Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education
Date: 2021-08-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: coronavirus disease, digital technology, distance learning, epidemic, organisation of teaching, primary education, secondary education, social integration, teaching quality, vocational training

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.8.2021 COM(2021) 455 final 2021/0255 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education (Text with EEA relevance) {SWD(2021) 219 final}  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Equal access for all to high-quality education is crucial for both economic and social progress. 
Education policy should enable all citizens to achieve their full potential and to develop their 
competences  through  lifelong  learning.  This  is  a  key  message  of  the  following:  the 
Commission Communication Establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights1; the vision for 
a  European  Education  Area2;  the  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  2021-20273;  the  Council 
Resolution  on  a  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training 
towards  the  European  Education  Area  and  beyond  (2021-2030)4;  and  the  Council 
Conclusions  on  equity  and  inclusion  in  education  and  training  in  order  to  promote 
educational success for all5. Achieving this objective has become even more pressing in light 
of the educational challenges that were brought to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

(1) 

Challenges to be addressed by the proposed recommendation 

School  site  closures  and  wider  societal  restrictions  due  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic  have 
highlighted existing strengths and weaknesses of primary and secondary education, including 
vocational education and training (VET). Education and training systems have demonstrated a 
tremendous  capacity  to  innovate  and  adopt  new  approaches6  but  also  significant  shortfalls 
from a lack of readiness to take advantage of different learning environments and tools. 

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For learners, the learning process was often slower and less in-depth, and sometimes 
delayed.  It  was  generally  made  more  difficult  due  to  the  absence  of  the  systematic 
classroom  attendance  and  rhythm,  and  close  interaction  with  teachers  and  fellow 
pupils. 

Physical,  mental  and  emotional  well-being  was  compromised  in  certain  cases  as 
many  schools  could  not  offer  structured  activities  or  access  to  facilities,  and  the 
health  and  motivation  of  children  relied  on  what  their  families7  and  domestic 
environment could provide. 

Many families and learners, particularly those from disadvantaged groups, lacked the 
necessary  capability  and  resources  to  cope  with  learning  at  home8.  This  led  to  a 
major  concern  for  pupils  who  would  normally  receive  targeted  learning  support  at 

COM(2017) 250. 
https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area_en  
COM(2020) 624. 
OJ 2021 C 66/1, 26.2.2021. 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021XG0610(01)  
For example, new legislation was rapidly triggered together with giving more  autonomy to authorities 
and school leaders at the local level. Many schools have formed or renewed partnerships with parents, 
local  communities,  businesses,  private  companies,  NGOs,  and  cultural  (including  broadcast  media) 
organisations, as reported in the Digital Education Action Plan open public consultation. 
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre gathered the perceptions of children and families in 
nine EU countries for their report How families handled emergency remote schooling during the Covid-
19 lockdown in spring 2020.  
According to the results of the open public consultation to prepare the Digital Education Action Plan, 
parents and learners reported particular difficulties with the shift to remote emergency teaching. Parents 
report 
learn, 
their  children  had  a  particularly  bad  experience  with  motivation 
examination/assessment and feedback, and the poor quality of online learning content. Socio-economic 
gaps between learners was identified as the major challenge going forward. See also forthcoming study: 
Cachia R., Velicu A., Chaudron S., Di Gioia R. & Vuorikari R., “Remote schooling during Covid-19 
spring 2020 lockdown. A closer look at European families.” 

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school,  subsidised  and  healthy  meals9,  or  access  to  a  variety  of  extra-curricular 
activities, including physical activities. 

Many systems, schools and educators were unprepared for such change in terms of 
both  digital  competence  and  resources,  including  connectivity  and  infrastructure10. 
Some  primary  and  secondary  teachers  reported  lacking  clear  guidance  and 
communication  from  public  authorities.  They  also  reported  a  lack  of  support  and 
training on designing learning for times when all, or most, pupils would be learning 
at home.   

Important  education  professionals  –  visiting  specialists,  home  liaison  officers, 
educators  in  cultural  organisations,  as  well  as  trainers  and  tutors  in  work-based 
learning, – and their resources could no longer access schools. 

Science,  arts  curriculum  subjects  and  vocational  education  and  training  were  all 
disrupted,  given  their  reliance  on  access  to  particular  spaces,  laboratories  and 
equipment  and  on  supervision  by  trained  professionals,  which  is  typically  for  both 
pedagogical and safety reasons. 

Schools  faced  challenges  in  maintaining  the  personal  and  social  benefits  of  being 
part of a school community when lacking on-site presence. 

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Striving  towards  a  vision  of  a  better-quality  and  inclusive  education  and  training  is  by  no 
means limited to the COVID-19 context. The ongoing challenges for designing education and 
training remain:  building  meaningful  learning experiences in  different  environments and for 
learners  of  different  ages,  abilities  and  circumstances;  supporting  broad  competence 
development  appropriate  to  learner  needs  for  global  society  today  and  in  the  future; 
supporting  well-being;  and  supporting  educators  and  schools  to  adapt  and  keep  improving 
their own organisational and pedagogical approaches, for the benefit of all learners. In order 
to  meet  these  challenges  and  improve  capacity,  a  blended  learning  approach  requires  a 
coherent  approach  by  the  education  and  training  system  as  a  whole  as  part  of  a  culture  of 
continuous improvement. 

(2) 

The objectives of the proposed recommendation 

This proposed recommendation is part of the immediate response to lessons learned from the 
COVID-19 pandemic, when many pre-existing challenges and inequalities were exacerbated 
and brought to the fore. The recommendation would propose shorter-term measures to address 
the most pressing gaps observed so far and overcome the effects on the younger generation. 
At  the  same  time,  it  would  outline  a  way  forward  for  blending  learning  environments  and 
tools  in  primary  and  secondary  education  that  can  help  build  more  resilient  education  and 
training systems, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and the European 
Education Area, and to prepare the ground to deliver on the Digital Decade11 objectives. The 
aim  is  to  increase  the  inclusiveness  and  quality  of  education  and  training  and  improve  the 
broad competence development of all learners. 

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The  EU  School  Scheme  allows  children  learn  about  healthy  diets  and  lifestyles.  See  School  scheme 
explained | European Commission (europa.eu) 
According to the results of the open public consultation to prepare the Digital Education Action Plan, 
69% of primary schools and 64% of secondary schools had no previous experience of distance learning 
using digital technologies. Respondents reported a range of obstacles and barriers including the lack of 
digital infrastructure and digital capacity, poor learning design, insufficient communication between and 
school and home, and the lack of digital competences, particularly for educators. 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/europes-digital-decade-
digital-targets-2030_en 

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The  proposed  recommendation  does  not  advocate  for  a  mainstreaming  of  reduced  educator 
presence in learning, neither encourage spending more hours in front of a screen. Also, it does 
not strive for a sudden and indiscriminate replacement of print, paper and pencils by digital 
technologies  in  primary  and  secondary  education12.  A  proliferation  of  platforms  and 
communication channels can increase the risk of digital fatigue and organisational burnout for  
students,  educators  and  parents.  Rather,  as  part  of  the  recovery  from  the  COVID-19 
pandemic,  the  proposed  recommendation  seeks  to  support  the  continuous  evolution  and 
improvement of a well-balanced school education (in terms of pedagogy as well as  learning 
materials) that promotes high quality and inclusiveness,  with  the additional benefit of being 
sufficiently resilient to cope and adapt. 

(3) 

Specific provisions of the recommendation 

Blended learning in formal education and training happens when a school, educator or learner 
takes more than one approach to the learning process: 

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blending school site and distance learning environments; and 

blending  different  tools  for  learning  that  can  be  digital  (including  online)  and  non-
digital as part of learning tasks. 

To ensure an optimal use of blended learning, teachers and learners must be equipped with the 
necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, and be receptive to using appropriate digital tools 
and  to  changes  in  teaching.  The  blended  learning  approach  also  needs  to  be  sufficiently 
flexible to allow adaptation to learners’ needs and freedom for educators to adopt it according 
to  their  context  and  audience.    Providing  conditions  conducive  to  blended  learning  also 
depends upon the learners’ resources and the school’s organisation, culture and resources, i.e. 
access  to  appropriate,  affordable  and  well-functioning  environments  and  tools.  To  achieve 
this,  this  proposed  recommendation  emphasises  the  need  for  action  at  various  levels  (the 
school and its local ecosystem; Member State or regional education system level; support as 
appropriate  at  the  EU  level)  and  for  different  time  horizons:  short-term  as  an  immediate 
response  to  the  pandemic  and  medium-term  to  use  this  approach  to  promote  quality  and 
inclusive education. 

(4) 

Complementarity with other initiatives 

The proposed recommendation is designed to complement other Commission initiatives that 
will  address  related  challenges  for  school  education,  namely  the  actions  presented  in  the 
Digital  Education  Action  Plan  2021-202713  and  the  Pathways  to  School  Success  initiative 
under  the  European  Education  Area  to  help  all  pupils  reach  proficiency  in  basic  skills  and 
complete  upper  secondary  education,  the  Skills  Agenda  for  Europe14,  and  particularly  the 
Council recommendation on VET15 which proposes a modernised EU policy  vision of VET 
including  its  digitalisation  and  use  of  blended  learning.  The  proposed  recommendation  also 
complements other initiatives under the Erasmus+ programme, including Erasmus+ Teacher 
Academies. 

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Research  has  demonstrated  this  may  cause  a  setback  in  the  development  of  pupils’  deep-reading 
abilities;  see  Stavanger  Declaration  Concerning  the  Future  of  Reading  (https://ereadcost.eu/wp-
content/uploads/2019/01/StavangerDeclaration.pdf). The Declaration, signed in 2019 by more than 100 
researchers,  contains  the  key  findings  of  four  years  of  empirical  research  in  the  context  of  the  EU-
funded COST research action Evolution of Reading in the Age of Digitalisation (E-READ). 
COM(2020) 624. 
COM(2020) 274 final. 
OJ C 417, 2.12.2020, p. 1–16 

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2. 

 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The initiative is in conformity with Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of 
the  European  Union.  Article  165  lays  down  that  the  Union  is  to  ‘contribute  to  the 
development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if 
necessary,  by  supporting  and  supplementing  their  action,  while  fully  respecting  the 
responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of their 
education  systems’.  Article  165(2)  further  specifies  that  Union  action  in  education  will  be 
aimed,  in  part,  at  encouraging  the  development  of  distance  education.  Article  166  provides 
that  the  Union  is  to  implement  a  vocational  training  policy  to  support  and  supplement  the 
action  of  Member  States,  while  fully  respecting  the  responsibility  of  Member  States  for  the 
content and organisation of vocational training. 

The  initiative  does  not  propose  any  extension  of  EU  regulatory  power  or  binding 
commitments  on  Member  States.  Member  States  will  decide,  according  to  their  national 
circumstances, how they implement the recommendation. 

 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence) 

Member  States  have  their  own  culture  and  legislation  for  the  design  and  organisation  of 
learning. They are fully responsible for the content of teaching and the organisation of their 
education  and  training  systems.  However,  Member  States  face  a  number  of  common  issues 
relating to the preparedness of their education and training systems, as shown by the impact of 
the COVID-19 pandemic on learners, their families, teachers, trainers and institution leaders. 
The  recommendation  aims  to  support  Member  States  in  strengthening  preparedness  and 
resilience of their education and training systems, through the development of well-balanced 
blended learning approaches. 

The added value of this proposed recommendation at EU level lies in the ability of the EU to: 

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facilitate  a  common  approach  towards  short-term  solutions  to  problems 
encountered  during  the  pandemic  that  led  to  or  exarcebated  gaps  in  learning 
outcomes; 

promote  a  common  European  understanding  of  the  opportunities  created  by 
blending  learning,  including  improving  the  quality  and  inclusiveness  of 
education and training, and the broad competence development and well-being 
of learners; 

facilitate  the  sharing  of  policymaker,  researcher  and  educator  expertise  and 
best practices at system and school levels; 

support initiatives at EU level to foster competence development of educators 
and learners in blending learning environments and tools; and 

encourage investment in the above areas. 

In  line  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  the  proposal  outlines  a  way  forward  for  blending 
learning  environments  and 
in  primary  and  secondary  education  and  makes 
recommendations to this end. 

tools 

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Proportionality 

Neither the content nor the form of this proposed recommendation exceeds what is necessary 
to  achieve  its  objectives.  The  commitments  Member  States  will  make  are  of  a  voluntary 
nature and each Member State remains free to decide on which approach to take. 

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 

Choice of the instrument 

To contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in Articles 165 and 166 of the 
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, this Treaty provides for the adoption by the 
Council of recommendations, on a proposal from the Commission. 

A  Council  recommendation  is  an  appropriate  instrument  within  the  field  of  education  and 
training,  where  the  EU  has  a  supporting  responsibility,  and  is  an  instrument  that  has  been 
frequently  used  for  European  action  in  these  areas.  As  a  legal  instrument,  it  signals  the 
commitment  of  Member  States  to  the  measures  presented  and  provides  a  stronger  political 
basis for cooperation in this area, while fully respecting Member State authority in the field of 
education and training. 

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 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EVALUATIONS, 

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OF 

EX 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

Not applicable. 

 

Stakeholder consultations 

During  2020  and  2021,  the  European  Commission  consulted  with  ministry  of  education 
representatives,  European  network  organisations  (teacher  educators,  parents,  students, 
employers, trade unions), educators, and other members of the public. Additional approaches 
and contexts have been useful to better understand the challenges and possibilities in this area: 
online  meetings  and  webinars;  surveys  to  targeted  school  education  and  training  audiences; 
and research projects. 

An  important  phase  was  the  open  public  consultation  from  February  to  September  2020  as 
part  of  the  preparatory  work  for  the  Communication  on  the  Digital  Education  Action  Plan 
2021-2027. This focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and gathered more than 
2 700  replies  from  60  countries.  A  consultation  of  European  schoolchildren  also  took  place 
via the eTwinning online community of teachers and school leaders. 

 

Collection and use of expertise 

The proposal is based on a wide range of reports and studies  on: pedagogical approaches to 
key competence development; teacher and school leader professional development; the use of 
digital technology in school education; and the governance of school education. For specific 
aspects, three expert consultants engaged under the Education and Training 2020 framework16 
also provided input. The review took note of reports and studies from the OECD, UNESCO 
and the Council of Europe, as well as the work of the Joint Research Centre of the European 
Commission  (especially  in  the  area  of  pedagogical  approaches  to  key  competence 
development, the use of digital technology in school education, and the learning experiences 
of children and families during the early stages of the pandemic). This information is included 
in the accompanying Staff Working Document. 

 

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Impact assessment 

European policy cooperation (ET 2020 framework) | Education and Training (europa.eu) 

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Given the complementary approach of the activities to Member State initiatives, the voluntary 
nature of the proposed activities and the scope of the impacts expected, an impact assessment 
was  not  carried  out.  The  development  of  the  proposal  was  informed  by  previous  studies, 
consultation of Member States and the public consultation. 

 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Not applicable. 

 

Fundamental rights 

This  proposed  recommendation  respects  the  fundamental  rights  and  observes  the  principles 
recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, namely the right of 
education, laid down in Article 14, and the right to the protection of personal data, laid down 
in Article 8. Personal data must be processed fairly for specific purposes, based on the consent 
of the person concerned or some other legitimate basis laid down by law; moreover, everyone 
has the right of access to data that has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to 
have  it  rectified.  The  measures  will  be  carried  out  in  accordance  with  EU  law  on  the 
protection  of  personal  data,  in  particular  Regulation  (EU)  2016/67917  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  the  protection  of  natural  persons  with  regard  to  the 
processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection 
Regulation). 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

This initiative will not require additional resources from the EU budget. 

5. 

 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

To  support  implementation,  the  Commission  proposes  to  develop,  in  cooperation  with 
Member States, specific guidance material, handbooks and other concrete deliverables, based 
on  evidence,  peer  learning  activities  and  identification  of  good  practice.  This  will  fill  the 
identified gaps in  supporting the development  of  a blended learning  approach at  school  and 
system level. 

The  Commission  intends  to  report  on  the  use  of  the  recommendation  in  the  context  of  the 
strategic framework for  European  cooperation in  the area of  education and training towards 
the European Education Area and beyond. 

 

Explanatory documents (for directives) 

Not applicable. 

 

Outline of the recommendation and staff working document 

The  draft  recommendation  proposes  guidance  and  action  that  can  be  pursued  by  Member 
States in order to address short-term consequences of the pandemic, and for a well-balanced 
and well-targeted blended learning approach to lead to high-quality and inclusive primary and 
secondary education. It sets out the European Commission’s commitment to complement and 
support Member State actions in this area. 

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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2016.119.01.0001.01.ENG  

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The  accompanying  staff  working  document  describes  a  wide  range  of  recent  research 
evidence together with European stakeholder opinions and experiences in order to support the 
proposed  recommendation  and  provides  examples  of  existing  policies  and  projects  in  a 
rapidly developing field. 

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2021/0255 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Articles 165 and 166 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

The  COVID-19  pandemic  has  affected  and  put  unprecedented  pressure  on  education 
and training systems worldwide and across the Union. The societal restrictions brought 
major  changes  to  teaching  and  learning  as  well  as  and  to  communication  and 
collaboration  within  education  and  training  communities.18  They  had  an  impact  on 
learners,  their  families,  teachers,  trainers,  and  institution  leaders,  as  well  as  on 
community professionals who support education, such as social workers and cultural 
educators.  Member  States  were  able  to  rapidly  mobilise  options  and  support  for 
distance learning, in particular digital solutions. Lessons have been learned about new 
possiblities  for  education,  including  the  significant  increase  in  teacher  digital 
competence  and  closer  links  between  schools  and  the  wider  community.  However 
many Member States experienced shortcomings in the system with a widespread lack 
of  readiness  and  resources  for  the  shift  to  a  different  approach  to  teaching  and 
learning,  which  highlighted  and  aggravated  existing  inequalities,  gaps,  and  needs. 
Education  and  training  systems  need  to  address  these  and  also  to  improve  their 
resilience, to better cope and adapt with changing circumstances in the future. 

The  Digital  Education  Action  Plan  2021-2027  outlines  the  European  Commission’s 
vision for high quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe. It is a call 
to  action  for  stronger  cooperation  at  European  level  to  learn  from  the  COVID-19 
pandemic and make education and training systems fit for the digital age. It highlights 
the potential of technology to facilitate more personalised, flexible and student-centred 
learning. It seeks to address inequities in education when digital competence, access to 
appropriate tools, and reliable online connectivity are lacking.  It stresses the need for 
strengthening digital capacity in education and training systems.  
The European Pillar of Social Rights19 states as its first principle that everyone has the 
right  to  quality  and  inclusive  education,  training  and  life-long  learning  in  order  to 
maintain  and  acquire  skills  that  allow  full  participation  in  society  and  successful 
transitions  in  the  labour  market.  Principle  11  of  the  Pillar  states  that  children  from 

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OJ C 212I , 26.6.2020, p. 9–14 
COM(2017)250 

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disadvantaged  backgrounds  have  the  right  to  specific  measures  to  enhance  equal 
opportunities.  The effective implementation of those priciples greatly depends on the 
resolve  and  action  of  Member  States.  EU-level  actions  can  complement  national 
actions and the Commission presented its contribution in the European Pillar of Social 
Rights  Action  Plan.20  The  European  Skills  Agenda21  defines  actions  to  help 
individuals and businesses develop more and better skills and to put them to use, by 
strengthening sustainable competitiveness and by building resilience to react to crises, 
based on the lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic; it also proposes to foster 
science  education  in  research  and  innovation  actions.  The  Council  recommendation 
establishing  a  European  Child  Guarantee  invites  the  Member  States  to  guarantee  for 
children in need (i.e. at risk of poverty or social exclusion) effective and free access to 
education and school-based activities. The EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child calls 
for building inclusive, quality education. Fostering the development of competences is 
one of the aims of a European Education Area that would be able "to harness the full 
potential of education and culture as drivers for jobs, social fairness, active citizenship 
as well as means to experience European identity in all its diversity." 22 

In  a  rapidly  changing  and  highly  interconnected  world,  each  person  needs  a  wide 
range  of  competences  and  to  develop  them  continually  throughout  life.  The  key 
competences as defined in the European Reference Framework on Key Competences 
for Lifelong Learning23 aim to lay the foundation for achieving more equal and more 
democratic societies. They  respond  to  the need  for inclusive and sustainable growth, 
social cohesion and further development of the democratic culture. 
The  Council  Recommendation  on  Key  Competences  for  Lifelong  Learning24  states 
that  competence  development  is  facilitated  by  including  a  variety  of  learning 
environments  and  tools,  including  digital  technology,  and  tasks  within  the  learning 
design; providing support to educational staff as well as other stakeholders supporting 
learning  processes,  including  families;  supporting  and  further  developing  the 
assessment  and  validation  of  key  competences  acquired  in  different  settings;  and 
reinforcing collaboration within education and between education and other fields as a 
more comprehensive programme of action. 

The  Council  Recommendation  on  vocational  education  and  training  (VET)  for 
sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience25 proposes a modernised EU 
policy vision of VET including its digitalisation and use of blended learning. 
The Council conclusions on European teachers and trainers for the future26 recognise 
that  teachers,  trainers  and  school  leaders  are  an  indispensable  driving  force  of 
education  and  training  who  should  be  involved  in  the  creation  of  education  and 
training  policies  with  autonomy  in  applying  these  policies  in  practice  but  who  also 
need  the  support  of  a  comprehensive  approach  to  initial  education,  induction  and 
continuous professional development. 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

The  pandemic  increased  a  long-standing  concern  for  the  physical,  mental  and 
emotional  well-being  of  children  and  young  people.  All  children  and  young  people 

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COM(2021)102 
COM(2020) 274 final. 
COM(2017)673 
OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1–13, Annex  
OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1–13 
OJ C 417, 2.12.2020, p. 1–16 
OJ C 193, 9.6.2020, p. 11–19 

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should  be  supported  to  enjoy  a  healthy  and  active  lifestyle,  encouraging  positive 
lifelong habits, and have the opportunity to participate in a range of sports and other 
physical activities, which enhance motor skills and boost mental and emotional well-
being.  Children  and  young  people  also  need  support  for  their  mental  and  emotional 
well-being  during  learning,  including  learning  tasks  under  increased  pressure  and 
understanding safe and responsible online behaviour. Support is also needed for those 
learners who spend extended periods of time away from peer or school staff support.  

(9) 

Blended learning in formal education and training happens when a school, educator or 
learner takes more than one approach to the learning process: blending school site and 
other  physical  environments  away  from  the  school  site  (distance  learning);  blending 
different  learning  tools  that  can  be  digital  (including  online)  and  non-digital.  Using 
their professional judgement, teachers and schools will select and facilitate the use of 
these as  part of engaging and effective learning  tasks that support broad competence 
development. 

(10)  Learning in different environments, including the school site, the home, the outdoors, 
cultural  sites,  and  places  of  employment  can  be  motivating  for  children  and  young 
people and enhance their broad competence development. This in turn can help them 
to  understand and be motivated by the relevance  of formal education and training to 
their lives in society and increase their engagement with local and global challenges, 
for instance those related to the environment and climate change. 

(11)  A blended learning approach recognises the value of the school as a shared space for 
personal  and  social  interaction,  which  itself  is  important  for  learning  as  a  way  of 
understanding and making meaning of the world. 

(12)  A blended learning approach can enhance broad competence development, due to the 
variety  of  learning  tasks  and  tools  it  can  encompass.  The use  of  digital  technology, 
including  connecting  devices  online,  can  facilitate  the  interaction  of  the  learner  with 
other  learners,  learning  programmes,  and  other  sources  of  information,  and  can 
support  learning  in  different  environments.  The  complementary  use  of  scientific 
equipment,  craft  tools,  realia  (objects  found  and  used  in  everyday  life),  published 
texts, and writing and visual arts tools, can support creativity and personal expression, 
both as an individual and collaboratively. 

(13)  Education is a fundamental human right and a right of the child. Access to it has to be 
guaranteed, independent of the environment in which it takes place – the school site, at 
a distance, or a combination of both  – and independent  of the different  personal  and 
social circumstances of learners. Beyond the pandemic, a blended learning approach is 
an  opportunity  to  improve  the  quality,  relevance  and  inclusiveness  of  education  and 
training,  such  as  better  learning  provision  in  rural  and  remote  areas,  including  the 
outermost regions and island communities, and for other learners who may not attend 
the  school  site  full  time:  those  who  are  part  of  traveller  communities;  young  carers; 
those  with  health  issues  or  residing  in  hospitals  and  care  centres;  those  engaged  in 
high-performance  training;  and  those  in  vocational  training  or  paid  work.  All 
environments and tools should be equally accessible to minority groups, children with 
disabilities and from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and do not lead 
to discrimination or segregation. 

(14)  Blended  learning requires  a  coherent,  system-wide  approach  to  create  the  enabling 
conditions.  This includes engaging  practitioners  with  different  expertise  and 
the  community,  which  encourages  a  shared 
promoting  collaboration  with 
responsibility for the development of young people. Effectiveness of system measures 

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to support blended learning will also rely on articulating and supporting relationships 
between  different  elements  of  the  ecosystem,  between  the education  authorities, 
education resources industry (providing technology, publishing, and other curriculum 
equipment), research, education and training institutions and communities. 

(15)  Blended  learning  is  a  widely  established  practice  in  initial  vocational  education  and 
training27,  however  the  pandemic  restrictions  challenged  the  capacity  of  institutions 
and  organisations  to  provide  work-based  learning  and  maintain  communication  with 
trainers  and  mentors  as  well  as  impacting  on  the  provision  of  apprenticeships.  The 
reduction in access to practical experiences highlighted the known need for vocational 
education  and  training  to  take  advantage  of  digital  technology  including  digital 
devices  and  learning  platforms,  ePortfolios  and  Augmented  Reality  and  Virtual 
Reality for simulations. It also reinforced the need to understand and coordinate how 
digital technologies are used for learning in the different settings (e.g. on site at school 
or during work placements).  

(16)  The importance and relevance of non-formal learning is evident from the experiences 
acquired through  youth  work, voluntary work, and participating in cultural activities, 
including grassroots sport. Non-formal learning plays an important role in supporting 
the  development  of  essential  interpersonal,  communicative  and  cognitive  skills 
including  among  other  things,  creativity,  that  facilitate  young  people's  transition  to 
adulthood, active citizenship and working life.28 Identification of new ways of learning 
includes better cooperation between formal and non-formal learning settings.29 

(17)  This Recommendation fully respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. 

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES 

(1) 

Based on lessons learned in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, support the recovery 
and preparedness of education and training systems by addressing the consequences 
of the pandemic on learners, educators and all educational professionals and develop 
a longer-term strategic approach to blended learning, in line with the priciples set out 
in  this  Recommendation30.  Build  on  successful  innovations  introduced  or  tested 
during the pandemic to share and scale good practices. 

(2) 

Support learners by considering the following measures:  

As a direct response to the crisis 

(a)  Providing  additional  learning  opportunities  and  targeted  support  to  learners 
facing learning difficulties, with special educational needs, from disadvantaged 
groups  or  having  been  otherwise  affected  by  school  disruption.  This  could 
include,  for  example,  enhanced  individualised  support  and  personal  tutoring, 
mentoring systems (including peer mentoring),  additional learning time during 
learning 
the  school  year  and/or  holiday  period,  access 

to  additional 

27 

28 
29 
30 

Initial  vocational  education  and  training  is  usually  carried  out  at  upper  secondary  level  and  post-
secondary level before students begin working life. It takes place either in a school-based environment 
(mainly in the classroom) or in a work-based setting, such as training centres and companies, depending 
on national education and training systems and economic structures. 
http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9624-2017-INIT/en/pdf  
2015/C 172/03 
The  Framework  for  Blended  learning  presented  in  the  Staff  Working  Document  can  be  a  basis  for 
specific actions adapted to countries’ situations 

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environments,  such  as  public  libraries  and  community  spaces,  and  to  after-
school services with pedagogical support. 

(b)  Prioritising  the  physical  and  mental  well-being  of  learners  and  their  families. 
This  could  include  developing  guidance  for  mental  health;  including  student 
well-being  and  anti-bullying  policies  in  school  objectives,  monitoring  and 
quality  assurance  processes  (as  part  of  regular  quality  assurance  or  school 
inspection work or in the context of specific assessments of the school situation 
in the context of the  pandemic); assigning dedicated staff or facilitating access 
to qualified mental-health and support professionals and services. 

(c)  Boosting the development of digital competences of learners and families and 
the  digital  capacity  of  the  education  systems  by  encouraging  investment  at 
school  and  community  level  in  available  devices,  connectivity  and  by 
providing  opportunities  to  boost  digital  skills,  including  using  technology  for 
both  independent  and  collaborative  learning.  Implementing  investments  and 
reforms  foreseen  in  national  and  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  plans  to 
ensure  that  all  learners  can  access  the  necessary  equipment  and  learning 
opportunities. 

To support recovery and the longer-term preparedness of education and training: 

Exploring  ways  to  develop  a  blended  learning  approach  in  primary  and  secondary 
education  for  the  benefit  of  all  learners  and  to  ensure  a  lasting  positive  impact  on 
teaching and learning adapted to pupils’ age, capacity, and learning objectives. This 
could  include  reinforcing  the  development  of  combining  school  site  and  distance 
learning environments in order to create more flexibility and appropriate conditions 
for where learning takes place, taking into account  the different  needs arising from 
different  socio-economic  and  housing  conditions;  reinforcing  the  development  and 
embedding  of  tools  for  learning,  in  order  to  provide  opportunities  for  investigation 
and  expression,  including  the  development  of  science  literacy;  supporting  learning 
across different environments; creating an appropriate balance between teacher- and 
student-led learning on the one hand, and collaborative and independent learning on 
the  other;  testing  learning  methods  to  make  new  opportunities  attractive  and  better 
learning solutions for both learners and teachers. 

(3) 

(4) 

Using  blended  learning  as  a  way  to  support  learners’  autonomy  and  personalised 
learning (taking into account pupils’ age, capacity, and specific learning needs), and 
to develop their Personal, Social and Learning to Learn competence (one of the eight 
Key  Competences  for  Lifelong  Learning31  and  further  developed  in  the  LifeComp 
European framework32). 

(5) 

Support teachers by considering the following measures: 

As a direct response to the crisis: 

31 
32 

OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1–13 
LifeComp comprises three intertwined competence areas: ‘Personal’, ‘Social’, and ‘Learning to learn’. 
Each  area  includes  three  competences:  Self-regulation,  Flexibility,  Wellbeing  (Personal  Area), 
Empathy,  Communication,  Collaboration  (Social  Area),  Growth  mindset,  Critical  thinking,  and 
Managing learning (Learning to learn Area). LifeComp competences apply to all spheres of life and can 
education. 
be 
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/lifecomp 

non-formal 

informal, 

acquired 

lifelong 

through 

formal, 

and 

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(a)  Supporting  digital  upskilling  courses,  programmes  and  tools33  for  teachers. 
Developing  and  disseminating  on-line  and  on  site  pedagogical  modules  and 
resources  to  help  teachers  adapt  their  teaching  methods  for  blended 
approaches, based on their experience and feedback, and engage with teachers 
in the use of new tools and materials. 

(b) 

Increasing  focus  on  the  well-being  of  educators,  school  leaders  and  other 
educational  staff.  This  could  include  facilitated  access  to  qualified  mental-
health and support professionals  and services,  promoting organisation of  peer 
training  opportunities  on 
support 
resilience/mental  well-being  in  Initial  Teacher  Education  and  Continued 
Professional Development programmes.  

to  mitigate  stress  and  enhanced 

(c)  Mobilising  or  recruiting  additional  staff    to  allow  more  time  for  individual 

support at school and in after school activities. 

To support recovery and the longer-term preparedness of educators:   
(d)  Embedding  blended  learning  design  in  statutory  Initial  Teacher  Education34 
and  continued  professional  development35  programmes  to  help  educational 
staff to  adapt  the learning design  as appropriate to their professional  contexts 
and help  them to  be competent  in  facilitating learning with  a  range of indoor 
and outdoor environments, tools and tasks.  

(e)  Providing access to centres of expertise, and to appropriate resources that guide 
and enhance learning design and facilitation. Supporting education and training 
staff to develop a blended learning approach in their specific contexts through 
staff  exchanges  and  peer  learning,  networks,  collaboration  projects,  and 
communities of practice. 

(f)  Developing guidance on new approaches to assessment and final examinations 
with  suitable  tools  for  formative  and  summative  assessment  that  are 
appropriate for different levels of education and training and equally valid for 
school site and distance learning settings.  

(g)  Encouraging  educational  staff  to  participate  in  exploratory  projects  and 
research, including testing the use of tasks in other learning environments and 
the use of digital technology to support learning.  

(6) 

Support schools by considering the following measures:  

As a direct response to the crisis:   

(a)  Providing  tools  and  resources  for  blended  learning,  as  well  as  guidance  to 

schools on how these can be used.36 

33 

34 

35 

36 

The European Commission is launching in October 2021 the new SELFIE for Teachers tool which can 
support educators to plan the development of their digital competences. 
A period of formal study in order to gain a recognised qualification and be employed as a teacher. This 
is  typically  offered  by  education  departments  in  universities  or  independent  teacher  education 
institutions (cf. glossary in the Staff Working Document).  
The  learning  that  professionals  engage  in  at  any  stage  of  their  career  to  enhance  their  practice  (cf. 
glossary in the Staff Working Document). 
The SELFIE tool can support schools to reflect and gather evidence on their current situation and needs. 
The tool is modular and can be adapted by each school to take their particular context into account.  

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(b)  Supporting  effective  partnerships  for  infrastructure  and  resources  between 
different  education  providers,  including  from  business,  arts,  cultural  heritage, 
sport,  nature,  higher  education,  and  research  institutes,  the  educational 
resources  industry  (including  technology,  publishing,  and  other  curriculum 
equipment) and educational research.  

(c)  Supporting schools to evaluate their inclusion strategies and practices and take 
the  necessary  measures  to  remedy  shortcomings,  including  by  making  use  of 
EU tools.37 

To  support  longer  term  recovery  and  to  improve  the  capacity  for  organisational 
change 

(d) 

Investing  in  high-speed  internet  connectivity  of  school  site  and  distance 
learning environments, on which online learning depends.  

(e)  Allowing a sufficient level of autonomy for school-level decision-making (by 
school  boards, heads,  leaders), in  order to  facilitate innovation,  reactivity and 
adaptation to local needs. 

(f)  Supporting  school  leaders  in  managing  organisational  change  with  dedicated 
professional development and guidance for their roles. Supporting schools and 
associated education providers to reflect on a blended learning approach within 
their strategic planning, which may include the use of self-assessment tools. 

(g)  Supporting dialogue and networking between a range of stakeholders engaged 
in  both  school  site  and  distance  learning,  in  order  to  generate  feedback  and 
ideas  for future development from  different  sources.  This  should also  include  
dialogue,  guidance  and  strategies  to  protect  children’s  safety,  security  and 
privacy in the digital world. 

(h)  Focussing  part  of  the  internal  and/or  external  review  and  quality  assurance 
mechanisms  of  a  school  on  the  blend  of  learning  environments  and  tools, 
incorporating evaluation of/via other providers than the school. 

Make full use of EU funds and expertise for reforms and investment in infrastructure, 
tools and pedagogy to increase resilience and preparedness for future-ready schools, 
in  particular  Erasmus+,  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  European  Social 
FundPlus,  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF),  Digital  Europe 
Programme, Horizon Europe and the Technical Support Instrument. 

Invest  in  monitoring,  research  and  evaluation  of  the  policy  challenges  and  of  the 
impact of these initiatives in order to build on lessons learnt and inform future policy 
reform,  including  by  building  on  on  experiences  of  learners  as  well  as  on  the  data 
collected  to  develop  best  practices  and  tailored  AI  solutions  for  improved  learning 
programmes. 

Provide appropriate framework for implementation of this recommendation by taking 
into  account  the  measures  supporting  blended  learning  in  the  national  action  plans 
for implementation of the European Child Guarantee. 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

HEREBY INVITES THE COMMISSION TO: 

37 

The  European Toolkit  for Schools  ‘Promoting inclusive education and tackling early  school leaving’, 
offers a wealth of resources and practical examples, as well as a self-assessment tool for schools.  

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1. 

1.1. 

1.2. 

1.3. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

4. 

5. 

Support the implementation of the Recommendation by facilitating mutual learning 
and exchanges among Member States and all relevant stakeholders through: 

the Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards 
the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030)38;  

the new European Digital Education Hub and new Strategic Dialogue with Member 
States, which will be established under the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 
to support cross-sectoral collaboration on digital education; 

EU  online  platforms  and  communities  for  education  and  training,  including  the 
School  Education  Gateway,  eTwinning  and  the  European  Toolkit  for  Schools 
‘Promoting inclusive education and tackling early school leaving’; 

Support the development of resources, in cooperation with Member States,  such as:  

evidence-based  guidance  material  on  learning  design  and  school  organisational 
practice within a blended learning approach, including on digital tools, approaches to 
the assessment and validation of learning and data protection, privacy and safety in a 
blended learning context; 

using  the  potential  of  the  forthcoming  European  Digital  Education  Content 
Framework  to  support  the  creation  and  sharing  of  high-quality  digital  education 
content, which will be developed as part of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-
2027. 

Support  professional  development  opportunities  for  educational  staff  and  other 
stakeholders by: 

providing massive open  online courses  (MOOCs) on blended learning  for teachers, 
trainers,  school  leaders  and  teacher  educators  hosted  by  the  School  Education 
Gateway platform and promote the wide use of these courses for staff in schools;  

sharing  good  practice  from  Erasmus+  staff  exchanges,  projects  and  networks, 
including  through  the  eTwinning  online  community,  the  future  Erasmus+  Teacher 
Academies as well as the Centres of Vocational Excellence; 

launching  the  new  online  SELFIE  tool  for  teachers  to  help  them  reflect  on  their 
digital  competences  and  plan  for  further  improvement.  This  builds  on  the  SELFIE 
tool  for  whole  school  digital  planning  which  can  help  support  effective  blended 
learning approaches, including in VET. 

Support  initiatives  to  further  develop  and  promote  inclusive,  equitable  quality 
education  and  lifelong  learning  opportunities  for  all,  as  part  of  the  European 
Education Area concerning school education, particularly regarding the inclusion of 
learners  in  different  circumstances  that  affects  their  access  to  particular  learning 
environments  and  tools,  and  the  inclusion  of  those  who  require  targeted  support  in 
the learning process. 

Continue its support to Member States in undertaking reforms in order to enhance the 
quality  and  inclusiveness  of  school  education  systems  and  support  their  digital 
readiness in line with the objectives of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. 

38 

OJ C 66, 26.2.2021, p. 1–21 

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6. 

Include a focus on the development  of a blended learning approach in  primary and 
secondary  school  education  under  the  framework  of  regular  progress  reports  of  the 
European Education Area and the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027.  

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

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