The EU intends to promote education for UN sustainable development and environmental sustainability in schools from an early age, as well as through higher education and training.
On the basis of a proposal from the European Commission, a draft EU Council recommendation was submitted to an informal video conference of the Education Committee on 16 April.
A French Presidency compromise proposal, dated 8 April and seen by EUROPE, stresses that “the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and the new framework for the implementation of the 2021-2030 UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development emphasise the key role of schools, higher education and other education and training institutions in engaging with learners, parents, educators and the community to bring about the changes needed for a successful and equitable green transition”.
The text insists on respecting subsidiarity and national particularities, with education falling within the competence of the EU Member States.
On the basis of this premise, the EU Council reportedly will invite the European Commission to facilitate cooperation and peer learning between Member States and stakeholders on learning for environmental sustainability.
The European Commission will reportedly use the ‘Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030)’, which makes education and training for the ‘green transition’ a priority.
It will reportedly disseminate and encourage the use of opportunities to promote and support education and training under EU funding programmes, such as Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps, LIFE, the European Social Fund Plus, and Horizon Europe.
The European Commission will reportedly share best practice from Erasmus+ staff exchanges, projects and networks, including through Erasmus+ European universities, the eTwinning online community, Erasmus+ teacher academies, as well as centres of professional excellence, Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
It will reportedly involve young people in the implementation of the EU Council Recommendation, in particular in the framework of the European Year of Youth 2022 and the EU Youth Dialogue, and create synergies with the ‘Coalition for Climate Education’ and the New European Bauhaus (see EUROPE 12791/19).
The European Commission’s other prerogatives reportedly include: - support for educators (resources and support materials) on the European platform for school education and the European Youth Portal; - monitoring progress on education for environmental sustainability, in the framework of the reports on the European Education Area and the European Green Deal; - strengthening cooperation with UNESCO and the UNECE.
See the text: https://aeur.eu/f/1a6 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)