COMECE released its contribution to the EC’s open public consultation on the European Education Area (EEA) on Monday, 23 September 2024. Mgr. Stepnowski: “The teaching profession should be put at the centre of European education policies, for the sake of young generations’ integral development”. Download the Document
The members of the COMECE Commission on Culture and Education during a meeting in 2024. (Photo: COMECE)
The 2024 Education and Training Monitor highlights that EU Member States are experiencing significant teacher shortages, a critical issue with serious consequences for various dimensions of education and the social fabric of regions and local communities.
In this context, the COMECE Commission on Culture and Education, chaired by H.E. Mgr. Janusz Stepnowski, elaborated a detailed contribution addressing the challenges faced by teaching staff in the European Union, offering insights into the major issues at stake for education today.
The document includes a series of technical recommendations to the European Union and to its institutions, emphasising the vocational dimension of teaching, the necessity of stronger investments in teachers’ careers and ensuring that diverse pathways to the teaching profession are not discriminated but encouraged. Read the full contribution here
Another key element of the COMECE contribution is the role of Religion teachers, which is often underestimated but should be promoted to “put humanity and human dignity at the centre of the learning experience”, as well as “fostering religious literacy in times of increasingly multicultural and secularised societies”.
Mgr. Janusz Stepnowski stated: “At the level of the Member States, schools and families need to become stronger partners in education. Politics should promote young learners’ holistic growth through basic skills, intercultural competences, and religious literacy.”
Additionally, the President of the COMECE Commission on Culture and Education emphasised that “the teaching profession, often undervalued, must be placed at the center of European education policies. This is essential for the integral development of young generations and for ensuring quality, purpose-driven learning.”
The Catholic Church, with its strong educational tradition through primary and secondary schools, institutes and universities, provides a significant contribution and public service through value-based and purpose-driven learning and teaching – essential for the future and mission of the European Union.
As part of its mission to maintain a dialogue with the European institutions, and in close collaboration with Religious Education teachers, COMECE has also recently welcomed the EP resolution System of European Schools – state of play, challenges and perspectives.