EU Education Ministers, meeting on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 April in Luxembourg, continued the work they began on 16 March to coordinate their support for the Ukrainian and European education sectors in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (see EUROPE B12913 - https://aeur.eu/f/148 ).
Again, the Ukrainian Minister of Education, Serhiy Shkarlet, joined the EU Council meeting by video conference.
The EU ministers want to ensure educational continuity for pupils and teachers who have had to flee Ukraine and to provide support for schooling in the Member States’ education systems. This is particularly true for Member States on the front line. Finally, the work aims to enable students to maintain a link with Ukraine and to take into account the needs expressed by Ukrainians.
Some work is already underway, said French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, giving as examples the recognition of diplomas and the issue of examinations. The provision of resources and exchanges via the School Education Gateway have been operational since 18 March.
Ministers will continue to work with the support of the European Commission to achieve closer cooperation at EU level to improve access for Ukrainian refugee students and to prepare for supporting the Ukrainian education sector after the war.
In the short term, European mobility actions have been opened to Ukrainians. Erasmus+ project promoters are invited to voluntarily reallocate part of their grants to activities in support of Ukrainian refugees.
In the medium term, the Commission would like to see the Erasmus+ programme better resourced to continue supporting these actions. These aims are limited by the multi-annual budgetary framework 2021-2027, which encompasses the annual budgets. However, Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, is proposing a flexibility exercise to mobilise funds urgently. The Commission is in fact proposing that the co-legislators allocate €200 million of funds to Erasmus+ 2023 projects out of the funds originally allocated to the programme for 2027. Ms Gabriel said she was confident that the proposal would be adopted. “The feedback is very positive” she said.
She also announced the activation of ‘Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action for Ukraine’. Fellowships will be offered to researchers who have fled Ukraine to continue their work in a Horizon Europe associated state. This MSCA4Ukraine support package will be worth €25 million and is aimed at 10 academic organisations experienced in hosting academic staff at risk. The action is expected to benefit 100 - possibly 200 - Ukrainian researchers, according to Mariya Gabriel.
Finally, each of the 58 Ukrainian candidates who applied for the October 2022 session of the European Commission’s ‘Virtual Blue Book’ internship programme will be selected. Ms Gabriel called on the institution and its agencies to integrate as many Ukrainian refugees as possible. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)