As called for my Values Unite the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) at the European Parliament has suggested for the European Commission to develop a comprehensive European strategy on civic and citizenship education, as well as supporting platforms to promote its implementation.
The CULT committee’s suggestions were negotiated in the OPINION on citizens’ dialogues and citizens’ participation in EU decision-making, which calls on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, as the committee responsible, to incorporate these suggestions into its motion for a resolution. The resolution is scheduled to be debated in the plenary in July 2021. The suggestion on citizenship education reads as follows:
“17. Underlines the importance of culture and education as the backbone of our society and stresses their crucial role in shaping the historical, political and societal consciousness of our citizens; affirms that the right to quality education, and particularly civic and citizenship education, is one of the prerequisites of democracy; recalls that the right to education, training and lifelong learning is the first principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights, and is key to enabling citizens’ participation in political processes and the life of society; invites the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to develop a comprehensive European strategy on civic and citizenship education, as well as supporting platforms to promote its implementation, focusing notably on shared EU democratic values and principles; believes that this strategy should enhance citizens’ understanding of the complex EU decision-making process and of EU policies and should raise awareness of the benefits, rights and obligations of EU citizenship; calls for the EU and national governments to increase their investment in formal, non-formal and informal civic education, active citizenship and democratic competences, as well as in training and capacity-building programmes for educators;”