Julija Skerniškytė from the Lithanian consultancy Visionary Analytics presented the final results of previous CESI research on digital transitions in public sector service delivery, underlining how trade unions can play a major role in the way teachers perceive digitalisation. In the ensuring debate, participants welcomed the findings of the research and stressed the importance of proper investments in digital equipment and digital skills for the teachign workforce, also to ensure a sustainable digital transition in the sector. The President of the Expert Commission, Salvatore Piroscia from the Italian Confsal trade union, added: “There is a need of a cultural shift to ensure a smooth digital transition. The education sector has to promote an approach that looks more towards technology innovation, one that both students and teachers can better understand and take ownership of.” The reasearch, concluded by study carried out by Visionary Analytics on behalf of CESI, is now available in English here.: It explores the impact of digitalisation on different fields of the public sector and public sector workforce, including in education. The study will be officially presented later on this year during the final conference of CESI’s project “DiWork – Digitalizing public services”.

The Expert Commission also welcomed Ulrike Storost from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) as an external guest speaker, who presented the European Commission’s view on the role of blended learning for high quality and inclusive education, both during the active phase of the pandemic and the post-Covid recovery. In particular, she highlighted how digital tools can, and should, enhance the possibilities of teaching – Just like other forms of learning such as outdoor activities or apprenticeships, the ultimate meaning of ‘blended learning’ being that “school can be everywhere”, thus opening to innovation and changes in pedagogical approach. In this context, Luc Viehé, Vice-President of the Expert Commission from the French SPELC union stated: “Distance is not absence: Remote teaching thanks to digital tools and methods shall complement – and not replace – the human factor of teaching, and rather support teachers in an increasingly evolving education landscape.”

The meeting continued with an exchange on the status quo and challenges of education in the Member States, taking into consideration both the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and its ‘legacy’ on the education systems as well as a new complex context brought by the tragic war in Ukraine and the consequent humanitarian crisis. Members stressed that this latter constitutes a further challenge for the education systems of many Member States, in particular in Eastern Europe, which are struggling trying to find systemic and sustainable solutions to the integration of refugee children in education on the longer term.

The Expert Commission concluded by voicing the need for an inclusive education system with decent working conditions for the education professionals of all levels of education, a matter which they will follow-up with an update of  CESI’s Teaching Manifesto of 2018.

The Expert Commission will gather for a second meeting this year on 10 October.