EFIL is closely following the process of revision of the EU key competences framework. We have issued a position paper and contributed to the public consultation. We were also invited to a conference held on 14 June for in-person consultation between the European Commission and relevant stakeholders.
This was a great chance to voice the need for a clear definition of intercultural competence and culture in the new framework, in order to make sure that the approach of educators to intercultural matters is open to the concept of multiple identities and avoids nationalistic approaches.
EFIL’s Advocacy Coordinator, Elisa Briga, attended the workshops on ‘Cultural Awareness and Expression’ and ‘Personal and Social Development’.
On the basis of the reflections exchanged at the conference, the new framework will likely be as follows:
- Languages and communication (including mother tongue and foreign language)
- Personal and social development (including learning to learn and social competences)
- Civic competence (with a strong focus on its intercultural dimension and learning to live together)
- Cultural awareness and expression
- Math and science
- Entrepreneurship
- Digital competence
EFIL’s main stand is that intercultural competence is a social competence, and that it should not be confused with cultural awareness which is linked to one aspect of culture, namely history and heritage. EFIL welcomes the approach of the European Commission of including all transversal skills under ‘personal and social development’.
The Commission is already thinking about implementation, and whether there is a need to have a competence framework for each one of the competences. They look at the best practice of the development of DigComp, the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, and EntreComp, the European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework. DigComp is a tool to support a common understanding of digital competences and to enable people to develop digital competences to support their life chances and employability. EntreComp is a tool to support a common understanding of entrepreneurship competence and to enable people to develop entrepreneurial competences to support their life chances and employability.
The proposal for the new framework will be released in autumn by the European Commission.
In the meantime the European Parliament is drafting its report on the EU skills Agenda’s communication by the European Commission, of which the revision of the key competences framework is part.
For more information: elisa.briga@afs.org