# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The French education system is characterised by a strong central State presence in the organisation and funding of Education. The French education system is regulated by the Department for National Education, Higher Education and Research. It governs within the framework defined by the Parliament, which states the fundamental principles of education.

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Key features of the education system

Public schools provide primary and secondary education free of charge. Higher education is free for full-time students as well, providing that they do not exceed the standard length of study. Private and church schools may charge for education provided.

Slovak language is the language of instruction at most schools, however, schools with teaching languages of minorities or ethnic groups are founded as well. In addition to the state language, education takes place also in Hungarian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Ruthenian, and German language.

Education in all types of schools (ISCED 0-3) takes place in compliance with state educational programmes, which defines the compulsory content. State educational programmes are published by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky).

All primary and secondary school teachers and higher education teachers must have a master's degree.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, the central public administration authority for education, is responsible for the development of the content, goals and methods of education. Local self-governance is within the competence of municipalities, which provide most of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education in Slovakia. Regional governance is within the competence of higher territorial units, which provide most of upper secondary education. Municipalities and higher territorial units organise and fund the cooperation with founders in their territorial competence, provide methodological and counselling services, monitor compliance with generally binding legal regulations and provide space and material to schools they founded.

All schools that provide primary and secondary education are legal entities. The headteacher is responsible for the compliance with valid regulations, state and school educational programmes, school's professional and pedagogical work quality and the efficiency of school's economy.

Higher education institutions are independent institutions and they manage the course and focus of education, research, development, economy and their own internal organisation. Law defines the extent of self-governing scope of higher education institutions.

Financing of schools is normative-based. State budget allocates funds to schools according to the number of pupils, personnel and economic demands. In addition to public schools the state budget also finances private and church schools.

Quality monitoring of primary and secondary education is provided by internal and external evaluation. Each school carries out internal evaluation as self-evaluation; external institutions carry out external evaluation - the State School Inspection (Štátna školská inšpekcia) and the National Institute of Certified Measurement in Education (Národný ústav certifikovaných meraní vzdelávania). External quality assurance of higher education is the responsibility of the Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (SK) (Slovenská akreditačná agentúra pre vysoké školstvo).

Stages of the education system

Nurseries (detské jasle) provide care of children between the age of 6 months and 3 years. Nurseries are not a part of the education system. Municipalities found nurseries ; private entities or church can also run nurseries.

Pre-primary education is the first stage of the education system. Kindergartens (materské školy) for children between ages of three and six provide pre-primary education.

Compulsory school attendance lasts ten years (between the age of 6 and 16) and pupils complete it by finishing the first year of upper secondary education or by reaching the age of 16.

Primary and lower secondary education are a 9 year long single structure system (primary education lasts 4 years, lower secondary education lasts 5 years). Primary and lower secondary education takes place at primary schools (základné školy), where children start to fulfil their compulsory school attendance at the age of six.

Upper secondary education starting age is 15 and its organisation structure divides into general, vocational and art education. Four, five or eight-year Gymnasia (gymnáziá) (age of 11- 18) provide general upper secondary education. In addition to upper secondary vocational education, secondary vocational schools (stredné odborné školy) also provide educational programmes of post secondary education and tertiary professional education. Study at secondary vocational schools lasts from two to five years. Conservatories (konzervatória), which are a specific type of school providing lower and upper secondary education as well as tertiary professional education, provide art education.

Higher education has three levels - Bachelor, Master and PhD study programmes - fully within the competence of universities (univerzity) and higher education institutions (vysoké školy).

Adult education provides a possibility to supplement, extend and enhance one's obtained education, re-qualify or satisfy one's interests (universities of the third age, language education). It takes place in further education institutions, schools and non-school institutions.

Structure of the national education system

Source: Eurydice 2020/21

While Eurypedia provides comprehensive and comparable information, you can find further information also on the websites of the Ministry of Education, Sport, Research and Science of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo školstva, vedy, výskumu a športu Slovenskej republiky), as well as the National Institute for Education (Štátny pedagogický ústav), the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (Centrum vedecko technických informácií Slovenskej republiky), the State School Inspection (Štátna školská inšpekcia), Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education (SK) (Slovenská akreditačná agentúra pre vysoké školstvo) and the National Institute for Certified Educational Measurements (Národný ústav certifikovaných meraní vzdelávania).

Common European reference tools provided by the Eurydice Network

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Slovakia - Eurydice - European Commission

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Public schools provide primary and secondary education free of charge. Higher education is free for full-time students as well, providing that they do not exceed the standard length of study. Private and church schools may charge for education provided.

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Measures announced to support Erasmus+ participants and projects. The EU is also excluding Russia from public contracts and European money.

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Education and Training - European Commission

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European Education Area - Education and Training - European Commission

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Swedish curriculum for the Preschool, Lpfö 18 

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Swedish curriculum for the Preschool, Lpfö 18 

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Vi arbetar för att alla barn och elever ska få en utbildning som är likvärdig och av god kvalitet i en trygg miljö.

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Ministère de l'Education Nationale et de la Jeunesse

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Toute l'information sur l'éducation en France. Une présentation de la politique en matière d'éducation et jeunesse et du système éducatif français.

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Socio-economic status may significantly impact students' participation in education, particularly at levels of education that rely, in many countries, most heavily on private expenditure, such as early childhood education and care and tertiary education. This is less the case in the Slovak Republic: private sources accounted for 15% of total expenditure in pre-primary institutions, slightly lower than the OECD average of 17%. At tertiary level, 29% of expenditure comes from private sources in the Slovak Republic, compared to 30% on average across OECD countries.

Across most OECD countries, socio-economic status influences learning outcomes more than gender and immigrant status. In the Slovak Republic, the proportion of children from the bottom quartile of the PISA index of economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) achieving at least PISA level 2 in reading in 2018 was 44% lower than that of children from the top ESCS quartile, a larger share than the OECD average of 29%.

International student mobility at the tertiary level has risen steadily reaching about 12 700 students in the Slovak Republic and representing 9% of tertiary students in 2019. The largest share of foreign tertiary students studying in the Slovak Republic comes from the Czech Republic. Students from low and lower-middle income countries are generally less likely to study abroad. In 2019, they represented 29% of international students in OECD countries, compared to 27% in the Slovak Republic.

Large differences in educational attainment may lead to starker earnings inequality in many countries. In the Slovak Republic, 34% of 25-64 year-old adults with below upper secondary attainment earned at or below half the median earnings in 2019, above the OECD average of 27%.

On average across the OECD, foreign-born adults (25-64 year-olds) account for 22% of all adults with below upper secondary attainment, 14% of those attaining upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment, and 18% of tertiary-educated adults. In the Slovak Republic as in most OECD countries, the share of foreign-born adults among all adults with a given level of educational attainment is the highest among adults with below upper secondary attainment (1%) in 2020.

The likelihood of being employed increases with the level of educational attainment, but foreign-born adults with tertiary attainment generally have lower employment prospects than their native-born peers. On average across OECD countries, 86% of native-born tertiary-educated adults are employed compared to 79% for foreign-born tertiary-educated adults. In the Slovak Republic, among tertiary-educated adults, 83% of native-born adults and 78% of foreign-born adults are employed. Foreign-born adults who arrived in the country at an early age have spent some years in their host country's education system and gained nationally recognised credentials. As a result, their labour-market outcomes are generally better than that of those who arrived at a later age with a foreign qualification. In the Slovak Republic, however among foreign-born adults with tertiary attainment, 69% of those who arrived by the age of 15 are employed, compared to 83% of those who arrived in the country at age 16 or later.

National level data often hide important regional inequalities in children's access and participation to education. In general, inequalities across regions tend to widen at non-compulsory levels of education. For example, in the majority of countries, the variation in enrolment rate of 3-5 year-olds is often greater than the variation among 6-14 year-olds. This is the case in the Slovak Republic, where the enrolment rate of 3-5 year-olds varies from 65% in the region of East Slovakia to 86% in the region of West Slovakia whereas the enrolment of 6-14 year-olds varies from 90% to 100% across regions. Similarly, the enrolment rate of 15-19 year-olds varies from 75% to 100% in the Slovak Republic.

Tertiary attainment may vary significantly within a country. In the Slovak Republic, the share of 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education varies from 22% in the region of West Slovakia to 46% in the region of Bratislava Region, a similar regional variation as the average across OECD countries with available data.

On average across OECD and partner countries with subnational data on labour-force status, there is more regional variation in employment rates among those with below upper secondary education (17 percentage points) than for those with tertiary education (8 percentage points). In the Slovak Republic, there is a difference of 24 percentage points in the employment rate of adults with below upper secondary education between different regions of the country compared to 6 percentage points for tertiary-educated adults.

The proportion of young people who are NEET shows significant subnational as well as national variation across OECD and partner countries. In the Slovak Republic, the difference in the share of 18-24 year-old NEETs between regions with the highest and lowest value is 10 percentage points, compared to 11 percentage points on average across OECD countries.

References

OECD (2021), Education at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en.

OECD (2021), "Regional education", OECD Regional Statistics (database), https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/213e806c-en (accessed on 27 July 2021).

OECD (2021), " The state of global education - 18 months into the pandemic", OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1a23bb23-en.

For more information on Education at a Glance 2021 and to access the full set of Indicators, see: https://doi.org/10.1787/b35a14e5-en

For more information on the methodology used during the data collection for each indicator, the references to the sources and the specific notes for each country, see Annex 3 ( https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2021_Annex3.pdf).

For general information on the methodology, please refer to the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics: Concepts, Standards, Definitions and Classifications ( https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304444-en).

Updated data can be found on line at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-data-en and by following the StatLinks 2under the tables and charts in the publication.

Data on subnational regions for selected indicators are available in the OECD Regional Statistics (database) (OECD, 2021). When interpreting the results on subnational entities, readers should take into account that the population size of subnational entities can vary widely within countries. For example, regional variation in enrolment may be influenced by students attending school in a different region from their area of residence, particularly at higher levels of education. Also, regional disparities tend to be higher when more subnational entities are used in the analysis.

Explore, compare and visualise more data and analysis using the Education GPS:
https://gpseducation.oecd.org/
The data on educational responses during COVID-19 were collected and processed by the OECD based on the Survey on Joint National Responses to COVID-19 School Closures, a collaborative effort conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the World Bank; and the OECD.

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.

This document, as well as any data and any map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.

The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the terms and conditions to be found at www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/.

Metadata, Legal and Rights

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Extracts from publications may be subject to additional disclaimers, which are set out in the complete version of the publication, available at the link provided.

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Socio-economic status may significantly impact students' participation in education, particularly at levels of education that rely, in many countries, most heavily on private expenditure, such as early childhood education and care and tertiary education. This is less the case in the Slovak Republic: private sources accounted for 15% of total expenditure in pre-primary institutions, slightly lower than the OECD average of 17%.

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This platform is the hub of the Conference on the Future of Europe. This is your opportunity to speak up, to say what kind of Europe you want to live in, to help shape our future.

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Key features of the Education System

According to the Austrian Federal Constitutional Law Article 14 - as amended (Bundesverfassungs-Gesetz, B-VG, Art. 14) democracy, humanity, solidarity, peace and justice, openness and tolerance towards everyone regardless of race, social status and financial background are fundamental principles of education in Austria.

Key features related to governance

Concerning kindergartens and crèches the provinces (Bundesländer) are responsible for legislation and implementation and maintained to high degree by municipalities (Gemeinden). However, there is also a large private sector.

Concerning schools responsibilities for legislation and its implementation are divided between the federation (Bund) and the provinces (Bundesländer) where it is executed by the parliaments of the provinces (Landtage) and the offices of the provincial governments (Ämter der Landesregierungen). In specific matters enumerated in the Constitution, the federation sets the framework, while detailed legislation is implemented by the parliaments of the provinces . The federation has overwhelming responsibility for the education system, including virtually all areas of school organisation, the organisation of school instruction, private schools as well as the remuneration and retirement law governing education staff.

Legislation and execution of all matters pertaining to universities and higher education is a federal responsibility. The freedom of scholarship and teaching, and the freedom of art, are guaranteed in constitutional legislation.

Key features related to organisation and structures

Since 2010 obligatory kindergarten attendance was introduced for 5 year olds (i.e. children one year before school entry).

An important aspect of the Austrian school system is the strong diversification of programmes at all levels of education. Austria has put in place a strong vocational education sector. 18% of 15-19 year olds are enrolled in general upper-secondary programmes compared to 82% in vocational pathways.

Traditional early streaming (at ages 10 and 14) has been subject of on-going educational reforms but remains a fact.

General compulsory schooling lasts until the age of 15 in Austria. Since the 2016/17 school year all youths who have not yet reached the age of 18 will be required to engage in education or training after completing general compulsory schooling. They should as far as possible complete some form of education or training that goes beyond the compulsory school-leaving qualification.

In View of "output orientation" quality assurance and development was driven forward by a series of measures:

The 2017 Education Reform Act (Bildungsreformgesetz 2017) will establish a new governance model for education system and an evidence-based quality insurance:

Definition of a comprehensive framework on school quality

Regular collection of data on all aspects of school quality

Availability of these data for all levels of the school administration

Production of annual school reports

New system of school inspection and school evaluation

Stages of the Education System

In September 2010 obligatory kindergarten attendance was introduced for 5 year olds.

School education is compulsory for nine years and starts at the age of 6.

Primary school is the general compulsory school for pupils aged 6-10 (years 1 to 4).

The lower secondary level (years 5 to 8) comprises:

The upper secondary level (years 9 to 13) comprises a

general education branch and a

vocational branch.

Higher education is provided by

Adult learning programmes may lead to legally regulated qualifications (also called formal qualifications). They include second-chance programmes, for example: These are programmes that aim at the acquisition of qualifications by adults in the formal education sector (e.g.

Schematic Structure of the National Education System

source: Eurydice 2017-2018

Useful links

Further information may also be found on the following websites:

Common European Reference Tools Provided by the Eurydice Network

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Austria - Eurydice - European Commission

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According to the Austrian Federal Constitutional Law Article 14 - as amended (Bundesverfassungs-Gesetz, B-VG, Art. 14) democracy, humanity, solidarity, peace and justice, openness and tolerance towards everyone regardless of race, social status and financial background are fundamental principles of education in Austria.

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Welcome to Eurydice, a network of 40 national units based in 37 countries of the Erasmus+ programme. Our task is to explain how education systems are organised in Europe and how they work.

Eurydice publishes descriptions of national education systems, comparative reports devoted to specific topics, indicators and statistics, as well as news and articles related to the field of education.

Our reports show how countries tackle challenges at all education levels: early childhood education and care, primary and secondary education, higher education and adult learning. Find out more in the About Us section.

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Welcome to Eurydice, a network of 40 national units based in 37 countries of the Erasmus+ programme. Our task is to explain how education systems are organised in Europe and how they work. Eurydice publishes descriptions of national education systems , comparative reports devoted to specific topics, indicators and statistics, as well as news and articles related to the field of education.

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Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare

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Curriculum for the compulsory school, preschool class and school-age educare

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Vi arbetar för att alla barn och elever ska få en utbildning som är likvärdig och av god kvalitet i en trygg miljö.

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References

DEPP (2021), Dispositif d'évaluation des conséquences de la crise sanitaire : comment les élèves

ont-ils vécu le confinement de mars-avril 2020 ?, note d'information n°21.19, https://www.education.gouv.fr/dispositif-d-evaluation-des-consequences-de-la-crise-sanitaire-comment-les-eleves-ont-ils-vecu-le-322830

OECD (2021), "Regional education", OECD Regional Statistics (database), https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/213e806c-en (accessed on 27 July 2021).

OECD (2020), Education at a Glance 2020: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en.

For more information on Education at a Glance 2021 and to access the full set of Indicators, see: https://doi.org/10.1787/b35a14e5-en

For more information on the methodology used during the data collection for each indicator, the references to the sources and the specific notes for each country, see Annex 3 ( https://www.oecd.org/education/education-at-a-glance/EAG2021_Annex3.pdf).

For general information on the methodology, please refer to the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics: Concepts, Standards, Definitions and Classifications ( https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264304444-en).

Updated data can be found on line at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-data-en and by following the StatLinks 2under the tables and charts in the publication.

Data on subnational regions for selected indicators are available in the OECD Regional Statistics (database) (OECD, 2021). When interpreting the results on subnational entities, readers should take into account that the population size of subnational entities can vary widely within countries. Also, regional disparities tend to be higher when more subnational entities are used in the analysis.

Explore, compare and visualise more data and analysis using the Education GPS:
https://gpseducation.oecd.org/
The data on educational responses during COVID-19 were collected and processed by the OECD based on the Survey on Joint National Responses to COVID-19 School Closures, a collaborative effort conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS); the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the World Bank; and the OECD.

This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD member countries.

This document, as well as any data and any map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.

The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.

The use of this work, whether digital or print, is governed by the terms and conditions to be found at www.oecd.org/termsandconditions/.

← 1. General programmes in France include the general and technological pathways.

← 2. It should be underlined that the level of attainment of foreign-born adults is not entirely imputable to the receiving country.

← 3. It should be noted that, given the age of the observed population, individuals are more likely to participate to non-formal than formal education in most OECD countries.

← 4. These figures take into account the reforms of the 2017/2018 school year, notably the doubling of CP and CE1 classes in priority education. However, it should be pointed out that the reform of the doubling of classes follows a timetable spread over three years; the 2018 expenditure therefore only captures one phase of the reform.

← 5. In secondary education, teachers are, on the one hand, "professeurs certifies" and, on the other, " professeurs agrégés", who do not have the same salary scales and do not represent the same weight in the teaching population. Thus, the salary corresponding to the minimum qualification or the most typical qualification in secondary education (collège and lycée) is that of certified teachers, while the salary corresponding to the maximum qualification is that of agrégés teachers. More information on the methodology for calculating teachers' salaries can be found in Box 1 of the Education at a Glance 2020 French Country Note.

← 6. The data on the actual salaries of teachers and school heads in France are based on the year 2018 instead of 2020.

Metadata, Legal and Rights

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. Extracts from publications may be subject to additional disclaimers, which are set out in the complete version of the publication, available at the link provided.

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DEPP (2021), Dispositif d'évaluation des conséquences de la crise sanitaire : comment les élèves ont-ils vécu le confinement de mars-avril 2020 ?, note d'information n°21.19, https://www.education.gouv.fr/dispositif-d-evaluation-des-consequences-de-la-crise-sanitaire-comment-les-eleves-ont-ils-vecu-le-322830 OECD (2021), "Regional education", OECD Regional Statistics (database), https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/213e806c-en (accessed on 27 July 2021). OECD (2020), Education at a Glance 2020: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/69096873-en.

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When are you on holidays

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EN

How is the school year organised across Europe?

The Eurydice report on the organisation of school time replies to this specific question. It contains national data on the length of the school year, the start and the end dates of each school year, the timing and length of school holidays and the number of school days. Despite some differences, countries show many similarities regarding the structure of their school calendars. Did you know that the countries where the school year begins the earliest are Denmark and Germany? With regard to the number of school days, it varies between 165 days in Albania and 200 days in Denmark and Italy.

In general, the number of school days is the same in primary and secondary education, but there are a few exceptions: in France and Serbia (both in upper secondary education), in Lithuania and Romania for example, the number of schools days is higher in secondary education than in primary.
Those key points and many others are illustrated by comparative figures.

The information is available for 37 countries covering both primary and general secondary education and participating in the EU's Erasmus+ programme (27 Member States, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey)

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The Organisation of School Time in Europe Primary and General Secondary Education 2021/22 - Eurydice - European Commission

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EN How is the school year organised across Europe? The Eurydice report on the organisation of school time replies to this specific question. It contains national data on the length of the school year, the start and the end dates of each school year, the timing and length of school holidays and the number of school days.

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QMS steht für "Qualitätsmanagementsystem für Schulen". Es ist das neue Qualitätsmanagementsystem für alle österreichischen Schulen und wird ab 01.01.2021 in drei Phasen eingeführt.

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Striving to be the first climate-neutral continent

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. To overcome these challenges, the European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, ensuring:

no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050

economic growth decoupled from resource use

no person and no place left behind

The European Green Deal is also our lifeline out of the COVID-19 pandemic. One third of the €1.8 trillion investments from the NextGenerationEU Recovery Plan, and the EU's seven-year budget will finance the European Green Deal.

The European Commission has adopted a set of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. More information on Delivering the European Green Deal.

Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity

12 March 2024 - The Commission has published a Communication on managing climate risks in Europe that sets out how the EU and its countries can implement policies that save lives, cut costs, and protect prosperity. It comes as a direct response to the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment by the European Environment Agency. It also addresses the concerns that many Europeans have following last's year record temperatures and extreme weather events. The Commission is calling for action from all levels of government, the private sector and civil society to improve governance and tools for climate risk owners, manage risks across sectors and set the right preconditions to finance climate resilience.

Read more

Key figures

The first climate-neutral continent

net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels

additional trees to be planted in the EU by 2030

Timeline

1. The Council and the European Parliament reach a provisional political agreement on stricter CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans

2. The European Commission joins the European Climate Pact and pledges to make its operations climate neutral by 2030

3. Show 80 more items

Documents

Factsheets on Delivering the European Green Deal

Factsheet

A clear and complete repository of the thematic areas that are shaping the European Green Deal

Communication and roadmap on the European Green Deal

Download

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. To overcome these challenges, the European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, ensuring:

no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050

economic growth decoupled from resource use

no person and no place left behind

The European Green Deal is also our lifeline out of the COVID-19 pandemic. One third of the €1.8 trillion investments from the NextGenerationEU Recovery Plan, and the EU's seven-year budget will finance the European Green Deal.

Commission sets out key steps for managing climate risks to protect people and prosperity

12 March 2024 - The Commission has published a Communication on managing climate risks in Europe that sets out how the EU and its countries can implement policies that save lives, cut costs, and protect prosperity. It comes as a direct response to the first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment by the European Environment Agency. It also addresses the concerns that many Europeans have following last's year record temperatures and extreme weather events. The Commission is calling for action from all levels of government, the private sector and civil society to improve governance and tools for climate risk owners, manage risks across sectors and set the right preconditions to finance climate resilience.

Read more

Factsheets on Delivering the European Green Deal

Factsheet

A clear and complete repository of the thematic areas that are shaping the European Green Deal

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Discover the European Commission's proposals to transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy while reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

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Fundamental values:
The national school system is based on democratic foundations. The Education Act (2010:800) stipulates that education in the school system aims at pupils acquiring and developing knowledge and values. It should promote the development and learning of all pupils, and a lifelong desire to learn. Education should impart and establish respect for human rights and the fundamental democratic values on which Swedish society is based. Each and everyone working in the school should also encourage respect for the intrinsic value of each person and the environment we all share. The inviolability of human life, individual freedom and integrity, the equal value of all people, equality between women and men, and solidarity between people are the values that the school should represent and impart. In accordance with the ethics borne by a Christian tradition and Western humanism, this is achieved by fostering in the individual a sense of justice, generosity, tolerance and responsibility. Teaching in school must be non-denominational. The task of the school is to encourage all pupils to discover their own uniqueness as individuals and thereby be able to participate in the life of society by giving of their best in responsible freedom.

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European Youth Portal - European Commission

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Hurray, as of 2022 DiscoverEU will be part of the Erasmus+ Programme family! Stay tuned for the novelties to come and extend your horizon to more countries than ever. The October 2021 application round is now closed. The first application round under Erasmus+ rules will open in spring 2022 (the specific dates will be announced later and the text updated accordingly).
Are you 18 years old and a citizen of the European Union? Get ready to explore Europe! DiscoverEU is proud to be part of the European Year of Rail 2021.

What is DiscoverEU?

DiscoverEU is an initiative of the European Union that gives you the opportunity to discover Europe through learning experiences. Travelling predominantly by rail (there are exceptions to allow those living on islands or in remote areas), you will discover Europe's stunning landscapes and its variety of cities and towns. You can apply during the two application rounds which take place each year. Successful applicants are awarded with a travel pass.

As an 18-year-old citizen of the European Union, DiscoverEU offers you the opportunity to participate in a travel experience that will enable you to take advantage of the freedom of movement throughout the European Union, explore the diversity of Europe, learn about European cultural heritage and history, and connect with people from all over the continent. Furthermore, DiscoverEU enables you, as a young person, to develop life skills of value to your future, such as independence, confidence, and openness to other cultures.

Exceptionally for this round, those young people, who were eligible under the two rounds in 2020, which were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can apply too.

/!\ Another exception for this round: UK nationals are still allowed to participate in this round of DiscoverEU. For more details, check our FAQ A.12.

When is the next round?

Almost 70 000 young people have been awarded a travel pass since the first application round in June 2018. Another round will take place between Tuesday 12 October 2021 at 12:00 (CEST) and Tuesday 26 October 2021 at 12:00 (CEST). An 'Apply Now' button will appear on this page on D-Day!

To be eligible, you need to:

Have been born between 1 July 2001 (included) and 31 December 2003 (included);

Have the nationality of one of the Member States of the European Union at the time of the award decision;

Complete the correct ID or passport number on the online application form.

Then you will need to participate in a quiz (unless you apply as a group member).

If you are selected, you can travel for a period of minimum 1 day and up to 30 days between 1 March 2022 and 28 February 2023.

Note that if you have a disability or a health problem that makes your trip challenging, you will receive assistance and support to help you take part in DiscoverEU. Check our FAQ C.13 to know more.

Can I travel with my friends?

Yes you can! It really is up to you. You can go solo or add up to 4 friends in your group provided they meet the eligibility conditions above. They will use your application code to submit their own application. Check out our FAQs B.5 to B.11 to know more.

You can also organise meet-ups and combine travel plans with other DiscoverEU travellers! The DiscoverEU Facebook Group is a good platform to do this. Join the Group now to chat with other participants.
'There is a whole world out there. Pack your backpack, your best friend and go.'
Share experiences

As a DiscoverEU Ambassador, we will invite you to share your travel experiences through social media tools - Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter - using #DiscoverEU. You may decide to give a presentation at your school or local community. Moreover, you could participate in the #DiscoverEU photo/video #Competition and win great prizes.

I want to know more!

Interested in the previous application rounds? Check the DiscoverEU factsheets to read more about the initiative and the experiences of some of our young DiscoverEU travellers.

Europe is at your feet. Take the first step.

Inspiring TedX video from Vincent-Immanuel Herr

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Hurray, as of 2022 DiscoverEU will be part of the Erasmus+ Programme family! Stay tuned for the novelties to come and extend your horizon to more countries than ever. The October 2021 application round is now closed. The first application round under Erasmus+ rules will open in spring 2022 (the specific dates will be announced later and the text updated accordingly).

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Why is multilingualism important?

The EU's motto 'united in diversity' symbolises the essential contribution that linguistic diversity and language learning make to the European project.

Languages unite people, render other countries and their cultures accessible, and strengthen intercultural understanding. Foreign language skills play a vital role in enhancing employability and mobility. Multilingualism also improves the competitiveness of the EU economy.

Poor language skills can cause companies to lose international contracts, as well hindering the mobility of skills and talent. Yet, too many Europeans still leave school without a working knowledge of a second language. For this reason, the EU has set the improvement of language teaching and learning as a priority.

What is the EU doing to promote multilingualism?

In the Council Conclusions on multilingualism and the development of language competences, Member States committed to enhancing cooperation in the field of multilingualism and improving the effectiveness of language teaching in schools.

The European Commission is working together with national governments to meet an ambitious goal - for all citizens to learn at least two foreign languages and to begin learning foreign languages at an early age.

This vision was confirmed by EU Heads of State as part of the proposal to create a European Education Area. Further support for this target was echoed in the December 2017 European Council Conclusions.

The Commission is responding to this call from Member States to reinforce the central role of multilingualism in the European project by:

These activities are supported by:

Finally, the Erasmus+ programme offers opportunities to young people to hone their language skills by engaging in learning and training abroad, and by supporting vocational and educational mobility.

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The EU’s motto ‘united in diversity’ symbolises the essential contribution that linguistic diversity and language learning make to the European project.

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A newcomer in class who does not yet speak the language of instruction sufficiently to be able to follow the lessons can be quite a challenge for teachers. How do you handle that? How do you support their educational needs in such a way that fully engages their language acquisition and multilingual background?

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A newcomer in class who does not yet speak the language of instruction sufficiently to be able to follow the lessons can be quite a challenge for teachers. How do you handle that? How do you support their educational needs in such a way that fully engages their language acquisition and multilingual background?

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The Digital Strategy website provides updates and resources on EU policies key to the digital transformation.

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By joining eTwinning, teachers and other school staff will become part of the 'Community for schools in Europe' and benefit from endless opportunities.

Collaborate with and get inspired by other colleagues in Europe

In eTwinning, teachers organise and run on-site and online activities with their students along with colleagues from countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme. They engage in collaborative projects with the support of the TwinSpace environment. National Support Organisations are responsible for validating user registrations for becoming eTwinners, thus keeping the platform safe, providing support and guidance, and recognising teachers' work with National and European Quality Labels. The annual eTwinning book features the most innovative projects. Excellent projects are rewarded eTwinning European Prizes and become part of the project gallery.

Share with peers

The eTwinning community is made up of thousands of teachers and educators who share a vision of inclusive schools, using information and communication technology in a meaningful way, and making the most of 21st-century skills. eTwinners meet and network online, at school, at eTwinning events and conferences, and wherever they can inspire other teachers to better educate students. On the European School Education Platform, the eTwinning area offers project kits, practice examples, testimonials, and an online environment where eTwinners can communicate, create projects, share, and learn together at their own pace in line with their interests.

Upskill together

Lifelong learning is essential for teachers and eTwinning community members benefit from webinars, short and long online courses (including MOOCs), self-teaching materials, conferences, and other on-site professional development opportunities where they meet experts in many fields and improve their skills. These events allow teachers to network, learn together, and feel part of the same community.

eTwinning also provides opportunities for future teachers to get support when starting their careers.

Promote and celebrate

Like all communities, eTwinning has key events. A yearly theme is the focus of two online campaigns - in spring and autumn - where eTwinners share ideas, plan projects, produce materials, and learn together. And every year on 9 May, the community celebrates Europe Day as eTwinning Day with activities that make eTwinners feel part of something unique, wherever they are.

Become a protagonist

eTwinning Ambassadors are the pillars of the community. They are selected at a national level, provide training and support and share their energy and enthusiasm, making eTwinning grow every day. Get information from your National Support Organisations about how to become one of them!

The schools that are awarded the eTwinning Schools Label are models of the principles that inspire eTwinning, shared leadership, collaboration and sharing, students as agents of change, inclusion, and pedagogical innovation. Stay tuned to see when applications open!

Anyone can become an eTwinning Ambassador, and any school can get the eTwinning School Label.

How to join eTwinning

Register as a user today on the European School Education Platform using EU Login ( access here) and request to be validated as an eTwinner by the National Support Organisation in the country where your school is.

What does the eTwinning platform offer?

eTwinners can network, share, and collaborate with other registered eTwinners and schools by connecting through the social networking features offered, and by engaging in Rooms, eTwinning groups, and European projects.

Rooms are micro-groups that allow eTwinners to take part in video-conferencing sessions supported by a forum and a file archive.

eTwinning groups are virtual places where eTwinners meet and discuss specific subjects, topics, or other areas of interest. Featured Groups are groups coordinated by the CSS and moderated by experienced eTwinners).

eTwinning projects include activities on different topics and key competences involving two or more teachers and their students. Each project has its own TwinSpace, a free-to-use, safe platform that is only accessible to other eTwinning members in the project, your selected guests, and your selected pupils.

eTwinners can also join the online professional development opportunities organised by the European School Education Platform. Some of these offers will be tailored to the specific interests and needs of eTwinners and be available exclusively to them:

Short online courses are intense and enjoyable and introduce teachers to a topic, stimulate ideas, and help them develop their skills.

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are 4-6 weeks in length and require 12 - 25 hours of learning time during this period. Participants are free to conduct the activities at a time of their convenience during the duration of the course. A certificate is offered upon successful completion.

Webinars are live one-hour long online video sessions where teachers have the chance to learn about and discuss a variety of themes.

Webinar series are two webinar sessions that are connected by an interactive online activity.

Online conferences and events are designed for and dedicated to specific target audiences and themes.

You are not eligible to join eTwinning?

Only school staff can join the eTwinning community. If you are not a member of staff at a school, you can still enjoy and network in other sections of the European School Education Platform free of charge. Discover all these opportunities here. eTwinners can invite non-eTwinners to specific projects.

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In eTwinning, teachers organise and run on-site and online activities with their students along with colleagues from countries participating in the Erasmus+ programme. They engage in collaborative projects with the support of the TwinSpace environment. National Support Organisations are responsible…

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Youth Goals The Youth Goals are the outcome of the Youth Dialogue process with over 50.000 young people. They represent views of young people from all over Europe and are part of the EU Youth Strategy. These are the Youth Goals: Foster the sense of youth belonging to the European project and build a bridge between […]

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Europass is a set of online tools to help with creating CVs, cover letters and also help users to find jobs and courses in the EU. Europass also matches user skills and interests such as location and topic to success suitable jobs. It is a useful tool to find information on studying or working in the Europe.