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European local authorities asked for views on digital education

                 

Survey seeks to address problem that almost half of Europeans lack basic digital skills

The EU is asking local authorities to share their experiences of, and thoughts on, digital education, as it seeks to address problems including that 46 per cent of Europeans lack basic digital skills.

A survey that opened on 19 April is seeking input on the challenges that local and regional authorities face in providing digital education. It says that such authorities often help to distribute national and EU funding for education and that they “have an essential role to play in the sustainable and effective adaptation of the education and training systems of EU member states to the digital age”.

There is a “lack of digital readiness across regions”, especially in schools and workplaces, and “inequality” in access to digital infrastructure, the survey says. Its results will feed into an upcoming European Commission proposal for a recommendation from EU member state governments on factors that enable digital education.

Developed by the Commission’s directorate-general for education, with the support of the Committee of the Regions’ Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture, the survey will close on 23 May. It asks respondents for information such as whether their region has a dedicated strategy for digital education, whether it receives specific funding for it, and how investments could achieve greater impact.

The survey will also be used to channel the perspectives of local and regional authorities into a “structured dialogue” on digital education that was launched by the Commission in 2021 and is part of its Digital Education Action Plan.