New report on digital education shows upward trends in Europe’s schools

The European Commission’s Eurydice network published today a report that maps the state of digital education in schools across Europe.

The report looks at how digital competences are taught and assessed. It also gives an overview of the digital skills of teachers, the policies designed to support digital education and the use of technology in large-scale national tests. Half of the education systems reviewed are currently reforming curricula as regards digital competences, either by including the topic for the first time, giving the subject more prominence or updating curricula to include, for instance, new or different elements of coding, computational thinking or online safety.

Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, said: “I welcome today’s report which shows that schools across Europe are making progress in using new technologies in teaching and learning. I am particularly pleased to see the growing number of initiatives to support teachers in using technology in the classroom, an area we will address at the Second European Education Summit on 26 September. We know that teachers play a crucial role in improving the digital competences of young people and in ensuring that technology is used in purposeful ways to make learning more relevant, engaging and fit for the digital age.” 

Report structure

While the four main chapters provide policy-makers, researchers and the education community with comparative information on the current school digital education policies across Europe, the annexes add specific information by country, on school curricula, teacher competence frameworks, top-level strategies and agencies supporting digital education at school.

Report results

Two-thirds of education systems reviewed recognise the importance of teachers’ digital skills, and most countries provide training for teachers, although guidance is lacking on how to assess pupils’ digital skills in the classroom. While most countries have put in place strategies for digital education, few monitor and evaluate these strategies in a systematic and regular way. Supporting Member States in harnessing technology in education and developing digital skills of teachers and learners are central to the Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan, which includes 11 actions to encourage and support innovation in education.

For more information

Press release

Eurydice