On Thursday 3 October, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) presented a study on the European Union’s policies on education, youth and sport. This analysis, carried out by the private research institute Visionary Analytics for the European Parliament, with the collaboration of experts such as Simonas Gausas, Austėja Švedkauskienė, Dr Conor O’Carroll and Arthur Le Gall, looks at the issues in these three areas.
It provides both an overview of the current state of affairs and recent developments during the previous CULT Committee term, and the outlook for the period 2024-2029, which covers the current term.
During the presentation, Dr O’Carroll opened the discussion by recalling that the primary responsibility for education lies with the Member States, but that the European Union has a role to play in facilitating cooperation. He pointed out that by the end of the year, the European Commission will provide an assessment of the current programmes with a view to adopting new legislative proposals for 2027.
The report set out six priority issues for the European education area: quality, equality, the teaching workforce, the green and digital transitions, civic education and cross-border mobility.
One of the major structural issues identified is the shortage of teachers in the European Union, exacerbated by an ageing workforce and poor working conditions.
Simonas Gausas pointed out that these problems will intensify over the coming years, and that a coordinated action plan at European level is needed to tackle them.
He also highlighted the growing role of digitalisation in education, warning that the increasing use of technology could affect the autonomy of teachers and pupils, as well as their well-being.
In terms of young people, the study notes the low levels of democratic participation among this group, despite some progress during the European elections. Austėja Švedkauskienė called for targeted measures to ensure the inclusion of vulnerable young people, including through programmes such as Erasmus+.
The study also discusses the importance of meeting the mental health needs of young people, recalling that a 2022 European Commission report revealed that 50% of young people suffering from mental health problems are not being treated.
It also recommends the creation of a European Volunteering Status to encourage volunteering and increase social inclusion.
In the field of sport, Arthur Le Gall discussed the efforts made by the European Union to promote equal access, but pointed out that additional funding is needed to adapt sports infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. The report recommends revising the 2008 guidelines on physical activity in the light of developments in the sector, and strengthening the sports diplomacy strategy to promote social cohesion.
Finally, all the speakers called for regular dialogue between stakeholders to be stepped up and for funding in these sectors to be increased.
Read the study: https://aeur.eu/f/dp2 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)