The European Ministers of Education will meet again by videoconference on Friday 19 February to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on education and learning. They will focus on inclusion and European cooperation.
The Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council has chosen to organise a political debate on equity in access, inclusion, and success in both education and training. This is in recognition of the fact that learners from disadvantaged backgrounds are over-represented among underachievers and young dropouts.
In particular, the EU-27 will be asked to identify achievements that have improved equity, policy reforms to be undertaken, ways to make full use of available funding, and the need for increased cooperation. Their debate will feed into formal conclusions to be adopted by the EU Council in May.
European cooperation
There are also two ‘other’ items on the agenda. Firstly, the Presidency will inform the ministers of the main lines of the resolution on European cooperation.
Validated by the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) on Wednesday 17 February, the text should be considered to be adopted at the ministerial meeting on Friday. This resolution sets a framework for work between the European Commission and the Member States to enable the completion of the European Education Area by 2025 and to better respond together to the challenges amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another item on the agenda: taking stock of the online platform of the Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council to facilitate the exchange of information related to the management of Covid-19 in education and training.
Encouraging investment
For its part, on Friday the Commission will publish a study “showing that targeted investment in education and training contributes to a more socially and economically resilient society”.
The European commissioner in charge of the dossier, Mariya Gabriel, will also announce the creation of an expert group on investment in education and training to guide national authorities in making the best use of available EU funds. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)