Why are quality and equity important?
The importance of equity
Inclusive and high-quality education and training and the promotion of a European dimension to teaching fostering common values are paramount for creating and maintaining a cohesive European society driving sustainable growth.
However, across Europe individuals’ educational experiences follow social patterns. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds disproportionally underachieve. Those living in rural areas often fall behind.
Sexism and sexual harassment continue to hamper educational experiences, in particular for women and girls. There is also a persistent gender gap in fields of study, such as engineering, manufacturing and construction – with only 26% female students – and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) – with just 18% female students (International Computer and Information Literacy Study, 2018).
We must act to tackle inequalities from early years and to decouple social, economic, and cultural status, ethnic and racial background from educational attainment and achievement.
The importance of quality
High-quality education and training will provide citizens with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to thrive and to ensure Europe’s economic resilience and social prosperity. This includes the need to master key competences, including basic skills and digital competences.
The importance of ensuring effective equal access to high-quality education has become ever-more apparent with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Further efforts must be made to improve the EU average achievement rate for 15-year-olds in basic skills. Compared to 2018, in 2022 the rate of underachievement has largely increased in mathematics and reading, and more moderately in science. This is the case for most EU countries. 30% of EU students don’t reach a minimum proficiency level in mathematics, and around 25% in reading and science (PISA 2022, OECD).
This change is possible with highly qualified educators and policy reforms. Improving learning outcomes, giving learners what they need to succeed and ensuring quality teaching requires effective, efficient and sustainable investment in education and training.
What is the EU doing?
The European Commission is addressing these issues through the following actions
- Pathways to school success initiative
- promoting multilingualism and common values
- ensuring quality investment in education and training
- strengthening the Jean Monnet Actions
- developing a European approach to micro-credentials
- making the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes more inclusive
- promoting the mobility of young volunteers in cross-border solidarity activities
- implementing the European quality framework for high- quality early childhood education and care systems
- supporting the establishment of centres for vocational excellence
EEA strategic framework
A working group on equality and values in education and training has been established to contribute to promoting equality and inclusion in the European Education Area.
The group encourages mutual learning and the exchange of information and best practices between Member States, the Commission and stakeholders.
From 2021 to 2023, the expert group on quality investment in education and training carried out an in-depth analysis of existing evidence.
Read the final report of the expert group
The Learning Lab on Investing in Quality Education and Training was established to promote education policy evaluation practices in the EU. It helps policymakers and evaluators build evidence on what really works in education and training and identify ways to invest in education policies.