The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council places higher education and youth empowerment at the forefront of a green, digital, resilient and social Europe.
The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council took place from 17 to 18 May. It was the last meeting of EU education and youth ministers under the current Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU.
During the Education Council on 17 May, ministers adopted Council Conclusions on the European Universities Initiative (EUI). In order for the European Universities to play their part in the creation of a European Education Area (EEA) by 2025, the Conclusions call for sustainable financing of the alliances through contributions by the EU as well as the Member States. The networks, of which there are currently 41 across the EU, should act as a bridge between the EEA, the European Research Area (ERA) and the European Higher Education Area (EHEA); therefore, efforts should be undertaken to remove barriers hindering transnational cooperation, in particular in the field of quality assurance and European-wide automatic recognition of joint degrees. To this end, the possibilities for the creation of a ‘European Degree’ should be explored. Apart from joint career development within the alliances, the Council further calls for the testing of flexible learning pathways, in particular micro-credentials.
The Council Conclusions fed into the public debate on the transformation of higher education (HE). The education ministers agreed that the European Universities should foster a balanced brain circulation and serve as testbeds for cross-border cooperation on research and teaching career development. At the same time, the need for a more coordinated approach in order to facilitate the accreditation of joint degrees was raised. In light of the changing labour market affected by the digital and green transitions as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministers further agreed that HE institutions (HEI) should be spaces that foster lifelong learning. While the potential of micro-credentials for offering flexible ways to up- and reskilling is widely acknowledged, uncertainty regarding the implementation on national level remains due to the lack of a consistent definition of such learning outcomes.
The pilot alliances under the EUI are currently undergoing a mid-term evaluation through stakeholder consultations before new calls will be launched under the next Erasmus+ Work Programme 2022. The results expected by the end of this year will guide the future development of the EUI and serve as main input for the creation of a HE Transformation Agenda. Feeding into the evaluation, the HEI associations EUA, LERU and The Guild have recently expressed their views on how the alliances should develop. Among other things, they highlight issues concerning barriers to transnational collaboration, the financing of the alliances as well as the inclusion of potential partners outside the current HEI networks, for instance institutions in Switzerland or the UK.
Pursuant to the commitments made during the Porto Social Summit on 7 May (see SwissCore article), the Education Council further approved Conclusions on equity and inclusion in education and training in order to promote educational success. Social inequalities still constitute a main factor for the underachievement of students. Thus, the Conclusions call on Member States and the European Commission (EC) to develop and implement measures to support in particular disadvantaged groups, prevent early school leaving, raise educational achievement and foster employment.
During the following Youth Council, ministers approved Council Conclusions on strengthening the multilevel governance when promoting the participation of young people in decision-making processes and held a public debate on a rights-based approach to youth policies. In line with the goals formulated under the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027, the ministers called for actions to be taken on national, regional and local level to meet the needs of young people and to empower their voice in processes that concern their future. Instead of being labelled ‘the COVID-19 generation’, European youth should be provided with the right framework conditions enabling it to actively participate in society, for instance through initiatives such as the EU Youth Dialogue, the Conference on the Future of Europe and the new European Bauhaus. To this end, the EC will appoint a dedicated EU Youth Coordinator, who will serve as a point of contact for young people across the EU.
Lastly, the upcoming Slovenian Council Presidency, who will take up its assignment on 1 July for the next six months, presented its priorities in the fields of education and youth. For education and training, special emphasis will be placed on synergies between education and research; artificial intelligence and its ethical aspects; the European Agenda for Adult Learning; and the governance of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (2021-2030). Central topics in the field of youth will concern the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy and the mobility of young volunteers. The next EYCS Council will take place from 29 to 30 November 2021. While education ministers will address sustainable development and green topics, youth ministers will discuss open and inclusive civic spaces.