Re-envisioning education: Equity from the beginning
Blog by Agata D’Addato, Eurochild Head of Programmes.
Education is a fundamental part of every child’s life, from birth through adulthood. Beyond being a universal right, it serves as a key point of connection to a wider network of supports and services for both children and their families.
To truly realise the potential of education, we need a mindset shift: from seeing education as the duty of children to recognising it as a shared societal investment. This requires collaboration across sectors and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches in favour of building an equitable, sustainable learning system for future generations, one that adapts to each child’s unique strengths, interests, and learning pace.
A shift from rigid, one-size-fits-all curricula toward flexible, competency-based models is urgently needed. These models should prioritise skills such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, emotional well-being, and adaptability.
There can be no competitiveness without inclusion. A system that focuses only on the excellence of the privileged will inevitably fall short. Diversity is the norm. Every child learns differently, thinks differently, and shines differently. For teachers to nurture this diversity, they need the training, tools, and trust to make inclusive education a lived experience and not just a policy ideal.
Despite progress, disparities across European countries continue to persist. Many education systems face challenges such as staff shortages, inadequate training, and insufficient facilities. Socio-economic factors, including family income and parents’ educational attainment, continue to influence children’s outcomes. Even where education is officially free, hidden costs such as transport, school materials, digital devices, and tutoring further widen the gap between children from different backgrounds.
Ensuring that every child masters basic skills must begin with high quality early childhood education and care (ECEC). ECEC is one of the most cost-effective ways to close achievement gaps before they expand. Quality, inclusive ECEC builds the foundation for strong learning, confident identities, and thriving communities.
Re-envisioning education policy and practice in a world marked by inequality and uncertainty means emphasising prevention over remediation and equity over uniformity. Underachievement is not just an educational challenge; it is part of a broader cycle of disadvantage.
Changing mindsets is a political task. It requires a societal vision supported by material conditions that encourage change. This is why continued advocacy is vital. Stronger commitments from European and national policymakers are needed to ensure that comprehensive, integrated childhood strategies are not only designed and adopted, but implemented effectively, providing every child with the opportunity to thrive.
New resources on education:
- The Education and Training Monitor 2025 was released on 13 November, at the European Education and Skills Summit 2025. It provides analysis and statistics on all education levels (including ECEC) across Europe and by country. It is completed by the data visualisation tool provided by Eurydice that allows to compare ECEC data in a dynamic way, in relation to Access, Curricula, Staff qualifications and Staff training.
- Eurydice recently published a new report on Addressing underachievement in literacy, mathematics and science: Policy changes in European school education since 2020.