Education for all and with all

Education and lifelong learning are the bedrock of democracy. But today it is failing to deliver on these promises. Ensuring access to quality education for all is not only a matter of justice but also an investment in a brighter future for Europe.

Vision

Now more than ever, inclusive education and lifelong learning are fundamental to ensuring equal opportunities in life for all. It equips people with the necessary tools and resources to lift themselves out of all forms of poverty and to face today’s challenges related to the climate and environmental emergency, the digital revolution, growing inequalities, and increasing geopolitical tensions. Read more about SOLIDAR’s work for inclusive education and lifelong learning.

Key asks

The EU should allocate adequate resources for formal, non-formal, and informal learning. Sustainable and public funding is essential for the provision of inclusive and accessible formal, non-formal and informal education which includes GCE.
The EU should strengthen Global Citizenship Education (GCE), and fully recognise lifelong learning as crucial to democratic and inclusive societies as they empower individuals to grow personally and professionally, while actively participating in society.
The EU should make GCE accessible to all. Strong political support is necessary because, currently, Global Citizenship Education (GCE) is not given priority by decision makers. While there is some progress, such as the recognition of citizenship competency by the Council of the European Union, the integration of GCE into curricula is still limited and often treated as a subtopic within other subjects.
The EU should promote the recognition and validation of competences obtained in non-formal and informal learning settings.

What have we done so far?

Approaching education and lifelong learning from a holistic and value-driven perspective to recognise non-formal and informal learning for people of all ages and background
Guaranteeing public funding and investment to ensure that education is preserved as a public good
Advancing popular, citizenship and workers’ education to promote on a daily basis the transformative power of learning that is essential to tackle the digital and green transitions in inclusive and democratic ways
Defending the civic space
Promoting global and digital citizenship education, and the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning