Print
See related documents
Resolution 2104 (2016)
Towards a framework of competences for democratic citizenship
1. The Parliamentary Assembly stresses
the importance of giving young people all the tools they need to acquire
the skills necessary to build a pluralistic society based on solidarity,
democratic values and human rights, and to live in it together as
active and responsible citizens.
2. The Assembly believes it is not possible to acquire these
skills without quality education in democratic citizenship, human
rights and intercultural dialogue, of which school must be one of
the pillars. However, many European countries lack both benchmarks
and processes enabling the proper assessment of learning and teaching
outcomes and teaching approaches and methods.
3. The Assembly therefore welcomes and supports the initiative
of the ministers of education of the Council of Europe member States
concerning the development of a European framework of competences
for a culture of democracy and intercultural dialogue and would
like policy makers to be made more aware of this initiative and
mobilised to take the measures required to ensure the effective
implementation of this framework of competences in all European
States.
4. In this respect, the Assembly recommends that the member States:
4.1. review their education policies
and reformulate the objectives of these policies in order to take account
of the new framework of competences for a culture of democracy and
intercultural dialogue that the Council of Europe is currently drawing
up and ensure its proper implementation as soon as it is adopted;
4.2. implement the framework of competences at all levels of
the education system with due regard to various situations (classroom,
school, local community or the community to which one belongs) and ensuring
that theoretical learning is not separated from its practical application;
4.3. adapt school curricula and allocate the necessary resources
to education for democratic citizenship, human rights, gender equality
and intercultural dialogue (whether as part of a specific or cross-disciplinary
course);
4.4. adapt the initial and in-service training of school leaders,
teachers and educators, especially as far as the assessment of pupils’
skills is concerned; if necessary, make it compulsory to participate
in training modules (possibly with qualifying examinations) that
enable knowledge in the areas covered by the framework of competences
to be improved;
4.5. ensure recognition of the outcomes of learning for democratic
citizenship, respect for human rights and intercultural dialogue,
for pupils and teachers, school leaders and other individuals concerned, and
to this end:
4.5.1. establish assessment and validation
procedures in order to measure progress made with regard to theoretical
learning and the acquisition of appropriate behaviour;
4.5.2. use tools, such as the Skills Portfolio, that can give
greater visibility to these competences;
4.5.3. take these competences into account in the selection processes
for access to the civil service.
5. The Assembly invites the Council of Europe Congress of Local
and Regional Authorities to take account of the framework of competences
in the implementation of the Revised European Charter on the Participation of
Young People in Local and Regional Life, and to promote in this
context the exchange of practical experience between local and regional
authorities.
6. The Assembly recognises the important role of civil society
partners and reiterates that civil society organisations should
be involved at the national and international levels in the implementation
of the framework of competences. It invites the Conference of International
Non-governmental Organisations of the Council of Europe and the
Advisory Council on Youth to contribute to the implementation of
the framework of competences, as well as to the exchange of experience,
the promotion of good practices and mutual enrichment in this area.
7. The Assembly welcomes the efforts to co-ordinate the Council
of Europe’s action with those of other international organisations,
especially the institutions of the European Union, the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Association
for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. It calls on these
organisations to continue and strengthen their co-operation in all areas
with an impact on the implementation of the framework of competences,
with the aim of making teaching a culture of democracy and intercultural
dialogue more effective and more consistent in the education systems of
their respective member States.