Childhood education: fostering creativity, innovation and digital competence
Council conclusions — early childhood education and primary education set out the potential benefits for young people of promoting creation, innovation and the use of digital tools and devices in early education and provide recommendations for how to achieve them.
KEY POINTS
Encouraging creativity, innovation and digital competence at an early age can bring personal and economic benefits in adult life.
The potential benefits include:
providing a solid base for further learning, developing a higher level of knowledge and improving a child’s ability to develop creative and critical thinking skills,
ensuring that the next generation will have the skills to innovate and generate new products and services which will be vital for economic success,
ensuring that the EU can meet the growing demand for competent users of digital technology as well as experts in information and communications technology.
Role of creativity and innovation
The conclusions highlights:
the role of teachers and European early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals in helping children become creative and innovative adults,
that playing games and using digital tools at an early age is important for development and learning,
that appropriate use of digital tools can enhance classroom activities and improve motivation, understanding and learning,
that children need to be taught how to use digital technologies safely and responsibly and how to interpret, use, share, create and critically assess such information.
What can EU countries do?
EU countries are invited, amongst other things, to encourage:
teaching and training bodies to accommodate new learning tools in their programmes and to adapt teaching methods to promote creativity and innovation,
education authorities to equip schools and other childhood education facilities so that they can nurture creativity and innovation,
the development and use of digital tools for teaching purposes and as part of a general approach to learning,
communication and collaboration between schools and teachers at regional, national, European and international levels.
Action at EU and national level
The European Commission and EU countries are invited to:
use European resources such as the Erasmus+ programme and the European Structural and Investment Funds to support measures and initiative aimed at promoting creativity, innovation and digital competences,
identify effective methods and practices for teachers and ECEC professionals to help children develop creative and innovative capacities and digital competence.
And what should the Commission do?
promote cooperation and mutual learning in the context of the ‘ET2020’ (EU cooperation in education and training) strategic framework and through the Erasmus+ programme,
continue the work of the ET2020 working groups on transversal skills and on digital and online learning to foster creativity, innovation and digital competence, where appropriate, from an early age.
October 2015 Council conclusions
In October 2015, the Council adopted a further set of conclusions. These relate to reducing early school leaving and promoting success in school.
DOCUMENTS
Council conclusions on the role of early childhood education and primary education in fostering creativity, innovation and digital competence (OJ C 172, 27.5.2015, pp. 17–21)
Council conclusions on reducing early school leaving and promoting success in school (OJ C 417, 15.12.2015, pp. 36-40)
Children — encouraging physical and sport activities
Conclusions — encouraging motor skills, physical and sport activities for children encourage steps to be taken so that all children (including those with disabilities) practice a physical activity in order to prevent health and developmental problems.
They emphasise teaching the importance of motor skills, physical and sport activities in schools and sports organisations.
KEY POINTS
EU countries are encouraged to develop strategies that underline and promote the importance of health-enhancing physical activities in their education, youth and health sectors.
When considering further political action in this context, EU countries, the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council of the EU are encouraged to follow the recommendations of the expert group on health-enhancing physical activity, which provide evidence-based facts and practical paths to follow.
The Commission is encouraged to improve its evidence base and then promote and support the sharing of best practices on motor skills and physical education for children throughout the EU.
Sports organisations are encouraged to promote sporting and physical activities which aim at combating the sedentary lifestyles of children through initiatives and partnerships with the education, youth and health sectors of EU countries.
BACKGROUND
Despite the tendency of children to be physically active, their physical activity has decreased over the past 20 years, largely due to new leisure patterns (TV, video games, internet, etc.). Child obesity has risen from 8 % in 1990 to 12 % in 2010.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has identified insufficient physical activity as the fourth leading risk factor for disease and premature death globally. Within the EU, nearly 7 % of national health budgets are spent treating diseases related to obesity.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Council conclusions on the promotion of motor skills, physical and sport activities for children (OJ C 417, 15.12.2015, pp. 46-51)