The meeting featured in particular also the presentation of a new project of CESI named “EcoTra – A smooth and fair ecological transition – for workers, with workers”, and, in this context, the expert commission had the pleasure to welcome Deirdre Hodson from the European Commission’s Directorate-General Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, who presented EU actions amd neasures for learning for green transitions and sustainable development. She noted that a public consultation carried out in 2021 on the subject showed clearly that education and training have a key role to help people understand and take action on environmental sustainability. In this context, CESI affiliates highlighted that education professionals need dedicated time, space and support, as well as suitable teaching material, guidance and training in order to teach appropriately about the climate crisis and environmental sustainability, which includes dealing with eco-anxiety among their students.

Further topics of the meeting included an update of CESI Teachers’ Manifesto of 2018, the involvement and role of schools and education professionals in the green-digital twin transitions, and investments for quality education which must include continuous support and training opportunities for the workforce in order to make education more resilient in a context of continuous crisis.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “In this era of fundamental transitions, in particular the digital and green transition, the role of the teachers is perhaps more important than ever. What is vital in this context is sustained support the profession of the teacher itself, who can never be replaced, by anyone and anything. We strongly voice our demand for an inclusive education system with decent working conditions for the education professionals of all levels of education.”

The President of the Expert Commission, Salvatore Piroscia from the CONFSAL union, added: “The current green-digital twin transition has entered also education systems is having an impact of the role of teachers as well as on the relationship between learners and teachers. Against this background we are working on an Intergenerational Alliance for Employment, which ultimately aims at reducing the number of leavers from education and employment and accompanying our young generation in this transformative period”.

To watch and listen to more statements on the occasion of the EDUC Expert Commission in Rome, please visit CESI’s YouTube channel and the website of the CONFSAL/SNALS union.