Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, 30-31/05/2016 - Main results
Meeting information
Outcome of the Council meeting
List of A items, legislative activities, Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, 30 May 2016
Provisional agenda, Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council, 30 May 2016
Youth
The Council adopted conclusions on the role of the youth sector in preventing and combating the violent radicalisation of young people. The conclusions highlight the invaluable contribution that youth work, voluntary and cultural activities and sport can make in reaching out to young people who might otherwise be more vulnerable to radicalisation.
They also stress the need to undermine and challenge existing violent extremist ideologies and to counterbalance them with appealing non-violent alternatives and to support parents, siblings, peers and others in contact with young people who are at risk, providing them with information on existing support systems and counselling possibilities.
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Ministers discussed how youth policy can best contribute to support youth identity development. Ministers agreed that young people need more than ever a strong and positive identity to be able to successfully participate in education, the labour market and society at large and that this could be developed through integrated educational networks. These networks will also help them to build resilience against anti-democratic influences and forces.
State secretary M. van Rijn said "European Youth and Education ministers are joining forces today. We focused on the role of teachers, youth workers and other social professionals. Their contribution can be extremely valuable to empower young people, enabling them to recognize and reject the empty promises of violent radicals."
Education
The Council adopted conclusions on developing media literacy and critical thinking through education and training, acknowledging the positive aspects of the Internet and social media, but also highlighting the potential threats and dangers they can present. The conclusions stress the fundamental role of education and training in helping young people to become media-literate and responsible citizens of the future.
The conclusions are also a follow-up to the Paris declaration of March 2015 which highlights the key role that education has to play in promoting citizenship and the Union's fundamental values. Ministers agreed that one of the areas in need of strengthening was young people's ability to think critically and to exercise judgement so that they were able to grasp realities, to distinguish fact from opinion, and to resist all forms of indoctrination and hate speech.
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Ministers also discussed the future of higher education in Europe, in anticipation of a forthcoming Commission proposal.
Minister Bussemaker said "Youth policies and education have a joint role in preventing radicalisation among young people. It is clear that any approach to this urgent problem must involve all sectors in society: parents and families, teachers and youth workers, social workers and other representatives of civil society. We discussed how they can be supported and what next steps are needed at EU-level."
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Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council: Other meetings
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Last reviewed on 30/05/2016
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