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A recent report by the European Commission paints a stark picture of the stress, exhaustion and burnout endemic in the teaching profession across the EU. As indicated in a previous article, over 50% of EU teachers report feeling ‘ quite a bit’ of or ‘ a lot’ of stress at work. In addition, 24 % and 22 % of educators report that their job has a negative impact on their mental and physical health respectively.   The wellbeing of educators has a great influence on their job satisfaction, on the attractiveness of their profession, and subsequently on their retention in the profession. It is also an important factor correlating with their own motivation and with that of their learners.   Inevitably, the extent of the issue requires a mulit-faceted policy response that recognises the key factors contributing to excessive workloads, limited time to pursue training, lack of support mechanisms – all of which have been reported by educators and teachers in a wealth of existing research documenting issues faced by educators in the EU context.   In this article we consider a number of innovative – real-world –solutions that prioritise the wellbeing of educators and stamp out many of the triggers leading to the problem at hand.   Co-teaching: two is better than one In French speaking Belgium, the beginning of the 2022 – 2023 school year will be marked by the launch of a new programme offering teachers additional in-class support: all primary 1st and 2nd classes will be able to benefit from co-teaching for four periods per week . Having been initially rolled out on a trial basis, the feedback provided by teachers was overwhelmingly positive – both in terms of teaching quality and wellbeing.   Among the benefits it was reported that the additional support afforded teachers time to meet the heterogeneity of the class, to more attentively follow the rhythm and needs of each pupil and to differentiate learning effectively. In other words, teachers reported having more time to focus on the learning needs of their class, and as the expression goes: many hands make light work.   Collaborative work culture A wealth of empirical evidence shows that teachers who reported working in a collaborative school culture characterised by mutual support were more likely to report higher levels of well-being. Policies aimed at enhancing the well-being of educators could, therefore, seek to reinforce the role of teamwork and collaboration within the learning environment, as well as supporting teachers in developing social and interpersonal competences.   Working conditions: working hours matter Another key factor determining the wellbeing of educators revolves around working hours. A recent report by the European Commission reporting on the issue clearly indicates that the likelihood of educators experiencing high levels of stress and exhaustion increases significantly if their working hours are longer. This correlation is statistically significant in all 27 education systems analysed in the report.   Although a lack of comparative data exists on the benefits of reducing the working hours of educators; recent trials held in UK schools provide a snapshot of the outcomes that can transpire. A key outcome that improved as hours were reduced was the wellbeing of educators – and, importantly, the perceived quality of their teaching. Having completed the trial period, 98% of those affirmed their preference for a shorter working week. In addition, 69% said that they would be much more likely or somewhat more likely to stay in the profession if the trial period became the new normal – highlighting the wide-reaching policy impact of the tool. Resources used: Eurydice 2022, Belgium French Community: Back to school – Soon two teachers in primary classes, here OECD 2021, Building teachers wellbeing from primary to upper secondary education, here Eurydice 2022, Teachers wellbeing at work, here Autonomy.work 2022, A Four-Day Week for Schools, here

Empowering educators at work has come into focus on the European and national policy agendas. The precedence is rather simple: where educators feel empowered, they tend to carry out their work with greater confidence, creativity and enthusiasm. A necessary, often overlooked, prerequisite for empowering educators, however, revolves around safeguarding their well-being at work.   As a recent report by the European Commission would indicate – the wellbeing of educators has a great influence on their job satisfaction, on the attractiveness of their profession, and subsequently on their retention in the profession. It is also an important factor correlating with their own motivation and with that of their learners. This begs the question: where does the wellbeing of educators in the EU currently lie? Worryingly, data reveals that stress is hugely common among European educators with more than 50% reporting quite ‘a bit’ or ‘a lot’ of stress at work. In addition, 24 % and 22 % of educators report that their job has a negative impact on their mental and physical health respectively.   The implications of this are not difficult to decipher. Research clearly indicates that educators with greater levels of stress are more likely to leave the profession. Taking the figures highlighted above into account – it is no surprise that educator retention has become evermore of an issue with increasing turn-over levels reported across many EU Member States. This negatively influences the perception and desirability of the profession – further fuelling an already problematic teacher shortage. In addition, and of particular importance, high-stress levels severely compromise an educator’s capacity to carry out their work effectively.   The high-levels of stress and compromised well being reported by educators in the EU is by no means an inevitable aspect of the work. Indeed, much of key stress-factors reported by educators such as administrative work, having too much marking, having too much lesson preparation and long working hours are completely avoidable. On the other hand, what works is by no means rocket science. Research seems to indicate that the levels of stress reported by educators are lower in school environments that they perceive as collaborative, when they feel self-confident about motivating students, and when they feel they have autonomy in their work. Stress is also induced by a perceived lack of capacity to deal with diverse classrooms and navigate new technological resources effectively. And while training is an obvious answer to this issue – it remains the case that many educators report a lack of time as the key factor dissuading them from engaging with training. If we are serious about empowering educators across the EU, then safeguarding their wellbeing is a crucial prerequisite that requires both a systemic and contextual policy response. Failure to do so will ensure that the idea of empowering educators across the EU is nothing short of a pipedream. Resources used: Eurydice 2021, Teachers in Europe – Wellbeing at Work, here OECD 2021, Building teachers wellbeing, here

LLLP, together with JEF , OBESSU and Young Educators , launched a survey on European elections aimed at young Europeans (aged between 14 and 25), aimed at enhancing their participation during the upcoming European Elections. This initiative is part of the COYV project (“Co-operation Youth vote: Enabling future active European citizens”) which aims to offer a space for training in the preparation of the 2024 European Parliament election.   The Education, Youth Citizenship and Democratic Participation survey will explore the different aspects of youth participation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and in preparation of the 2024 European Parliament election campaigns. Through the answers collected, the aim is to understand the challenges of youth engagement and to develop an informal alliance of youth organisations that will work together on encouraging youth participation in democratic elections and make politicians accountable for their actions.   The survey has been disseminated to all EU-countries with an estimated number of nearly 3000 respondents. The project consortium will analyse the results in order to create tools and practices during the capacity building trainings to raise young people’s awareness of the 2024 European elections and adapt them according to the needs and concerns expressed.   For the analysis of the survey a comprehensive document will be designed in order to be useful for the following stages such as capacity building activities and focus groups that take place within the project. The output will be designed in a way that increases most its impact and will also be formatted in an easy-to-read version, as well as written in English with possibility of being translated in other languages to make it more accessible and inclusive for everyone.   By 2024, the project is expected to have accomplished through the toolkits designed after the surveys, a series of training sessions for multipliers and a social media campaign raising throughout the whole process the awareness to young people on the importance of voting in European Parliamentary elections. The survey, available at this link , is translated into all EU official languages. Are you between 14 and 25 years old? This is the moment and space where you can express your thoughts and interests on the future of Europe! Please, share it with your network and members!

LLLP is a partner in CHOICE , a European-funded project aimed at promoting and improving STEM education in schools.   Through this project, students and teachers co-developed innovative Open Educational Resources (OERs). All OERs are collected in a MOOC – Massive Open Online Course providing teachers with materials and instructions enabling them to teach STEM using a STE(A)M approach. The key objectives of the project include on the one hand the promotion of the coordination and collaboration among education institutions, business, local authorities as key stakeholders able to support the reform of STEM curricula at school , turning them into multipliers supporting critical career choice of students. On the other hand: to promote innovative STE(A)M approaches to STEM education entailing a systemic impact on education systems and to influence policy change at school at local, regional and national levels . This is where the work of the Lifelong Learning Platform will be focused! To achieve this very ambitious goal, the CHOICE project partners are running focus groups (stakeholder roundtables), with school leaders, teachers and students, but also civil society, public authorities, academia and business representatives to collect best practices, lessons learned, new solutions and innovative approaches on the implementation of STE(A)M education practices in schools. Participants in the focus groups will discuss the situation of STEM education in their regions and countries (and in the case of the stakeholder roundtables organised by LLLP, at European level as well) as to prepare policy recommendations directed towards their policy makers at local, regional, national and EU levels.   Policy-makers will be able to build on the project action and approach to enhance the impact and effectiveness of existing policy initiatives related to STEM education, and will be empowered by providing their insights for the design of policy recommendations able to be multiplied to other systems. To express your interest in attending the focus groups organised by LLLP, please fill in this form .Do not hesitate to forward this invitation to your colleagues and members working on the topic. LLLP is coordinating the stakeholder round-tables and will analyse, compare and unite the policy recommendations collected by each partner in a comprehensive e-publication.   The policy recommendation will be presented during the project’s final conference which will take place on Wednesday 30 November 2022 from 3 PM in Brussels , aiming at generating impact on policy makers at European level.

#Launched by the Learning Planet Institute and UNESCO on the 24th of January 2020 on the occasion of the International Day of Education, #LearningPlanet is an open alliance with a cause, dedicated to learning stakeholders andcommunities. It is a long-term initiative with a mission to gather players from around the world in order to identify,celebrate, enhance and scale up innovative educational solutions towards sustainable futures that ensure the respect, well-being and fulfilment of oneself, the others and the planet. #LearningPlanet defines itself as a middle-ground: it connects institutions with grassroots movements and innovators to scale up their ideas.   There are several events driven by #LearningPlanet that we look forward to being a part of. These include the annual #LearningPlanet Festival and the #LearningPlanet Circles, as well as other local and global summits.   Visit the #LearningPlanet website for more information and find out how you can also get involved in the#LearningPlanet community.

On 23 May, the European Commission published its European Semester Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) and Country Reports, part of the ‘ Spring Package ’. The CSRs are to guide the reforms and investment that EU Member States will perform in the coming year. LLLP has written a reaction to the CSRs expressed in the most recent Semester package, related to education and training. Here, in short-form, we present some of the main points expressed in the reaction. In general, there exists a glaring lack of education and training related CSRs , with only 8 countries receiving at least one related CSR. This neglect of education and training related issues and concerns is at odds with the wealth of research evidence, including from the European Commission, indicating that learning gaps exacerbated by the onset of Covid-19 necessitate an increase in targeted measures and public expenditure across all EU member states.    While the value of lifelong learning is regularly touted in European Union policy initiatives and documents, the omission of lifelong learning across the CSRs recitals, is stark . In the instances when it is mentioned, it is narrowly conceived as merely a labour-market tool. This is hugely distant to the European Commission’s more holistic definition for lifelong learning that accounts for ‘ formal, non-formal or informal learning taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective, including the provision of counselling and guidance services’. The European Commission should expand its indicators, both qualitatively and quantitatively, to match and align with the lifelong learning definition it promotes.   There also exists a clear mismatch between the education and training targets set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Education Area and the CSRs expressed in the semester. CSRs should guide Member States via particular investment and reform measures in an effort to ensure that European level targets are realised to a greater extent.    A further concern revolves around the sweeping emphasis expressed in the 2022 CSRs on fiscal prudence and reducing public expenditure , at a time when public expenditure allocated towards education and training has been following a downward trajectory in many EU Member States as highlighted in a recent LLLP Study on public investment in education. Again, realising EU level education and training targets cannot be achieved without significant, adequate and equitable public expenditure.     The full LLLP Reaction on Semester Spring Package Country Specific Recommendations 2022 Join LLLP’s campaign on public investment in education and training, sign the Charter !

The COllaborative MOnitoring REgional Lifelong Policies (“COMORELP”) project held a European Round Table conference in a hybrid format in the beautiful venue of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland on 13-14th June 2022 ( check the full programme here ). As part of the initiatives of the Laboratories of Regional Lifelong Learning Policies in different EU regions, the conference gathered project partners and stakeholders from across Europe to exchange experiences and share the results of the project achieved so far. LLLP is one of the partners in the COMORELP project , which is led by the Jagiellonian University (Poland) and also involve FREREF – Foundation of European Regions for Research in Education and Training – France (LLLP member), and other partners: Arcola research UK, CIS – CIS School for business management Italy, and WUP – the Regional Labour office in Krakow (Poland). Partners were welcomed by a representative of the regional labour office in Krakow who expressed their unflinching support to the COMORELP Project and for lifelong learning. He went on to disclose an initiative that had just begun called Learn from the Master which supports industries that suffered during the pandemic. Sectors such as Catering, Hotels, Events, and other entrepreneurs seek to benefit from this lifelong learning program all around Poland. Diana Spiridon, the leader of the adults’ skills team in DG EMPL (European Commission) gave the following presentation remotely. She spoke about the key policy developments in adult learning (AL) at EU Level and the role of regions. She recounted that the New European Adult Learning Agenda is to increase and improve the AL provision and promotion as well as the take up of formal, non-formal and informal learning opportunities for all. Looking further, the agenda outlines a vision of how adult learning should develop in Europe by 2030 in 5 priority areas which include Governance, Supply and take-up of lifelong learning opportunities, Accessibility and flexibility, Quality, equity, inclusion and success in adult learning and Green and digital transitions. The Pact for Skills was also launched in November 2020 as an approach to skills development to incentivise private and public stakeholders to take actions on upskilling and reskilling of the working class. Moreover, as part of the EU skills agenda, a Council Recommendation on Individual Learning Account (ILA) was recently adopted and recommend Member States to set-up personal training entitlement for adults as well as the Recommendation on micro-credentials. The Upskilling Pathways initiative is currently being evaluated by the European Commission and an external contractor. The Ministry of Education and Science in Poland then took the floor and recounted how women have high representation in education, yet they seem to be more absent later on in life in higher education and adult education. He questioned why according to statistics women in Poland stop learning. Then, project partners took turn to present a self-assessment tool for lifelong learning policies at regional level and a benchmarking system allowing stakeholders to compare situations between the regions.Claudio Dondi from CIS, Emilia Romagna in Italy explained the concept of a regional laboratory which is a core concept of the COMORELP project. He explained the regional lab as having an involvement of the regional authority, being relevant to existing policy challenges, having a user orientation, and including an integrated perspective on lifelong learning. He stated that the Lab should have reporting and benchmarking as a ground for inter-regional cooperation. Different departments of regional authorities, education and training organisations, learner group and employer representatives, civil society organisations should all be involved in the Regional Lab. The Malopolska region, which is one of the regions in the project, was identified as an outstanding region in terms of lifelong learning because of their experience in the last decade of setting up a LLL partnership with over 100 institutions.

Changing the tide on learning mobility: for all not the few “Not all classrooms have four walls” The term learning mobility describes an educational process that is fluid across spatial lines. It is a process wherein learners are afforded the opportunity to engage with a learning period in a new cultural setting and form new relations and modes of understanding. It is also, when operating well, a means by which learners’ qualifications and educational backgrounds are recognised and valid at an equivalent level across and between various geographic locations. While the benefits of easily accessible learning mobilities are habitually touted by the EU institutions and Member States respectively; it remains the case, however, that large discrepancies exist when it comes to who benefits and who’s excluded . We only need to look as far as the gross under-representation of lower income groups in Erasmus+ as a marker of this issue. And this signifies a fundamental flaw that can be expressed in blunt terms: only those who can rely on economic help have been able to access the scheme, despite the grants, data shows.   The stark under-representation of lower-income groups in mobility programmes such as Erasmus+ is not for a lack of want on behalf of those excluded. Take into consideration for instance, a recent study which identifies that 75% of learners from lower income groups – who would have liked to engage with Erasmus+ – felt that the additional costs were too significant to apply and that covering the shortfall would involve the acquisition of additional debt. In addition, 41 % of the same group reported the loss of foregone wages as a major disincentive. These disparities reinforce pre-existing educational disparities along socio-economic lines – furthering the advantages of the already advantaged by expanding their social, economic and cultural capital. Ties between employment prospects, further mobility opportunities and Erasmus participation are strikingly clear. Take the following two examples into account: European Union data identifies that those who participated in the Erasmus scheme have a 42% better employability rate and double the opportunity to change employers. Furthermore, 40% have been able to move to a different country after graduating, compared to 23% who did not study in another country. Turning the tide on these disparities requires, first and foremost, a sensitivity and acknowledgement of the barriers faced by under-represented groups in their contact with learning mobility policy instruments. It requires a concerted effort to ensure that learning mobility acts to bridge educational divides as opposed to expanding them. The value and efficacy of any learning mobility instrument should be based on its potential to benefit and include those normally excluded from the table. We might then begin to imagine the idea of learning mobility as a possibility for all and not the few. Resources used : Erasmus, a European hit affected by inequality , here SiEM, Student and Staff Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in Student Exchanges , here Erasmus Mobility Statistics 2014 – 2019 , here

The Lifelong Learning Platform has recently teamed up with EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning In Europe) to take a closer look at the value of learning communities in relation to furthering a culture of lifelong learning in the EU. In this podcast we look to answer a simple question: what purpose and value do learning communities hold and how can we further support them as integral forms of learning, specifically for adults? So sit back, put your feet up as we dive into some of the most thought about questions on learning communities and how they can be expanded as the norm. Listen in here !

With the participation of President Metsola, the Lifelong Learning Interest Group of the European Parliament met on the 17th of May 2022 to discuss the question of values that are – and should be – taught in the education system and in non-formal learning. Chaired by Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, the meeting brought together Members of the European Parliament, Civil Society Organisations, decision makers and practitioners, reflecting a variety of views on the role of value education in the European project and beyond. Pressing questions in challenging times The meeting was opened by Gina Ebner, Secretary General of the European Association for the Education of Adults, who sparked the conversation by proposing a number of questions on the link between values and education: what values should be at the forefront here, and what role can lifelong learning play to strengthen these values? What status should values such as solidarity, democracy, sustainability, and cultural diversity have? How can transformative lifelong learning convey these values? And how can education and learning build resilience and promote skills needed to deal with those who think differently? The question was also put forth on whether values can be taught or learned and how might the experiential value of ‘doing’ incite a more tangible relationship between learning and values. The role of Local and Regional Authorities Mr. Csaba Borboly from the Committee of the Regions (SEDEC), brought the important role of regions and local authorities in promoting values in all areas of education and, in particular, in adult education into the discussion. Highlighting that there are many areas of Europe where a rich – but undervalued – local culture and set of traditions exist, Mr. Borboly emphasised that many of these traditions are in line with European values and should, therefore, find a home in our understanding of values and in learning trajectories developing and teaching/learning values. In addition, he stresses that access to education and training in rural and other marginalised areas of Europe is key. Far too many adults are still denied the right to education, and the opportunity to shape their own future. Finally, he recognised that: ‘The teachers in the 21st century are facing many changes, we need to invest in the professional development of teachers.’ Creating a safe space Turning to the international dimension, Ms. Robin Sclafani (CEJI) recalled the international instruments that enshrine important values for our society, as the 2018 European Council Resolution on antisemitism. She discussed the neuroscience behind biassed responses that neglect our values, and illustrated the impact of the trainings that CEJI promotes: by devoting time to forge quality relationships and bonds with partners, they can begin to become aware of their biases in an open and safe space, where people can share their experiences and self-reflect for triggering deep change. In addition, she underlined the contribution of social capital theory to understand baseline measures for assessing our promotion of values and its inclusivity. Reimagining the current legal framework, she affirmed:   ‘Cultural change requires more than criminal legislation, it requires education legislation. Our values are human rights, equality, social responsibility, the only way is through education.’ Teaching – and practising – democracy ‘Teachers and students need to develop the curriculum together, so that everyone can have ownership of the objectives and the process.’ The European Commission JRC’s speaker, Ms. Clara Centeno, presented her research on teacher professional development and training for diversity and inclusion. Resonating with other panellists, she showed that, in terms of professional development, teachers need a concrete ‘experience of democracy’ rather than teaching about democracy. School heads will need more support and time to build cultures that are welcoming and inclusive – which comes with a profound transformation. Ms. Centeno also stressed that one key area that needs to be addressed is the peer learning aspect and the transferability of programs to adapt, contextualise, and replicate them in different areas. Values and sustainability The roundtable was closed by Prof. Peter Mayo from the University of Malta who contextualised all the findings into the current neo-liberal and corporation-driven vision that dominates, in his view, society today. He emphasised the need to conceptualise the idea of lifelong learning as a slow deliberative process that must coincide with the needs, aspirations and preferences of people and not a narrow focus on the needs of the labour market. ‘We don’t teach about education and democracy by talking about it, but by doing it – already in the classroom.’ Tying the elements of our relationship with nature and environmental sustainability, he referenced several seminal works on values, inclusion and the education of adults, while simultaneously pointed to the fact that research is not the issue at hand, rather the implementation of that research and policy change is what has not changed enough over these last few decades.   President Metsola and her vision for the future Introducing President Metsola, MEP Pietikäinen emphasised the importance of values for our civilization and society, stressing the need for empathy, mutual understanding and tolerance from an early age. Building on the insights presented by the speakers, President Metsola concluded the event recalling that knowledge and skills acquired in non-formal education are essential in an ever-changing world. In her words: ‘Learning to think, inclusivity, promoting a holistic vision of lifelong learning is a priority – we can, and should, still do more, for example, by increasing the budget of the Erasmus+ programme’.

The final event of the Keep in Pact project took place on the 28th March 2022 afternoon. The conference was organised as a fully online session with stakeholders and partner organisations. The Keep in pact project lasted between September 2019 to March 2022. The project’s objective was to develop the competences of multi-stakeholder partnership managers working in lifelong career guidance services. The COVID-19 Pandemic has had an impact on the labour market, as a result people have lost their jobs while others have been displaced. The digital transformation on the other hand is rapidly changing the labour market ecosystem and individuals’ needs. It is therefore necessary that European professionals and citizens upskill and reskill to adapt to these developments. People need to find their path through different training, jobs, guidance, and employment opportunities. This will eventually help them to meet the new work standards. This project consequently sought to address these needs and more. SEE THE EVENT AGENDA HERE Marion Seidenbinder from Cité des métiers International network (Keep in pact lead coordinator and LLLP member) and Pauline Boivin, project and policy coordinator at the Lifelong Learning Platform moderated the event. Various PowerPoint presentations from the 6 partner organisations were projected. The project partners are the Lifelong Learning Platform, Brussels Belgium, Universcience/Cité des métiers de Paris, France, Cité des métiers of Porto, Portugal, Learning Digital, Italy, the Agency for Science and Higher Education, Croatia and Cité des métiers International Network – the coordinating organisation of the project. DOWNLOAD THE PPT PRESENTATIONS HERE To start with, an introduction to the concept of Cité des métiers was given by Catherine Kinet, Director of Cité des métiers Brussels . She presented how the guidance centre welcomes the public without appointment. Cité des métiers Brussels is a modern and attractive space that receives all individuals looking for career and education advice or counselling, especially the youth. In addition, people in need of jobs, entrepreneurs, workers among others will be received at the centre. The facility has digital equipment and the general public can consequently use computers for online interviews, search jobs, take part in workshops among others. This place is a mobilisation of advisers, stewards and experts from different institutions who together can answer all questions from the public. The facility is user-friendly for people with disabilities. Rooms are available as well for formal and non-formal training. WATCH THE CONFERENCE HERE Following the introduction, different staff from partners took the floor to present the different aspects, activities and outcomes of the project. Below is the competence framework for multi-partnership cooperation management in lifelong career guidance and counselling:

This year’s General Assembly will take place on Friday 17 of June in Brussels (Mundo-Madou, Av. des Arts 7/8), Belgium.   The annual General Assembly performs as one of the key moments in which members, the Secretariat and the Steering Committee can meet to collectively discuss the general direction and priorities of the organisation, as well as electing three new steering committee members.   As outlined in our status and internal rules, the rotation system entails that three members of the Steering Committee are due to end their mandate this year. The GA will thus be tasked with electing these new representatives. Alongside the election of new representatives, the GA will also offer members an opportunity to voice their opinion on how and in what ways LLLP might improve as a representative organisation. To this end, a fair of ideas will be held in which members can provide updates on their own work, as well as deliberate on the LLLP annual theme, the new working group on internationalisation and much more. If you require any further information do not hesitate to contact the LLLP at administration@lllplatform.eu .