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having regard to Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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having regard to the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools (1),

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having regard to the study conducted for its Committee on Culture and Education of 9 June 2022 entitled ‘The European Schools system: State of Play, Challenges and Perspectives’  (2),

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having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report of December 2022 entitled ‘PISA for Schools: How The European Schools Compare Internationally 2022’,

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having regard to the 2022 final report of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education entitled ‘External Evaluation of the Implementation of the European Schools’ Action Plan on Educational Support and Inclusive Education’,

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having regard to the European Court of Auditors’ report of 25 November 2022 entitled ‘Report on the annual accounts of the European Schools for the financial year 2021’,

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having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights (3),

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having regard to its resolution of 27 September 2011 on the European Schools system (4),

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having regard to its resolution of 11 November 2021 on the European Education Area: a shared holistic approach (5),

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having regard to its resolution of 19 May 2022 on establishing the European Education Area by 2025 — micro-credentials, individual learning accounts and learning for a sustainable environment (6),

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having regard to its resolution of 25 March 2021 on shaping digital education policy (7),

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having regard to its resolution of 7 July 2016 on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with special regard to the Concluding Observations of the UN CRPD Committee (8),

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having regard to Rule 54 of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A9-0205/2023),

A.

whereas the European Schools System (ESS) is a unique system that has demonstrated its strengths and qualities since its creation in the 1950s, as shown, for example, by the recognition of the European Baccalaureate in all Member States and the continuous growth in the number of Accredited European Schools (AES); whereas every EU citizen should have the opportunity to benefit from such an education;

B.

whereas everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from the type of education provided by the ESS and every school system across the European Union must be given the chance to gain from the ESS’s pedagogical expertise;

C.

whereas the ESS, in combining the educational systems of Member States — through parallel language sections — with a strong European dimension, sense of belonging and cultural identity, multilingual education, and a focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, as well as pedagogical innovations, represents a laboratory and source of experience for educational reform, including for the creation of a European Education Area (EEA);

D.

whereas the ESS should be fully aligned with the educational policies put forward by the European Union; whereas a central aim of the ESS is to facilitate mobility and transfer to and from all national education systems, with the Member States being required to ensure fair and equal transposition of ESS learning results;

E.

whereas the governance structure of the ESS has the advantage of maintaining a direct link with the Member States, but requires reform given its clear limitations in terms of decision-making, change management and structured exchange of best practices with national education systems;

F.

whereas the scope of the Commission’s role in the ESS needs to be broadened and the forms of its action expanded, given that its involvement is currently limited to budgetary matters, leaving the equally important educational, operational and human resources aspects out of the equation;

G.

whereas the current system of teacher recruitment in the ESS has serious shortcomings, resulting in a mismatch between the needs on the ground and the actual staff seconded by the Member States, issues with yearly recruitment plans, difficulties in finding qualified teachers and staff, precarious working conditions for locally recruited teachers and other educational staff and problems with continuous professional development; whereas there is a need to boost the attractiveness of the ESS among the teaching community;

H.

whereas although the ESS has made progress on the inclusion of students with special needs, disabilities or learning differences, there is a lack of psychological support and a growing need for intensive support assistance; whereas communication and adequate employment packages are key to ensuring that educational and psychological staff provide quality, tailored and continued support to students;

I.

whereas the ESS is responsible for ensuring that all EU languages, including small ones, are catered for equally, and for promoting linguistic and cultural diversity while reinforcing the European dimension of learning; whereas plans to have all the language sections represented in both the primary and secondary cycles in Brussels by 2028 are to be welcomed;

J.

whereas parents play a key role in the schools, including by organising extracurricular activities and providing transport and other services, and are represented by dedicated parents’ associations;

K.

whereas EU resources account for the bulk of the ESS budget, for which reason Parliament must scrutinise the management and running of the ESS more strictly and objectives and investment priorities adopted by the EU in the field of education should be better reflected in the ESS;

L.

whereas the lack of accountability of some host countries, which are responsible for providing and maintaining school buildings, has led to serious issues, especially in Brussels, where schools face overcrowding; whereas these issues have had profound repercussions on the standard of education, on organisational aspects, and on the safety, security and well-being of students and staff alike;