In response to the coronavirus pandemic, EU education ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday (29 November) adopted recommendations on blended learning approaches that combine school site and other physical environments away from the school and digital and non-digital learning tools.
The recommendations feature short-term measures as a direct response to the health crisis. In contrast, the long-term measures are designed to strengthen the education systems for a more resilient Europe.
“The recommendations about blended learning are a concrete response to the pandemic, which has radically interfered in education,” said Slovenian Education Minister Simona Kustec, who chaired the session.
She said a lot had been learnt from this experience and had been included in the recommendations to set new, different teaching manners to supplement and upgrade the traditional ways of teaching.
The ministers also adopted a resolution on the European Agenda for Adult Learning until 2030, which Kustec said aimed at facilitating the creation of conditions to help citizens gain the right set of know-how, skills and competencies needed to be ready for the future.
A new strategic framework for the European Education Area was also adopted, setting down a model of governance that was formed based on past experience.
The ministers agreed that member states should assume more responsibility and that they need concrete political guidelines and closer ties at a political and technical level, explained Kustec.
As part of the session, the Education, Youth and Sport Council was dedicated to the young as the European Year of Youth will be observed in 2022. Several resolutions were adopted, including safeguarding civic spaces facilitating youth participation.
On Tuesday, ministers in charge of culture and sport will be in session to discuss the availability and competitiveness of European audiovisual and media content and the European sports model, respectively. Apart from Kustec, the session will be attended by Slovenian Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti.
Source: euractiv.com
