Two-thirds of European teenagers already use artificial intelligence regularly. However, schools often do not know how to handle it. At the beginning of November, the European Commission therefore unveiled a major education and skills package designed to prepare students and teachers for a world full of chatbots and smart tools. It includes a pilot AI literacy certificate for 15-year-olds, dedicated European artificial intelligence services for schools, greater support for teachers, and more modern vocational education.
Brussels is basing its plan on figures that are far from encouraging. According to the PISA survey, one in three 15-year-olds in the EU struggles with reading and mathematics, while four in ten students attend schools where teaching is hindered by teacher shortages. Meanwhile, according to Eurostat, 64 percent of young people aged 16 to 24 use generative artificial intelligence.
Four areas and nineteen skills
The November plan builds on the artificial intelligence literacy framework presented in Brussels in June by the European Commission together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It is intended for primary and secondary schools and was developed with the involvement of international experts, including the American nonprofit organization Code.org.
The authors of the framework encountered several problems at once. There is no common definition of AI literacy, each education system approaches it differently, misconceptions about artificial intelligence are widespread, and few people know which methods of teaching with AI actually work. Brussels therefore emphasizes that this is not merely about teaching children how to use a chatbot. Students should understand how artificial intelligence works and be able to assess its benefits, risks, and ethical issues.
The document describes four areas in which students encounter AI. They learn to engage with it, create with it, manage it, and help shape its future. It also includes 19 competencies combining knowledge, practical skills, and attitudes. Teachers will also find model scenarios and classroom examples in it, while each country can adapt it to its own
The new certificate directly builds on the document. The Commission wants to pilot it among 15-year-old students in the 2027/2028 school year. For now, it is an experimental project.
Teachers and safe technologies
The new demands primarily affect teachers. The Commission points out that there are gaps in their continuing education, particularly in working with AI. At the same time, almost all Member States are struggling with a shortage of qualified teachers.
The response is intended to be a European agenda for teachers, which aims to attract more funding to improve their career progression, working conditions, and education. A new generation of Erasmus+ teacher academies will launch in 2027 to prepare educators for new challenges, including artificial intelligence.
Brussels is also addressing the technical infrastructure. As part of the new European EDU-EDIC consortium, participating countries are expected to jointly develop trustworthy artificial intelligence and cloud services for schools. They want to emphasize the protection of student data and make it easier for European education technology companies to succeed in other countries as well. The European Healthy Screens initiative will then offer schools and families tools that will allow them to work together to protect children online.
Vocational schools closer to companies
Changes are also coming to vocational education. The new European strategy aims to give students access to technologies they will later encounter at work. A pilot program of short and flexible learning modules, developed jointly by schools and industry, will launch in 2027. Vocational schools will then be able to add them to their programs.
A year later, training centers jointly established by companies and vocational schools are expected to begin emerging. They will give students access to modern equipment and make it easier for companies to put new technologies into practice. Support for these centers will be provided by the proposed European Competitiveness Fund. From 2028, Brussels will also launch a platform through which vocational students and apprentices will be able to find placements abroad more easily.
Sources: education.ec, education.ec and novinky.cz
