The programme

The Pestalozzi Programme was the Council of Europe's training and capacity building programme for education professionals*.

The programme was conceived as a means of recognising the importance of education and teacher education in particular in supporting, trainers, teachers and other educational actors in their role as professionals in the heterogeneous and multicultural societies in which we live. Through the opportunities it provided to bring teachers together to work collaboratively on projects of shared thematic and pedagogic interest it contributed to a strengthening of personal and professional relationships across the continent as well as to an increased awareness of the key role of education in promoting respect of human rights, democracy and rule of law.

It offered European Workshops organised in the Member States, Summer Schools organised at the Academy of Bad Wildbad and European Modules for trainer training. The programme, building as it did on the long tradition of teacher training bursaries at the Council of Europe, was developed to respond to the challenges of the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of 2005. At this summit leaders called for a concerted effort by the Council of Europe to ensure that its values of respect of human rights, democracy and rule of law are placed at the centre of our education systems. They emphasised the key role of teacher education in this process.


* from the states signatory to the European Cultural Convention

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The Pestalozzi Programme was the Council of Europe's programme for the professional development of teachers until the end of 2017.