Speech by President von der Leyen at the Fourth European Education Summit: The Next Decade of European Education

Ministers,

Members of Parliament,

Dear colleagues,

and dear educators,

I would like to start with a story from the Tartu Tamme Gymnasium, in Estonia. Before the pandemic, they sent nine teachers on a mission. They travelled to schools in six European countries, where they observed and listened. When the nine teachers returned to Estonia, they wrote a book on new ways of teaching. To share the insights they gathered from all corners of Europe.

The foundation of education is sharing. And when people from different cultures and countries are involved, it is even more enriching. That is why we strive for a European Education Area. Where teachers and students can teach and learn across borders. Where our skills and experiences are mutually-recognised and where we never stop learning - especially from each other.

My hope is that all educators and students can enjoy what these nine Estonian teachers experienced. The European Education Area is all about building bridges. And we want to turn this vision into a reality by 2025. So today, allow me to focus on three next steps:

First, the European strategy for universities.

Second, adapting education to support the green and digital transitions.

And third, mobilising the recovery plans towards precisely these common goals.

Over 10 million students have studied in another European country, thanks to Erasmus. Our European strategy for universities is building on the experiences and achievements of this great programme. Based on the success of 41 European University Alliances, we want to deepen transnational cooperation. This includes progressing towards:

a legal statute for European Universities, a European degree and a digital student card, to promote mobility across the continent.

My second point is about skills and the twin transitions. It's foreseeable that more workers will need to change occupations during their career. Our digital education action plan will boost life-long learning. Over two-thirds of additional green jobs this decade are for technical and highly skilled manual work.

This is why education matters so much for reaching our climate targets. To foster a new generation of engineers, builders, farmers and urban planners. These are good jobs. Whether you shift to precision farming, or use augmented reality to teach circular economics, the twin transitions bring inclusive and exciting opportunities for quality jobs. Europe can make an important contribution to ensuring that people are up to these new tasks.

This brings me to my third and final point: NextGenerationEU. It gives me great confidence in the future, that Europe's recovery plan is investing massively in education and skills. Over 12% of the total expenditure is directed to education systems. Nearly 50 billion euros. 19 Member States will equip students and teachers with digital devices to counter the digital divide. Slovakia, for example, aims to increase the share of schools with connected classrooms from one-third to 90%.

Many Member States are also investing in vocational skills. Cyprus is building two model technical schools, to overcome the skills gap, and focus on the twin transitions. We need to take inspiration from each other. Because while our approaches are diverse, our mission is the same: To give the next generation of Europeans the opportunities to thrive in a changing world.

The European Parliament has just published a report that supports this idea. And the Council has taken an important step on governance. That will help us achieve a European Education Area by 2025. A European Education Area that provides a robust foundation to our societies and economies. To overcome all challenges that this century throws at us. And to flourish.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Our common European mission is to build bridges. Not only bridges over rivers or ravines. But between each other. Because in learning from each other, we find what we have in common.

Finally, I want to tell you, what the Estonian teachers gathered from their travels. They identified four main factors for successful teaching: motivating learners, self-direction, collaboration, and the ability to cope with uncertainty.

None of these lessons is new. And neither the pandemic nor the digitalisation will change the importance. They are universal. This is a lesson we can build on throughout our lives.

Thank you, and I wish you an inspiring summit!