The EU reveals new guidelines on informatics teaching and AI ethics in education, as ETUCE explores AI governance in higher education.
As a foretaste of the upcoming Education package, which will include the 2030 roadmap on the future of digital education, the European Commission published new guidelines for teaching informatics containing practical strategies for classrooms as well as updated guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and data in teaching and learning for educators on the 5th of March. On the same day, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) launched a new book “Governing Artificial intelligence in the Higher Education Sector”. These recent publications capture the status quo of responses towards the challenges the emergence of artificial intelligence poses in many sectors, including education.
In the spirit of the vision of high-quality informatics teaching across Europe, the guidelines are specifically targeted at informatics teachers starting from primary and secondary education as well as vocational education and training. These guidelines address five key questions, providing research insights, best practices from Europe, and further reading. The key points advise teachers on helping students build informatics foundations, support student success, define high-quality informatics teaching, assess student learning, and enhance teaching expertise in informatics. Whereby, high-quality informatics teaching is defined by the goals of helping students to grasp essential ideas, build computational thinking skills, approach technology thoughtfully and ethically, and to apply their informatics knowledge in practice. This timely emphasis on informatics teaching is embedded in the context of broader developments relating to digital skills. For instance, DigComp 3.0, released in late 2025, is a flexible framework that helps policymakers and teachers support digital skills development (see SwissCore article). Moreover, the Action Plan on Basic Skills, published in early 2025, highlighted the digital skills gap, according to which 56% of adults and 43% of secondary school students display low basic digital skills (see SwissCore article). Most importantly, this renewed focus on informatics fits the EU’s vision of becoming a player in the field of AI as reflected in initiatives such as AI Continent Action Plan.
The guidelines on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in educational settings are directed at teachers and school leaders and build on the first version published in 2022. However, given the dizzying speed of developments in the field of AI, the guidelines have been updated. They deliver general knowledge about AI but also on the more specific use of AI in education and are grounded in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the AI Act as well as national regulations of EU member states. The updated guidelines, which reflect current practices and are informed by the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, outline five key considerations for ethically using AI and data in education. Consider ‘human dignity’ as a key principle as one example: Human dignity encompasses the right to privacy and autonomy, as well as the right to be respected regardless of race, gender, religion, culture, or language. In this case, the document provides questions to help determine whether the use of AI respects fundamental rights. It addresses both teachers and school leaders. Teachers should reflect whether they can “assess whether the AI tool affects different student populations in equitable ways, particularly those who are already marginalised.” In contrast, school leaders are invited to explore whether their school has “ensured that AI tool’s use aligns with legal obligations regarding non-discrimination.” These questions are then followed by potential scenarios and how they can guide and inform steps to ensure a responsible use of AI in the classroom. In addition to providing guidance for teachers and school leaders, the document highlights the significance of DigComp 3.0, as referenced in the guidelines for informatics teaching, and incorporates AI literacy as a supporting framework alongside digital skills. Collectively, these efforts aim to equip students, educators, and schools throughout the EU with the competencies needed to use AI responsibly and enhance overall digital skills.
Lastly, the European Trade Union Committee for Education launched a new book intended for their union members but also policymakers. The volume explains that AI raises academic workload by intensifying monitoring and emphasising metrics, neglecting qualitative teaching and research. AI tools can also limit teaching methods to measurable outcomes, affecting academic freedom and diversity. Notably, the publication offers a thoroughly researched chapter on the implications of the EU AI Act for higher education and research.
Taken together, these three publications reflect the zeitgeist in the education sector finding its ways to adapt to the transformations provoked by AI, where the burden of responsibility is shared by those who use and are affected by it rather on those entities that develop the technology in the first place.