The Council of Europe’s 2024-2030 Strategy for Education was launched on Friday 29 September at the 26th Conference of Education Ministers of the Council’s member states in Strasbourg.
Entitled “Learners First”, the Strategy includes five resolutions that reaffirm the essential role of education in promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
“The aim is to instil a sense of citizenship and its values through schools”, summed up French minister Gabriel Attal, also highlighting “eco-citizenship” and “digital citizenship”.
These important challenges were addressed in detail by Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in her closing speech.
She issued a reminder of the conclusions of the Reykjavik Summit, which focused on the defence of democracy and its values in a world where they are in retreat in the face of rising extremism, and announced a future framework convention devoted to artificial intelligence and its impact on human rights.
Alain Lamassoure, Chairman of the Council of Europe’s Observatory on History Teaching, was also present and announced the publication of the Observatory’s first report at the next conference of education ministers, to be held from 30 November to 2 December.
“It will be an extremely interesting document for the teaching profession, education ministers, national parliaments, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament”.
The former French MEP is delighted with the “new dimension” that will be given to “the Council of Europe’s action” by the recommendations adopted on Friday.
Another important point is that “the issue of moral and civic education is finally being taken into account”.
Link to the resolutions: https://aeur.eu/f/8t9 (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)