources to 
help learners exercise sound judgment on media messages; and involving media 
experts and organisations and other stakeholders from the cultural and arts sectors 
in developing learning resources; 

  creating  synergies  between  formal,  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  for 
instance through harnessing the power of social media influencers with the aim of 
educating social media users in critical evaluation technique; 

  building  structures  to  ensure  the  active  participation  of  all  members  of  the 
learning  community  in  the  governance  of  education  and  training  systems  and 
institutions, including learners, parents and educators; 

  enabling educators to build close cooperation with civil society, youth, sport and 

cultural organisations, local authorities and the business sector; 

  supporting learners’ civic engagement activities through incorporating them in 
teaching and organised activities and, in higher education, through the allocation 
of European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points. Particular attention could be 
paid to creating pathways for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds to access 
extra-curricular youth empowerment and cultural activities; and 

  developing 

strategies 
implementation tools underpinned by the necessary resources. 

national/regional 

comprehensive 

and 

effective 

Austria: UNESCO school houseboat Bertha von Suttner 

83 Austrian schools are members of the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network 
(ASPNet),  including  the  school  houseboat  Bertha  von  Suttner,  which  aim  to  promote 
learning  as  an  activity-focused  process,  pursuing  an  interdisciplinary,  intercultural 
approach  to  cooperation,  applying  an  integrative  style  of  education  with  diversity  as  a 
key  component  in  its  pedagogy  and  practising  democracy  is  a  pre-eminent  educational 
goal. 

Belgium: Muslim Expert Network 

To encourage more critical thinking — particularly in relation to messages that may be 
propagated by (social) media networks — and address more complex issues, schools in 
Belgium have been given access to networks of experts. One such network is a network 

learners.  Research  shows  that  there  is  also  a  myriad  of  benefits  at  school  level  from  a  stronger 
community  feeling  and  sense  of  belonging  within  the  school  to  improved  behaviour  and  attitudes 
leading to increased student engagement and motivation. The whole-school approach can also take the 
school into the wider community, to break down barriers and connect young people to community life. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
of Experts on Islam. The network (which is in operation since 1 October 2015) consists 
of experienced experts on Islam (volunteers with exception of the coordinator) who have 
a thorough knowledge of Islamic theology and who are at the same time familiar with the 
world  and  the  experience  of  young  people.  The  goal  of  the  network  is  to  frame  and 
interpret  Islam  and  Islamic  norms  and  values  for  youth,  class  groups  and/or  frontline 
workers (e.g. teachers, youth  workers). The network  has  three goals: (1) Give frontline 
workers and teachers the confidence and knowledge to address Muslim students and/or 
their parents; (2) On demand of schools, the network can carry out preventive work by 
addressing  school  groups,  guiding  class  discussions  and  facilitate  dialogue  between 
different  life  views  and  beliefs;  (3)  The  network  can  also  help  if  teachers  or  frontline 
workers  suspect  radicalisation  or  are  confronted  with  an  escalating  situation.  During 
these  interventions,  educational  opportunities  are  provided  for  students,  class  groups, 
frontline workers, teachers and, on demand, parents. 

From 2017 in Denmark, the Ministry for Children, Education and Gender Equality has 
provided tailored guidance to schools by hiring learning consultants, who support schools 
and  municipalities  in  promoting  democracy  and  citizenship  and  in  preventing 
radicalisation and extremism at school. 

Finland  provides  general  guidelines  with  the  national  core  curriculum  but  indicates  a 
number of national and international resources organisations where support materials are 
available,  including  UNICEF  and  Council  of  Europe.  UNICEF  runs  a  well-established 
programme of global citizenship education linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, 
with a focus on the areas of global advocacy and policy dialogue, global measurements 
of  progress,  peace  and  human  rights  education,  preventing  violent  extremism  through 
education and education about the Holocaust. 

Finland: Student Councils 

In  Finland,  student  councils  are  set  up  at  every  educational  level.  Learners  can  for 
example make decisions about what to do with funding or how to manage school public 
spaces.  The  Project  to  Support  Student  Councils  in  Finnish  Comprehensive  Schools 
(SPOT) started in June 2014 and is a cooperative project to support student councils in 
promoting  a  communal  working  culture  at  schools.  The  project  has  collected  methods 
supporting  participation  and  student  councils’  work,  and  has  also  planned  methods, 
processes and practices on how to promote a participatory and communicative culture at 
schools which are appropriate for different age groups of children. A web-based service 
offering  tools  and  material  support  for  teachers  responsible  for  student  councils  was 
launched in January 2015. 

For further information: 

www.opinkirjo.fi/en/activity/citizenship_education/pupil_council_activities  

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
In France, the Loi 2013 pour la refondation de l’école de la République outlines a new 
programme  of  civic  education,  demonstrating  a  renewed  emphasis  on  citizenship 
education  within  the  new  academic  pathway  of  all  students  through  a  ‘Citizenship 
Journey’ [Parcours Citoyen]. Addressing regions, schools, teachers and curriculum, this 
is  supported  by  a  broad  selection  of  guidance  and  resources  hosted  on  the  national 
Eduscol website.  

France: Citizen reserve 

The ‘réserve citoyenne’ initiative, launched by the French Ministry of Education in 2015, 
offers  the  opportunity  to  all  citizens  and  all  actors  from  civic  society  to  volunteer 
alongside teachers in extra-curricular activities to promote republican values in schools. 

France: Press and Media Week at School 

Each  spring,  teachers  of  all  levels  of  education  and  in  all  disciplines  are  invited  to 
participate in the Press and Media Week at School (Semaine de la presse et des médias 
dans l’école). The week involves over three million students and over 200 000 teachers. 
The aim of the week is to help young people of all ages to understand the media system, 
to develop their critical thinking, to develop a taste for current affairs and to forge their 
identity  as  a  citizen.  Each  year,  some  1 900  media  organisations  sign  up  to  the  event, 
which is organised by CLEMI (Centre for Liaison between Education and Media), part of 
the  Ministry  of  Education.  CLEMI  proves  a  series  of  teaching  resources  every  year 
including:  a  pedagogical  kit,  a  tablet  application  on  media  education,  exhibitions,  six 
interactive games, events, publications and workshops. This year (2016), the 27th edition 
of the week, will be devoted to freedom of expression, deliberately chosen in the wake of 
the terrorist attacks. 

For  further  information:  www.education.gouv.fr/cid54348/semaine-de-la-presse-et-des-
medias-dans-l-ecole-%C3 %83 %C2 %82 %C3 %82 %C2 %AE.html 

Netherlands — Mira Media 

Mira Media is an independent cooperative body founded in 1986 by the major national 
migrant  organisations  in  the  Netherlands,  which  aims  to  achieve  more  diversity  and 
‘ethnic’ pluralism by supporting the participation of migrants in radio, television and the 
interactive media. Mira means looking in different languages, mirror and reflection. The 
name stands for the efforts of the organisation to ensure that the media in the Netherlands 
are  a  good  reflection  of  society.  Mira  Media  has  no  broadcasting  time  but  closely 
cooperates  with  Dutch  national  and  local  (public  and  commercial)  broadcasters.  Mira 
Media  uses  media  as  a  tool  for  intercultural  dialogue  and  social  cohesion  at  the 
neighbourhood level and encourages citizens to engage in active media participation. It 
works  with  many  partners  in  the  social  field  and  in  the  media  in  order  to  achieve 
comprehensive  and  sustainable  programmes.  Mira  Media  also  focuses  on  improving 
digital literacy and media educational support to vulnerable groups such as older people 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
and (migrant) parents. 

For further information: http://www.miramedia.nl/over-mira-media.htm 

Sweden — Swedish Media Council 

The Swedish Media Council is a government agency whose primary task is to promote 
the  empowering  of  minors  as  conscious  media  users  and  to  protect  them  from  harmful 
media  influences.  The  Media  Council  gathers  relevant  research  and  disseminates 
information on media development, media effects and media use regarding children and 
young people. The Council also classifies films for public screening. The ratings reflect 
whether  the  films  are  liable  to  harm  the  well-being  of  children.  The  Swedish  Media 
Council  operates  the  Swedish  Safer  Internet  Centre  for  a  safer  use  of  the  Internet  and 
other digital media among children and young people, and represents Sweden in the pan-
European  network  Insafe.  The  project  is  run  in  collaboration  with  BRIS  (Children’s 
rights  in  Society)  and  is  co-funded  by  the  European  Commission’s  Connecting  Europe 
Facility. 

For further information: http://statensmedierad.se/ovrigt/inenglish.579.html 

b.  Provide inclusive education 

The second approach could be to promote inclusive education for all learners. Equality in 
education tends to be built on an assumption that students should be treated in the same 
way, according to the ‘one size fits all’ approach. There is evidence, however, that this 
approach can have  unintended discriminatory effects and even lead to  segregation. The 
OECD has pointed to the fact that, for instance, early streaming of school pupils, though 
perhaps seen as value neutral, has discriminatory consequences for migrant students and 
those from lower socio-economic background.31 

State of play 

Council  Conclusion  on  inclusion  in  diversity  to  achieve  a  high  quality  education  for 
alldevelop measures that allow the early identification and prevention of social exclusion 
and  encourage  closer  cooperation  between  education  and  other  relevant  areas,  such  as 
culture,  youth,  sports,  employment,  welfare,  security  and  other  channels  of  work  on 
social inclusion; 

Studies  have  shown  that  learners’  support  should  be  based  on  a  principle  of 
differentiation,  where  teaching  approaches  are  tailored  to  the  specific  needs  of  an 
individual or group of learners and to specific circumstances. This is especially relevant 
for  learners  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds,  learners  with  a  migration  background  or 

31 https://www.oecd.org/education/school/50293148.pdf . 

31 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
from  ethnic  minority  groups  such  as  Roma.  Some  EU  Member  States  also  face 
difficulties in providing pupils with disabilities access to inclusive, quality education.32 

The  European  Union  Agency  for  Fundamental  Rights  argues  in  its  2017  report33  on 
segregation of migrants that possible solutions to such segregationist tendencies can be to 
distribute migrant children to different schools and to reach out more to migrant parents 
to  empower  them.  In  such  cases,  migrant  parents  are  supported  in  becoming  more 
involved  in  the  schools  their  children  attend.  The  report  identified  systematic  policy 
efforts to reach out and engage with migrant parents in only 4 of the 14 member states 
covered  in  the  report.34  Only  12  Member  States  have  adopted  legislation  prohibiting 
discrimination on the grounds of nationality or migrant, or foreigner status, according to 
this report.  

The  Council  recommendation  on  effective  Roma  integration  measures  in  the  Member 
States (2013)35 specifically recommends the Member States under point 1.3 on ‘Access to 
education’ to take effective measures to ensure equal treatment and full access for Roma 
boys and girls to equality and mainstream education by such measures as ‘a) eliminating 
any school segregation’ and ‘b) putting an end to any inappropriate placement of Roma 
pupils in special needs schools’. 

Other EU reference documents are: 

-  A  2015  Report  on  the  implementation  of  the  EU  Framework  for  National  Roma 
Integration  Strategies  with  a  particular  focus  on  misdiagnosis  and  transfer  of  Roman 
children into special schools for children with mental disabilities. 36 

- A 2015 guidance note by the European Commission providing recommendations on the 
efficient  use  of  European  Structural  and  Investments  Funds  (ESI  Funds)  in  tackling 
educational and spatial segregation based on the EU legislative and policy frameworks.37 

Implementation 

Measures to deliver on this approach could include: 

 

 

Initiatives  to  increase  access  to  good  quality  early  childhood  education  and 
care, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds; 

taking steps to ensure access to education, training and non-formal learning for 
learners from various socio-economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds and those 
with special educational needs; 

32 United Nations, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2015), Concluding observations on the initial report of the 

European Union, CRPD/C/EU/CO/1 of 2 October 2015. . 

33 http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2017/fundamental-rights-report-2017 

34 Denmark, Finland, France and Portugal. . 
35 Council recommendation on effective Roma integration measures in the Member States, EMPLOYMENT, SOCIAL POLICY, 
HEALTH and CONSUMER AFFAIRS Council meeting, Brussels, 9 and 10 December 2013. 

36 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/files/roma_communication2015_en.pdf. 

37 

http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/thematic_guidance_fiche_segregation_en.pdfhttp://ec.europ

a.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/thematic_guidance_fiche_segregation_en.pdf. 

32 

 
 
 
                                                            
 

implementing  individualised  active  and  collaborative  methods  to  allow  those 
having special educational needs to realise their full potential. Examples include 
additional pedagogical assistants in the classroom, after-school support schemes, 
language support for newly arrived migrants and the use of mediators; 

  early diagnosis of risk factors for early school leaving, together with effective 
prevention,  outreach  intervention  and  compensation  measures,  in  line  with  the 
Recommendation on Early School Leaving;38 

 

facilitating the integration of newly arrived migrants into education as soon as 
possible after their arrival, together with other measures to ensure the assessment, 
validation  and  recognition  of  their  skills  and  qualifications,  including  for  those 
who have no documentation to certify their qualifications; and 

  removing  structural  barriers  and  dead  ends  between  various  educational 
levels and sectors in the education system, facilitating flexible learning pathways 
and providing adequate guidance on educational and career choices, particularly 
through financial and mentoring support to disadvantaged learners. 

For children with special needs, the entry into force in 2015/2016 of the ‘M-decree’ in 
Belgium  (Flanders)  is  a  major  step  towards  increasing  inclusion  in  the  mainstream 
system. From September 2015, every child, including those with special needs, has the 
right  to  enrol  in  a  mainstream  school,  provided  this  is  possible  with  reasonable 
adaptations.  Around  180 full-time  staff  specialising  in  special  education  provide 
support  to  teacher  teams  in  regular  education  (Crevits  2015a).  Initial  results  show  a 
greater proportion of students with special needs participating in mainstream rather than 
special education. 

In  Ireland  a  new  DEIS  (Delivering  Equality  of  Opportunity  in  Schools)  scheme,  will 
draw  on  international  best  practice  for  using  the  education  system  to  increase 
opportunities  and  outcomes  for  children  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds.  In  January 
2016  the  Minister  for  Education  and  Skills  launched  a  new  consultative  forum  on 
developing  an  updated  literacy  and  numeracy  strategy  for  the  period  up  to  2020.  The 
review  outcomes  support  further  emphasis  on  tackling  disadvantage  for  students  for 
whom English is a foreign language and other groups. 

In  Sweden,  asylum-seeking  children must  join school within one month of arrival, and 
their  previous  schooling  and  academic  knowledge  are  assessed  within  two  months. 
Special  introductory  classes  for  newly  arrived  children  are  limited  to  two  years,  and 
students also have a place in mainstream classes, where they can take part in accordance 
with their proficiency in different subjects. Swedish teaching is combined with teaching 
in 
in  mother 
neighbourhoods with large migrant populations. 

tongue.  Education  providers  receive 

increased  financial  support 

38  

Council Recommendation of 28 June 2011 on policies to reduce early school leaving. 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
c.  Promote a European dimension of teaching 

This  approach  concerns  encouraging  a  deeper  knowledge  and  understanding  about  the 
origins  and  funtioning  of  the  EU;  diversity  and  cultural  identities  in  Europe,  the  main 
developments  in  national,  European  and  world  history;  the  multi-cultural  and  socio-
economic dimensions of European societies, and how having a national cultural identity 
is compatible with a European identity. 

Fostering understanding that a national or regional cultural identity is compatible with a 
European identity could help young people develop a sense of belonging to the European 
Union as well as to one’s locality and country. The Union has a significant effect on the 
lives  of  all  Europeans,  and  to  fully  benefit  from  and  participate  in  the  democratic 
construction  of  the  European  Union  knowledge  of  it  and  clear  understanding  of  how  it 
has developed is needed. Education has a major role to play. 

State of play 

Within the framework of the Erasmus+, numerous projects have been financed in relation 
to EU facts and knowledge, particularly in the context of the Jean Monnet strand of the 
programme.  

The ‘Europe for Citizens Programme’ through its strand 1 "European remembrance" and 
strand  2  "Civic  participation  and  democratic  engagement"  has  provided  support  to 
several projects dealing with European integration; in some cases concerning the primary 
and secondary education sector. 

Every  year,  the  Commission  organises  information  on  the  European  Union  at  school 
level and its Directorate General for Communication has established a network of school 
correspondents  in  all  Commission  Representations  in  the  Member  States.  They  inform 
teachers  and  pupils  and  promote  repositories  such  as:  the  ‘Teachers  Corner’  39  where 
material on the EU is made available. 

Since  2011  and  following  the  request  of  the  European  Parliament  ‘the  [Erasmus+] 
programme should include measures to promote civic education (teaching and learning) 
on  European  Democratic  Citizenship  including  studies  of  Europe  and  the  European 
Union in the European Member States’ secondary schools.’ 

The  Directorate  General  for  Education  and  Culture  has  designed  and  implemented  a 
specific action in the framework of the Jean Monnet activities named ‘Learning EU at 
School’. A study collected information and data at the level of the Member States on the 
state of the art in the European countries’ legislations, rules and practices on the way EU 
is taught at school and was followed by an EU conference. An annual call for proposals 
supports projects for developing teaching of EU in general education and in VET. 

39 http://europa.eu/teachers-corner/ 

34 

 
 
 
                                                            
In  spite  of  the  effort  done  the  general  level  of  knowledge  of  the  European  Union,  its 
policies and its institutions remains less than optimal, with a large part of the population 
having little or no knowledge or information on the Union.   

This is particularly valid for young people and it is reflected in the lowest turn-out rate 
(42.5 %) at the 2014 EP elections. More than 70 % of young people did not vote. Young 
people are also the age group which feel strongest that more information about the EU 
institutions is needed. 

The  knowledge  deficit  includes  a  basic  lack  of  understanding  of  the  European  Union 
itself,  with  only  20 %  of  adults  being  able  to  answer  correctly  simple  questions  on  the 
Union (e.g. number of Member States, functioning of the presidency, and elections of the 
EP). 

Implementation 

Measures to deliver on this approach could include: 

  enhanced  initial  teacher  training  in  order  to  prepare  teachers  for  teaching 

 

about the EU; 
the  provision  of  age-appropriate  textbook  material  and  other  teaching 
resources; 

  participation  in  projects,  cross-border  activities  and  networking  including 

through Erasmus+; 
involvement of external speakers; and 

 
  visits outside of the school or youth organisation. 

Italy:  View  on  EU,  A  visual  easy  window  on  European  Union,  by  Alma  Mater 
Studiorum — Universita di Bologna 

Content  on  the  EU  prepared  by  university  professors  is  brought  to  pupils  by  an 
association  of  young  committed  communicators.  The  general  aim  is  to  make  the 
history  of  European  integration  and  the  spirit  of  the  Lisbon  Treaty  comprehensible 
and  accessible  to  young  students  in  order  to  strengthen  a  sense  of  belonging  to  the 
EU.  The  project  produced  a  booklet  in  Italian  and  English  and  twelve  commercials 
made by the students involved in the workshops; a website contains a downloadable 
version of the products. https://www.facebook.com/ViewOnEu/ 

Portugal: YED — Young Europeans for Democracy, by Universidade de Tras-
os-Montes e Alto Douro 

This project proposes an immersion into a democratic environment, giving pupils the 
opportunity to understand and practice their role as European citizens, by: 

-  Conceiving virtual 3D islands to experiment, discuss and show democracy; 

-  Enhancing  teachers’  competence  in  promoting  Education  for  Democratic 
Citizenship; 

35 

 
 
 
 
Innovating  in  resources  and  methods,  towards  a  more  collaborative  way  of 

- 
society building. 

During 12 months, UTAD will go inside secondary schools, bringing knowledge and 
an  interdisciplinary  team  committed  to  guiding  teachers  and  pupils  in  the  route  of 
participation in Europe’s history. 

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d.  Support teachers and teaching 

This approach concerns supporting teachers to deal with diversity and create an open 
classroom  climate,  in  recognition  of  the  fact  that  the  teacher’s  role  goes  beyond 
transmitting knowledge and includes communicating common values and acting as role 
models themselves. 

Teachers need to take up these issues, and be supported. However, teachers do not feel 
empowered  to  deal  with  diversity  and  make  change  happen.  Too  often,  only  certain 
specialists are trained in inclusive principles, while all teachers would need to know how 
to  integrate  the  principles  of  inclusive  education  into  teaching  practices.  There  is  also 
considerable burn-out among teachers across the EU and too many leave the profession 
prematurely.  This  is  especially  the  case  in  schools  in  traditionally  underserved 
communities. 

Democratic leadership  should  be promoted at all  levels  of the school, viewing teachers 
and  other  staff  as  facilitators  of  student  learning  instead  of  carriers  of  all  knowledge. 
Teachers need ongoing support when taking on new roles in the classroom and school. A 
sense of belonging can be improved through a dedicated emphasis, constant promotion of 
parental and student involvement and quality of the teacher-student relationship. 

According to the ICCS survey, an open classroom climate stands out as having the most 
consistent  positive  relationship  with  students’  civic  attitudes  across  all  the  various 
education  factors.  Students  who  experience  an  open  classroom  climate  where  they  feel 
they  can  express  their  opinions,  ask  questions  and  contrast  different  opinions  are  more 
ready  to  accept  various  citizenship  values,  trust  democratic  institutions  and  anticipate 
they  will  vote  later.  Students’  participation  in  school  has  a  more  specific  function  in 
fostering expected later participation. 

State of play 

Council  Conclusions  on  inclusion  in  diversity  to  achieve  a  high  quality  education  for 
alldevelop measures that allow the early identification and prevention of social exclusion 
and  encourage  closer  cooperation  between  education  and  other  relevant  areas,  such  as 
culture,  youth,  sports,  employment,  welfare,  security  and  other  channels  of  work  on 
social inclusion. 

The  Radicalisation  Awareness  Network40  has  introduced  two  guidance  documents  to 
empower  and  support  teachers  and  to  equip  them  with  pedagogical  tools  to  handle 
discussions with students on perceived injustice, radical ideas and even extreme opinions. 
The idea behind the guide is that schools should provide a safe place, allow students to 
engage  with  developments  in  society  guided  by  trained  teachers,  and  prepare  young 
people to be democratic citizens.     

Implementation 

Measures to deliver on this approach could encompass: 

40 https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network_en 

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 

initial  education  and  continuing  professional  development  of  teachers  and 
youth workers to address inclusive teaching practices, avoid discrimination, raise 
cultural  awareness,  create  an  open  classroom  climate  that  offers  space  for 
dialogue  on controversial issues, deal with  linguistically  diverse  classrooms and 
support  learners  with  special  educational  needs.  Also  useful  are  guidelines  for 
teachers  on  how  to  assess  students  in  citizenship  education.  Opportunities  for 
school heads’ continuing professional development in this area of learning should 
be offered more systematically; 

  exchanges  and  peer  learning  programmes  among  teachers,  guidance, 

mentoring and other support schemes; and 

  Promoting diversity within the teaching profession itself, through fostering the 
recruitment  and  career  development  of  teachers  from  migrant  and/or  minority 
backgrounds,  can  facilitate  a  greater  awareness  of  global  citizenship  among 
students,  other  teachers  and  the  wider  school  environment  (e.g.  parents, 
governors,  partners,  local  decision-makers),  and  make  teachers  aware  of  their 
own (potential) subtle biases and how these can impact students. 

Netherlands: Teacher training ‘Dialogue under pressure’ 

In order to discuss difficult and sensitive topics within the classroom, teachers should 
have  social,  pedagogical  and  didactic  competences.  To  help  vocation  education 
teachers to professionalise in this regard, the Foundation School and Safety offers a 
free in-school training ‘Dialogue under pressure’, financially supported by the Dutch 
Ministry  of  Education.  Comparable  trainings  have  been  developed  for  primary  and 
secondary school teachers 

Austria: Training specialists in Global Citizenship Education (GCED) 

The Alpen-Adria Universität14 in Klagenfurt provides a three-year Masters programme 
in GCED which trains specialists in GCED who can serve as resource and multipliers for 
other teachers and educators, as well as schools.  

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