Education, culture, youth and sport

46.1) Coordinate the level of all different education programmes in the European Union with acceptance of the national, regional and local contents, and create closer links between the education systems, including via organising equivalence of diplomas. A certified minimum standard of education in core subjects should be adopted commencing in primary school. Shared competences in the field of education should be introduced, at a minimum in the field of citizenship education and the exercise of that competence by the EU shall not result in Member States being prevented from exercising theirs. Professional degrees and training should be validated and mutually recognised in all EU Member States. The European Union should also champion the recognition of non-formal and informal learning and the youth organisations that provide it, as well as learning periods abroad.

* This measure has been identified as needing Treaty change for full implementation.

46.2) Develop future-proof education and life-long learning in Europe -in accordance with the right to free training in the workplace for all focusing on the following subjects:

− Civic education about democratic processes, as well as EU values and history of Europe. This should be developed as a common module to be taught in all Member States. Economic literacy should also be improved as an aspect of better understanding the European integration process.
− Digital skills.
− STEAM
− Entrepreneurship and research
− Improving critical thinking. Media literacy should be enhanced in order to ensure online safety, and empower citizens in every Member State to independently evaluate whether a piece of information is trustworthy or not, and identify fake news, but at the same time to benefit from the opportunities that the Internet offers. This should be implemented in basic education as a specific class and also be offered in other public spaces for citizens of all ages under the guidance of an EU-established dedicated organisation, drawing on best practices across the Member States. The EU should ensure that the dedicated funding is used by the Member States for the intended purposes.
− Integrating soft skills in all the courses in the curricula in schools. By soft skills one means: listening to each other, encouraging dialogue, resilience, understanding, respect and appreciation for others, critical thinking, self-study, remaining curious, result-oriented.
− Enabling everyone to learn about environmental sustainability and its connection to health. Biodiversity should be made as a mandatory subject at school. This education should start at school with specific subjects addressing all ecological issues, and include field trips to show relevant real life examples, that should be supported by a funding programme. − Combating bullying and racism.

46.3) Support the training of teachers, to learn from best practices and use up to date innovative and creative teaching techniques that reflect the evolution of teaching methods, including practical activities, building also on the lessons to be drawn from the COVID-19 pandemic and other kinds of crises, as well as promote opportunities for mobility.

46.4) In order to meet the educational needs of all children and families, prioritise access to hardware and efficient broadband connectivity.

46.5) Set up an information platform for an EU-wide exchange of knowledge and experiences, pooling information on transnational education and training courses in the EU, showcasing best practice examples and offering citizens the opportunity to present new ideas for cross-border exchange. It should offer teaching material about climate change, sustainability, environmental issues and digitisation and provide information on existing specialised forums on key topics. - It could be made available together with a funding program to support the usage of, and implementation, of the information on the platform.