Individual pupil mobility
Investment in the future generations of Europe
Individual pupil mobility High quality education and training from the earliest age is the basis for personal fulfilment, employability, active and responsible citizenship. Schools play a key role in the development of young people’s personal and employment prospects In its Communication on the achievement of the European Education Area by 2025 (European Education Area b.r.), the European Commission has put forward a number of people-centred policies. These policies recognise the important role of education and training in building an inclusive and participatory society. As part of the Quality dimension of the European Education Area, the Commission promotes the dual freedom for learners and teachers to benefit from learning mobility opportunities, and for institutions to freely associate with one another in Europe and beyond. Learning mobility is associated with future mobility in society, higher earnings and lower unemployment. Participation in learning mobility supports the mastering of basic skills, including digital competences, and transversal skills such as critical thinking, entrepreneurship, creativity, civic engagement – which are key for adaptation to the globalised economy and labour market. It also fosters language learning and multilingualism as being able to speak different languages is a condition for studying abroad, and fully discover Europe’s cultural diversity. All these elements are part of the Inclusion and gender equality dimension of the European Education Area, and are prerequisites to thrive in life, to find fulfilling jobs and to become an engaged citizen. Even though learning mobility is considered as a powerful instrument to enhance the quality of education, only a minority of young people have benefitted from a learning mobility experience. This is due to a wide range of obstacles to successful participation in such experiences. Barriers to mobility are related to lack of sufficient information and guidance, accessibility challenges, low foreign language proficiency, financial obstacles, and most importantly – lack of full recognition of learning outcomes and qualifications obtained during mobility, and difficulty to combine mobility with curricula requirements.
Home
97
