Brussels – A decline in basic skills, the need to integrate artificial intelligence into education systems, and a teaching profession that is becoming less and less attractive. These are the three challenges that the European Commission aims to tackle with the new Education and Skills Package, presented today (5 November) by the Commission’s Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Roxana Mînzatu. The aim is to strengthen European education systems and respond to the needs of a rapidly changing labour market. The plan also aims to modernise vocational training and link it more closely to business needs, as part of a strategy that Brussels considers “essential” for the Union’s competitiveness and democratic resilience.
The results of the latest PISA tests in 2025 show the difficulties facing the European education system: 33.9 per cent of 15-year-olds in Europe do not meet sufficient standards in maths, 31.3 per cent in reading, and 25.9 per cent in science. Another cause for concern is the decline in the number of students achieving excellent results: in 2025, these figures stood at just 4.8 per cent in reading, 6.4 per cent in science and 6.8 per cent in maths.
“One in three of our 15-year-olds struggles with reading and mathematics, and the trend is getting worse. This is not only an education issue: it is about democracy and competitiveness, it is about the very future of Europe,” warned Executive Vice-President Mînzatu. “Education must become a top political priority everywhere,” she added. The package, she explained, aims to “engage Member States and support them in their reforms”.
The measures focus on four priorities: improving outcomes in basic skills, safely integrating digital technologies and artificial intelligence into schools, making the teaching profession more attractive, and modernising vocational training. For the first objective, Brussels is proposing a Council recommendation which calls on governments to focus reforms and investment on reading, maths, science, and digital literacy, while strengthening support for schools and teachers. From 2027, the European School Alliances will also be launched – partnerships between schools in different countries to improve students’ outcomes – aiming to establish 100 new alliances per year by the next multiannual budget.
On the digital front, the Commission aims to develop specific skills in artificial intelligence, with a European certificate for students from the 2027–2028 academic year onwards. There are also plans for a European Healthy Screens Pledge, an initiative to provide schools, families and pupils with common tools on online safety, screen time and the balance between digital and offline life. Meanwhile, on 3 November, the European Consortium for Digital Infrastructure in Education (EDU-EDIC) was established to strengthen European technological sovereignty and develop reliable digital and AI tools for schools.
Another key focus concerns teachers, with a new European agenda calling on Member States to address staff shortages through improved working conditions, more attractive career paths, and continuous professional development. Finally, the 2026–2030 vocational training strategy provides for new flexible pathways and partnerships between businesses and educational institutions, particularly in sectors where demand for workers is highest, ranging from energy and healthcare to manufacturing, defence, and construction.
“A stronger Europe starts with empowered young people,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, highlighting the need to raise standards in reading, maths, science, digital skills, and citizenship, while also preparing children to use artificial intelligence safely. “And for this it is essential that they are supported by well-trained teachers,” she concluded.
The Member States will now examine the Council’s two recommendations. On 20 November, the Commission will present the package to the 2026 Education and Skills European Summit, thereby launching the implementation phase in collaboration with governments, social partners, teachers’ organisations and student representatives.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
