Moving forward on digital literacy in South East Europe and Turkey

Local regional partners such as the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) were key contributors to an online event discussing how countries in South East Europe and Turkey have approached digital distance learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, the region responded promptly, as shown in the ETF COVID-19 mapping in April-May 2020: local governments implemented digital and distance learning solutions within one or two weeks after the lockdown was enforced in March, and even within a few days in some cases. 

Both RCC and ERI SEE shared details of their own research studies in the region highlighting concerns for inclusion and equity. The key message from the webinar is that the promotion of digital skills needs to be considered within the broader term of digital literacy, which encompasses multiple policy areas including education, the economy and inclusion. There is both a social and economic imperative to enhance digital literacy and this requires a comprehensive policy framework to avoid the fragmentation of efforts.

The webinar took place 17 June and was the second in a series organised within the scope of the SELFIE project, the self-reflection tool developed by the European Commission, which has been used in the region since 2019, with the support of ETF, to assess the digital readiness of schools and education systems. 

Read more about the webinar on the ETF's virtual platform, OpenSpace.