MEP Nela Riehl (Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance) opened the roundtable discussion, emphasising the importance of European education, teachers, AI, and basic skills. She stated that European education is under pressure due to a decline in basic skills, a shortage of teachers, and the sudden introduction of artificial intelligence into classrooms. At a recent European event, the Commission presented its vision, and a teacher shared their experience. Two panels then discussed how to support teachers and ensure the safe use of AI in schools. Europe’s schools are facing a decline in basic skills and teacher shortages, while AI is advancing more quickly than regulations can be established. At a policy roundtable on the European Education and Skills Package at the European Parliament, speakers from the Commission, teaching staff, trade unions, government ministries and industry representatives offered a unified response: support teachers, rebuild the fundamentals and establish clear standards for technology.
Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, described the package as a political signal from the Commission to member states. She also warned against accepting a decline in results year after year. The basic skills recommendation compiles best practice from schools across Europe for authorities looking to implement it on a larger scale. She made it clear that the EU is not proposing to introduce AI into primary or secondary schools. However, AI is already present in students’ lives, and a strong foundation is essential to enable young people to engage with it. She also emphasised the importance of vocational training, including closer links to businesses, flexible learning, microcredentials and improved teaching quality, so that these qualifications are given the same level of trust as a university degree.
Anca Popa, a teacher and mentor from Romania, said that she would not have remained in the profession had she not had mentors during her early years at a struggling school in Călărași County. Research cited at the event shows that only around one in five European teachers has a mentor at the start of their career. In the In the first panel discussion, Jelmer Evers, a union representative from ETUCE, added that around 80% of teachers feel they have no influence on policy, with workload being a key reason for leaving the profession. As the recommendations carry no new EU funding, she called on the Council and Commission to demonstrate political leadership and ensure that the next multiannual budget continues to invest in education. Ott Ojaveer, the Estonian Minister of Education and Research, pointed to school leadership, trust in professional judgement, and flexible entry routes. Around 40% of Estonian teachers are in a second career.
The second panel agreed that it is impossible to keep AI out of classrooms, and that AI is only useful if children learn from it. In Sweden, around 60% of secondary school students already use it, often unsupervised and on platforms that were not chosen by anyone. Manon Letouche, a children’s rights expert at 5Rights, argued that the test is whether children are learning, not whether they are clicking, and that safety requires enforceable rules. This should include bringing education technology under child protection law and providing independent evidence of its benefits. Digital skills researcher Jannie Jeppesen (Edtech Alliance) prioritised human judgement, emphasising the importance of knowing what to trust and recognising when AI can be wrong or biased. Alexia Papadimitriou, an industry representative from DigitalEurope, called for common European standards instead of 27 sets of requirements. She also noted that knowing when not to use AI is itself an AI skill.
In conclusion, technology and regulation alone will not improve education. Teachers need trust, mentoring, and a say in policy. Students need strong basic skills and the ability to use AI effectively. Tools require clear European standards and independent evidence. As several speakers emphasised, change must be made with teachers, not for them.