Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2021)455 - Blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education - Main contents
Please note
This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2021)455 - Blended learning for high quality and inclusive primary and secondary education. |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2021)455  |
| date | 05-08-2021 |
1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
Equal access for all to high-quality education is crucial for both economic and social progress. Education policy should enable all citizens to achieve their full potential and to develop their competences through lifelong learning. This is a key message of the following: the Commission Communication Establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights 1 ; the vision for a European Education Area 2 ; the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 3 ; the Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) 4 ; and the Council Conclusions on equity and inclusion in education and training in order to promote educational success for all 5 . Achieving this objective has become even more pressing in light of the educational challenges that were brought to the fore during the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Challenges to be addressed by the proposed recommendation
School site closures and wider societal restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted existing strengths and weaknesses of primary and secondary education, including vocational education and training (VET). Education and training systems have demonstrated a tremendous capacity to innovate and adopt new approaches 6 but also significant shortfalls from a lack of readiness to take advantage of different learning environments and tools.
–For learners, the learning process was often slower and less in-depth, and sometimes delayed. It was generally made more difficult due to the absence of the systematic classroom attendance and rhythm, and close interaction with teachers and fellow pupils.
–Physical, mental and emotional well-being was compromised in certain cases as many schools could not offer structured activities or access to facilities, and the health and motivation of children relied on what their families 7 and domestic environment could provide.
–Many families and learners, particularly those from disadvantaged groups, lacked the necessary capability and resources to cope with learning at home 8 . This led to a major concern for pupils who would normally receive targeted learning support at school, subsidised and healthy meals 9 , or access to a variety of extra-curricular activities, including physical activities.
–Many systems, schools and educators were unprepared for such change in terms of both digital competence and resources, including connectivity and infrastructure 10 . Some primary and secondary teachers reported lacking clear guidance and communication from public authorities. They also reported a lack of support and training on designing learning for times when all, or most, pupils would be learning at home.
–Important education professionals – visiting specialists, home liaison officers, educators in cultural organisations, as well as trainers and tutors in work-based learning, – and their resources could no longer access schools.
–Science, arts curriculum subjects and vocational education and training were all disrupted, given their reliance on access to particular spaces, laboratories and equipment and on supervision by trained professionals, which is typically for both pedagogical and safety reasons.
–Schools faced challenges in maintaining the personal and social benefits of being part of a school community when lacking on-site presence.
Striving towards a vision of a better-quality and inclusive education and training is by no means limited to the COVID-19 context. The ongoing challenges for designing education and training remain: building meaningful learning experiences in different environments and for learners of different ages, abilities and circumstances; supporting broad competence development appropriate to learner needs for global society today and in the future; supporting well-being; and supporting educators and schools to adapt and keep improving their own organisational and pedagogical approaches, for the benefit of all learners. In order to meet these challenges and improve capacity, a blended learning approach requires a coherent approach by the education and training system as a whole as part of a culture of continuous improvement.
The objectives of the proposed recommendation
This proposed recommendation is part of the immediate response to lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, when many pre-existing challenges and inequalities were exacerbated and brought to the fore. The recommendation would propose shorter-term measures to address the most pressing gaps observed so far and overcome the effects on the younger generation. At the same time, it would outline a way forward for blending learning environments and tools in primary and secondary education that can help build more resilient education and training systems, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 and the European Education Area, and to prepare the ground to deliver on the Digital Decade 11 objectives. The aim is to increase the inclusiveness and quality of education and training and improve the broad competence development of all learners.
The proposed recommendation does not advocate for a mainstreaming of reduced educator presence in learning, neither encourage spending more hours in front of a screen. Also, it does not strive for a sudden and indiscriminate replacement of print, paper and pencils by digital technologies in primary and secondary education 12 . A proliferation of platforms and communication channels can increase the risk of digital fatigue and organisational burnout for students, educators and parents. Rather, as part of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposed recommendation seeks to support the continuous evolution and improvement of a well-balanced school education (in terms of pedagogy as well as learning materials) that promotes high quality and inclusiveness, with the additional benefit of being sufficiently resilient to cope and adapt.
Specific provisions of the recommendation
Contents
Blended learning in formal education and training happens when a school, educator or learner takes more than one approach to the learning process:
–blending school site and distance learning environments; and
–blending different tools for learning that can be digital (including online) and non-digital as part of learning tasks.
To ensure an optimal use of blended learning, teachers and learners must be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes, and be receptive to using appropriate digital tools and to changes in teaching. The blended learning approach also needs to be sufficiently flexible to allow adaptation to learners’ needs and freedom for educators to adopt it according to their context and audience. Providing conditions conducive to blended learning also depends upon the learners’ resources and the school’s organisation, culture and resources, i.e. access to appropriate, affordable and well-functioning environments and tools. To achieve this, this proposed recommendation emphasises the need for action at various levels (the school and its local ecosystem; Member State or regional education system level; support as appropriate at the EU level) and for different time horizons: short-term as an immediate response to the pandemic and medium-term to use this approach to promote quality and inclusive education.
Complementarity with other initiatives
The proposed recommendation is designed to complement other Commission initiatives that will address related challenges for school education, namely the actions presented in the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 13 and the Pathways to School Success initiative under the European Education Area to help all pupils reach proficiency in basic skills and complete upper secondary education, the Skills Agenda for Europe 14 , and particularly the Council recommendation on VET 15 which proposes a modernised EU policy vision of VET including its digitalisation and use of blended learning. The proposed recommendation also complements other initiatives under the Erasmus+ programme, including Erasmus+ Teacher Academies.
2. LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY
·Legal basis
The initiative is in conformity with Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Article 165 lays down that the Union is to ‘contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of their education systems’. Article 165(2) further specifies that Union action in education will be aimed, in part, at encouraging the development of distance education. Article 166 provides that the Union is to implement a vocational training policy to support and supplement the action of Member States, while fully respecting the responsibility of Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training.
The initiative does not propose any extension of EU regulatory power or binding commitments on Member States. Member States will decide, according to their national circumstances, how they implement the recommendation.
·Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)
Member States have their own culture and legislation for the design and organisation of learning. They are fully responsible for the content of teaching and the organisation of their education and training systems. However, Member States face a number of common issues relating to the preparedness of their education and training systems, as shown by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learners, their families, teachers, trainers and institution leaders. The recommendation aims to support Member States in strengthening preparedness and resilience of their education and training systems, through the development of well-balanced blended learning approaches.
–facilitate a common approach towards short-term solutions to problems encountered during the pandemic that led to or exarcebated gaps in learning outcomes;
–promote a common European understanding of the opportunities created by blending learning, including improving the quality and inclusiveness of education and training, and the broad competence development and well-being of learners;
–facilitate the sharing of policymaker, researcher and educator expertise and best practices at system and school levels;
–support initiatives at EU level to foster competence development of educators and learners in blending learning environments and tools; and
–encourage investment in the above areas.
In line with the principle of subsidiarity, the proposal outlines a way forward for blending learning environments and tools in primary and secondary education and makes recommendations to this end.
·Proportionality
Neither the content nor the form of this proposed recommendation exceeds what is necessary to achieve its objectives. The commitments Member States will make are of a voluntary nature and each Member State remains free to decide on which approach to take.
·Choice of the instrument
To contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, this Treaty provides for the adoption by the Council of recommendations, on a proposal from the Commission.
A Council recommendation is an appropriate instrument within the field of education and training, where the EU has a supporting responsibility, and is an instrument that has been frequently used for European action in these areas. As a legal instrument, it signals the commitment of Member States to the measures presented and provides a stronger political basis for cooperation in this area, while fully respecting Member State authority in the field of education and training.
3. RESULTS OF EX POST EVALUATIONS, STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
·Ex post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation
Not applicable.
·Stakeholder consultations
During 2020 and 2021, the European Commission consulted with ministry of education representatives, European network organisations (teacher educators, parents, students, employers, trade unions), educators, and other members of the public. Additional approaches and contexts have been useful to better understand the challenges and possibilities in this area: online meetings and webinars; surveys to targeted school education and training audiences; and research projects.
An important phase was the open public consultation from February to September 2020 as part of the preparatory work for the Communication on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. This focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and gathered more than 2 700 replies from 60 countries. A consultation of European schoolchildren also took place via the eTwinning online community of teachers and school leaders.
·Collection and use of expertise
The proposal is based on a wide range of reports and studies on: pedagogical approaches to key competence development; teacher and school leader professional development; the use of digital technology in school education; and the governance of school education. For specific aspects, three expert consultants engaged under the Education and Training 2020 framework 16 also provided input. The review took note of reports and studies from the OECD, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, as well as the work of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (especially in the area of pedagogical approaches to key competence development, the use of digital technology in school education, and the learning experiences of children and families during the early stages of the pandemic). This information is included in the accompanying Staff Working Document.
·Impact assessment
Given the complementary approach of the activities to Member State initiatives, the voluntary nature of the proposed activities and the scope of the impacts expected, an impact assessment was not carried out. The development of the proposal was informed by previous studies, consultation of Member States and the public consultation.
·Regulatory fitness and simplification
Not applicable.
·Fundamental rights
This proposed recommendation respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, namely the right of education, laid down in Article 14, and the right to the protection of personal data, laid down in Article 8. Personal data must be processed fairly for specific purposes, based on the consent of the person concerned or some other legitimate basis laid down by law; moreover, everyone has the right of access to data that has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified. The measures will be carried out in accordance with EU law on the protection of personal data, in particular Regulation (EU) 2016/679 17 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation).
4. BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS
This initiative will not require additional resources from the EU budget.
5. OTHER ELEMENTS
·Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements
To support implementation, the Commission proposes to develop, in cooperation with Member States, specific guidance material, handbooks and other concrete deliverables, based on evidence, peer learning activities and identification of good practice. This will fill the identified gaps in supporting the development of a blended learning approach at school and system level.
The Commission intends to report on the use of the recommendation in the context of the strategic framework for European cooperation in the area of education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond.
·Explanatory documents (for directives)
Not applicable.
·Outline of the recommendation and staff working document
The draft recommendation proposes guidance and action that can be pursued by Member States in order to address short-term consequences of the pandemic, and for a well-balanced and well-targeted blended learning approach to lead to high-quality and inclusive primary and secondary education. It sets out the European Commission’s commitment to complement and support Member State actions in this area.
The accompanying staff working document describes a wide range of recent research evidence together with European stakeholder opinions and experiences in order to support the proposed recommendation and provides examples of existing policies and projects in a rapidly developing field.