On Tuesday 17 December, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture presented its “Roadmap for ensuring school success for all”, a guide to support the implementation of the EU Council recommendation on “Pathways to School Success”, adopted in 2022 (see EUROPE 13072/5).
The aim is to reduce school failure and promote inclusive education systems in order to reduce inequalities and improve the well-being of pupils in the European education area.
And with good reason: according to the PISA 2022 study, almost 30% of European pupils do not reach the minimum threshold of competence in mathematics, while 26.2% have difficulties in reading. The socio-economic environment also plays a decisive role: 48% of disadvantaged pupils are failing mathematics.
The roadmap proposes six pillars, including a systemic and inclusive approach, early identification of pupils’ needs and rigorous monitoring of education policies.
The report also sets out a number of innovative initiatives developed by the Member States. Serbia, for example, has set up resource centres which, in 2023, supported 1,298 students in 188 schools with adapted assistive technologies.
Portugal, for its part, has adopted a non-categorical approach, avoiding stigmatising pupils with diagnoses and promoting widespread inclusion within schools.
The European Commission also recommends collecting and analysing data to assess the impact of education policies and adapt interventions.
The report: https://aeur.eu/f/ev6 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)