Building a stronger Europe through education

Education is key to building resilience and empowering EU citizens. This is the headline message of an recent opinion piece by European Commission Vice-President Katainen and Commissioner Navracsics published in several European newspapers.

Besides enabling people to take control of their lives, find or create the jobs they want, and make the most of their talents, education is crucial to boosting innovation and creativity. "Education, training, lifelong learning, mobility and transnational cooperation are critical in boosting resilience today and will be even more so in the future: providing basic and high-level skills and competences, reducing inequalities, promoting entrepreneurial mindsets, fostering inclusive, stable and democratic societies, and making a success of migration and globalisation”, write Vice-President Katainen and Commissioner Navracsics.

Better skills for a fairer society

If the EU is to achieve the ambitious new targets set at the Social Summit in Gothenburg on 17 November, education systems must be inclusive, efficient and effective. They “must equip people with the competences and attitudes they need to keep adapting to change throughout their lives and seize new opportunities. They must offer equal opportunities to all so that we can build a fairer society”.

Lifelong learning

Highlighting the need to acquire skills and competences throughout life, Vice-President Katainen and Commissioner Navracsics stress Europe’s determination to raise the bar for participation in lifelong learning to 25% by 2025.

The role of teachers

“No real change can happen without teachers”, they write. “The quality of education is strongly linked to the knowledge, skills and abilities of Europe’s six million teachers. They play a key role in equipping young people with the right competences and in modernising education. That is why we have to do better in supporting them”.

Jyrki Katainen is European Commission Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness and Tibor Navracsics is Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.

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