Questions and answers on the Education and Skills package

Why is the Commission presenting the Education and Skills Package now and what is its objective?

Europe's most important asset is its people. By equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and thrive in an increasingly complex world, education and training are fundamental to Europe's competitiveness, resilience and democracy.

Yet the latest PISA 2025 results show a persistent decline in basic skills, with around one in three 15-year-olds in the EU underachieves in literacy and mathematics, one in four in science, and underachievement in digital skills exceeds 40%. At the same time, persistent teacher shortages, uneven preparedness for the digital transformation, and rising risks linked to online manipulation and harmful content are putting additional pressure on education systems.

The Commission's Education and Skills Package contributes directly to the implementation of the Union of Skills. It aims to help Member States respond to these shared education challenges and build strong education and training systems where all learners acquire the skills they need, teachers receive support to teach well, and education provides a pathway to quality jobs. At the same time, the package is aligned with the Apply AI Strategy and its aim to increase adoption of AI across strategic sectors, including public sector and education, while ensuring AI is used in schools only where educationally justified and under teachers' control.

It will do so by strengthening evidence, supporting cooperation, promoting effective approaches to basic skills and the teaching profession, and ensuring technology is governed to serve education safely, while respecting the diversity of national systems and the principle that implementation remains in Member States' hands.

What are the main elements of the package?

The package combines structural reform and targeted support measures. Its main elements are:

• a practical framework for Member States to help reverse the decline in basic skills with targeted actions to support schools, including European School Alliances and the EU Network of Advisory and Support Service;
• an EU Teachers Agenda for a more attractive and well-supported teaching profession;
• closer EU dialogue with social partners and teacher's representatives to shape policy actions with the support of the profession;
• a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDU-EDIC) to build a common European approach to sovereign digital infrastructure for education;
• action to mainstream artificial intelligence (AI) literacy in schools and introduce an AI Literacy Certificate;
• a European Healthy Screens Pledge to support online safety and healthier digital habits for children and young people;
• an accompanying VET strategy to strengthen the quality and labour-market relevance of vocational education and training.

Does this package create binding obligations for Member States?

No. The proposal does not extend EU regulatory powers or introduce binding commitments. The two proposed Council Recommendations are not binding, and the EDU-EDIC was set up at the request of the Member States that chose to join. Member States remain responsible for the content of teaching and the organisation of their education and training systems, and each Member State will decide how to implement the Council Recommendations according to national circumstances.

What are the EU targets on basic skills for 2030?

In June 2026, Member States adopted 2030 EU-level targets to:

• reduce the share of 15-year-olds with low achievement in reading, mathematics and science to below 15%;
• reduce the share of eighth graders with low achievement in computer and information literacy to below 15%;
• increase the share of 15-year-olds with top performance in reading, mathematics and science to at least 12%;
• increase the share of 15-year-olds from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds with good results in at least one of reading, mathematics or science to at least 25%.

The Commission is calling on Member States to make these targets a national priority, set out how they intend to meet them and follow up through the European Semester.

What are European School Alliances?

European School Alliances are new long-term cross-border partnerships between schools and school authorities from different Member States focused on improving basic skills performance in at least one basic skill through practical cooperation and measurable results. They are intended to help schools identify urgent challenges, implement improvement plans and share effective practices more widely.

The Alliances are designed to speed up the scaling up of what works. School authorities are expected to be involved from the outset so that successful approaches can be transferred to other schools.

Erasmus+ is already preparing for the roll out of the European School Alliances, with dedicated support for schools and school authorities in 2027. Going forward, the ambition is to create up to 100 new Alliances each year from 2028 onwards.

What is the EU Network of Advisory and Support Services?

The new EU Network of Advisory and Support Services will bring together agencies and bodies from the Member States with a mission to help schools improve through practical, evidence-based support. It will focus on four areas:

• school leadership and management;
• socio-emotional well-being;
• AI and digital readiness;
• parent and community engagement.

The Network will connect national and regional services to pool expertise at EU level, help provide tailored guidance, and strengthen the capacity of regional and local support systems. National services typically include government agencies, inspectorates or specialised knowledge and resource centres in some cases.

The Network will be launched in 2027, it will connect national support services and will start preparing its regional level. The first 30 regional services will be enabled by Erasmus+ starting from 2028.

How will the Network of Advisory and Support Services help on strengthening basic skills?

Beyond the classroom, basic skills are shaped by learners' well-being, mental health, online safety, and the support they receive at home and in their wider community. For example, the recent PISA results show declining family engagement in pupils' learning process. Barriers such as disengagement, cyberbullying and limited parental involvement cannot be addressed by schools alone.

The Network of Advisory and Support Services will help education providers and school leaders bridge this gap, building partnerships with parents and families, businesses, universities, social and health services, and the wider community.

What does the Package do for teachers and school leaders?

The Package includes a proposal for a Council Recommendation on an attractive teaching profession, referred to as the EU Teachers Agenda. It calls on Member States to develop comprehensive strategies to address teacher shortages and improve the attractiveness, preparation, professional development and working conditions of teachers.

The proposal highlights the need to:

• create appealing working conditions and proper recognition of teachers' responsibilities;
• reduce administrative burden on teachers to allow them to have more time to engage with learners;
• make careers more flexible and attract underrepresented groups;
• strengthen initial teacher education, induction and continuing professional development;
• help teachers and school leaders to be able to respond to AI, digital transformation and increasingly diverse classrooms;
• involve teachers and their representatives more closely in shaping education policy.

What does the package do for disadvantaged children?

The Package includes a proposal for a Council Recommendation on reversing the decline in basic skills which acknowledges inclusive education as the foundation of high-quality education systems for all learners. It calls on Member States to strengthen the system level conditions ensuring that disadvantaged children have equal access to quality education, appropriate support, and meaningful opportunities for participation and engagement.  

The proposal highlights the need to:  

• remove barriers, whether physical, systemic or pedagogical;

• improve basic skills in the classroom, for example, through early identification of learning difficulties, targeted support, and inclusive learning environments, with the aim of preventing children from falling behind or being excluded;  

• stronger cooperation between schools, families and communities, particularly those facing social or economic barriers, to actively participate in their children's education and engage closely with teachers;
• prioritise investment in disadvantaged schools, including in rural and remote regions, and deprived urban areas and the right to stay, in particular by pooling resources and cooperation among schools, and providing incentives for teachers to take up positions in remote or disadvantaged schools. 

All these elements taken together help create a supportive learning environment, strengthen children's motivation and well-being, and reduce the risk of educational disadvantage from being passed on to the next generation.

In addition, through the European Schools Alliances and the EU Network for Advisory and Support Services disadvantaged schools and pupils will have access to enhanced support and opportunities, both within and beyond the classroom. 

What changes are planned for Teacher Academies?

Teacher Academies 2.0 funded by Erasmus+ will be reinforced and refocused in 2027 to deliver stronger results in the areas where needs are greatest. They will offer high-quality teacher education and professional development in particular for novice teachers and school leaders, especially in:

• child-centred use of digital technologies and AI;
• teaching in diverse classrooms;
• managing complex classroom environments;
• collaborative leadership;
• democracy and resilience.

What is the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium on Education (EDU–EDIC)?

An EDIC - European Digital Infrastructure Consortium - is a legal entity under the EU's Digital Decade Policy Programme composed of three or more Member States pooling resources, expertise and infrastructure to build digital capabilities no single European country can deliver alone.

The EDU-EDIC will build the foundation for sovereign, interoperable digital infrastructure for education. Its core focus is to reduce Europe's dependence on non-EU providers, help to help protect learners' data through common standards and governance, and foster a trusted and innovative digital learning ecosystem across participating Member States. As a result, schools and authorities will benefit from greater compatibility across systems, less duplication of investment, and stronger negotiating power through shared standards, specifications and procurement tools.

Which countries are in EDU-EDIC, and can others join?

The EDU-EDIC brings together eight Member States: the Netherlands, convening the EDIC, France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Finland and Belgium. Under its statutes, any Member State may join at a later stage, either as a member or as an observer. 

What is the EU-OECD AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education?

AI literacy empowers students and teachers to understand how AI systems work, critically evaluate their opportunities and risks, and use them responsibly. Teachers must be equipped to integrate AI in ways that support learning, human agency and ethical standards.

The Commission and OECD launched the AI Literacy Framework on 18 June 2026 as a starting point for establishing a common language for AI literacy and demonstrating how AI literacy can support learners' success within and beyond the classroom.

This framework is designed for teachers, education leaders, education policymakers, learning designers and parents. It outlines the competences students need to understand and use AI responsibly and ethically. It provides guidance and examples of activities for the classroom and is organised around four domains - engage with AI, create with AI, manage AI, and shape AI.

How will the Education and Skills Package support AI literacy?

The Education and Skills Package will support EU education systems in mainstreaming AI literacy across schools and educational programmes through:

• capacity building on the practical implementation of the EU-OECD AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary education;
• development and dissemination of multilingual learning and training resources for students and teachers.

To support young people's continuous safe and critical use of AI tools, based on the AI Literacy Framework for primary and secondary schools and in alignment with the EU KIDS Act and the AI Act (including Article 4), the Commission will pilot an AI Literacy Certificate for learners from the 2027/28 school year.

What exactly is the European Healthy Screens Pledge and why does it matter?

Today, too many children are exposed too early to an online world they are not ready to navigate. To address this, the Commission is proposing a European Healthy Screens Pledge, which will provide a common European engagement model on online child safety and offer schools, parents and pupils concrete tools and guidance on how to:

• cope with harmful content and stay safe online;
• manage screen time routines, sleep and distraction;
• find a healthy balance between online and offline activities.

Building on the 2026 Communication on an EU approach to online child safety and on the recommendations of the Special Panel on Child Safety Online, this action will strengthen efforts to help young people benefit from the digital world while protecting and educating them on its risks.

Why is the Commission presenting a new VET Strategy now?

Vocational education and training (VET) provides millions of people with the skills needed in a changing economy. Around 60% of jobs in the EU are in VET-related fields. VET leads to quality jobs and underpins Europe's competitiveness.

Across the EU, employers need more skilled people who can install clean energy systems, use advanced digital tools, and work with other new technologies. Seven out of ten occupations facing widespread labour shortages require VET qualifications, and Europe will need around 3.6 million VET workers to be replaced each year. This is why the Commission is presenting a new VET strategy now, outlining how the EU will support Member States in updating their VET systems.

The VET Strategy will help EU Member States keep pace with technological change, strengthen partnerships between employers and training providers, and help learners to gain experience in other countries. It is part of the Union of Skills, the EU's plan to improve quality education, training, and lifelong learning. It also builds on the 2025 Herning Declaration, in which Member States committed to modernising and strengthening their VET systems.

What are the main new measures in the VET Strategy?

The VET strategy sets out a series of initiatives under three main objectives:

1) More flexible and higher-quality VET systems

• Common training content for strategic sectors, in cooperation with businesses and other partners, testing how the skills gain can be certified within national systems.
• Support for Member States to strengthen basic skills in VET, through guidance, funding, policy testing, and new research.
• A European Vocational Excellence Network to build on the work of Centres of Vocational Excellence and link it more closely to national reforms.

2) Stronger links between VET, business and strategic sectors

• New VET Business Partnerships, funded by public and private actors, to provide modern training facilities and industry-ready training.
• Sectoral apprenticeship clusters for businesses, VET providers and apprentices to create innovative apprenticeship approaches for both young people and adults.

3) Making VET more European and international

• An EU marketplace for VET mobility to help more learners and apprentices gain experience abroad.
• Support for VET modernisation in candidate countries as part of the accession process.
• Stronger VET cooperation with non-EU countries to build local skills and jobs, while linking VET to Talent Partnerships and the EU Talent Pool to support responsible mobility.

Member States are responsible for VET. What is the EU's role?

Member States are responsible for VET, and many of the challenges they face are shared. The EU brings countries together to exchange expertise, develop joint solutions and respond to skills shortages that extend beyond national labour markets. By connecting VET providers, businesses and industries, the EU promotes training approaches that are adapted across Europe. The EU also helps align skills development with the needs of strategic sectors, where technological change affects several countries.

The European Skills & VET Week, led by the European Commission and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), helps raise awareness of VET and adult learning across Europe. It provides a platform for dialogue and better policymaking.

The EU spreads successful practices across countries and regions and strengthens cooperation with candidate and partner countries. It supports national reforms through research, comparable data and policy testing. The Commission will collaborate with the OECD on basic skills outcomes in VET and with the Council of Europe on citizenship skills.

In addition, the EU provides funding. Between 2021 and 2027, the EU is investing over €150 billion in education and skills training, with VET playing a central role. The Commission's proposal for the 2028-2034 EU budget includes several funding instruments that will support the VET strategy.

For more information

Press release

Factsheet on the education and skills package

Factsheet on vocational skills for a competitive Europe

Education and Skills package

For more information

Questions and answers

Factsheet on the education and skills package

Factsheet on vocational skills for a competitive Europe

Education and Skills package

Communication on Stronger education foundations for all in the age of AI

Proposal for reversing the decline in basic skills

Proposal for an attractive teaching profession: the EU Teachers Agenda

Strategy for vocational education and training 2026-2030