Transcription
Welcome to this new episode of “Europe Explained”, the Council of Europe's podcast that highlights the work of the Council of Europe on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
In today's episode, we're going to talk about the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) 2025.
I'm joined by Villano Qiriazi. Hello.
Hello.
You are the Head of the Education Department at the Council of Europe. So how did the Council of Europe start this project?
This project started many years ago. It started in 2015. So, 2025 will be the 10th anniversary of the intergovernmental project on Digital Citizenship Education (DCE). It started because there was a need by member states to tackle, in a comprehensive way, the different problems that young students and young children are facing in the digital environment.
The project was also inspired by the specific competence framework that we developed in the Council of Europe that we call “Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture”, and this framework guided us in defining the values, the skills and the attitudes that every learner should have, through formal, non-formal and informal education.
Now in 2025, 10 years after the launch of the intergovernmental project on Digital Citizenship Education, we identified several gaps in the implementation process of the resources and the guidance policy documents that we developed over the last 10 years.
And the first goal of the campaign would be to raise awareness, not only awareness among teachers and education actors, but also awareness in society, generally speaking, because we need also to connect formal education with non-formal education, youth organizations and civil society organizations, but also private stakeholders.
And we need also to connect better formal education with informal education. So the education that takes place in families or through interactions with other citizens or neighbours, etc., in informal settings. So awareness is the first one and then the second one: in order to build all these competences, we need also to have and share a common vision.
And when we say common vision, behind there are also common values. Because if we don't share the same values with the non-formal and the informal education sectors, then it would be impossible to build digital citizenship. And then, of course, the campaign will serve another goal that will be also related to the long-term strategic planning. So it's not an end point of the project, but it's a beginning of a new decade on the implementation of digital citizenship.
And then, of course, the primary aim of an organisation, like the Council of Europe, is that we need collaboration across borders. The phenomena like cyberbullying or disinformation or misinformation are not localized inside the borders of a given country. They are European problems, and they are global problems, like social media are.
So, we need to tackle all together all these problems. And we take advantage of this campaign also to bring forward and to offer member states a set of resources that not only the Council of Europe has developed over the last 10 years, but also resources on different topics that member states have already developed with regard to digital citizenship.
And obviously, the digital world isn't only violence and negative aspects. There are also a lot of opportunities for learners. So how do you empower these learners across Europe and help them navigate in this environment?
The issue of empowerment is one of the key aspects or elements of the digital citizenship concept.
First of all, we empower learners by giving them the education they need: to not just participate in the digital age, but also, to be able to connect, to engage and grow in the digital age.
So we have also a slogan that we are going to use during the campaign, which is learning,connecting, engaging and thriving together.
So these will be the 4 dimensions and then, the idea behind empowerment is very much linked to the 3 domains that are the pillars of digital citizenship education.
And then, under the 3 domains which are “Being online” - and being online means understanding how to engage effectively - “Well-being online”, so prioritizing mental, emotional and physical health, and “Rights online”, which is protecting and respecting human rights, but also human dignity online.
And under these, let's say 3 pillars, we have identified 10 major topics and concepts. So we'll invite all member states to work with students, with pupils, and then with young children on 10 topics that are related to, for example, access and inclusion: how to access the online environment, which is very much linked to what we define as equal opportunities for all.
Then creativity is another important element: so innovation and finding new solutions. Very often we insist too much on media and information literacy, which is very much linked to critical thinking.
And then ethics and empathy. Empathy has been, in some member states, very much highlighted as a key element in order to develop respect, but also collaboration instead of competitiveness.
Is it in the northern countries? I think there are empathy classes even for young children?
I mean, even in France lately, I remember last year the ministry decided to devote some hours to these issues because of the violence and the aggressiveness that is very much, I mean very often, promoted through the social media channels, unfortunately. And all the children are in a way involved in this.
And then, of course, it's a good thing to prohibit the use of, let's say, smartphones in the courtyard. But on the other hand, you need also to equip students with competences and skills on how to behave outside of school. Because, I mean, all of them are connected.
So the idea of empowerment is the key for success in dealing with cyberbullying or violence online or hate speech or disinformation, etc.
And then other important elements that have been highlighted also by other partner organisations lately include also the question of well-being and health issues. So addiction or dependency on digital devices, etc. it's not always a good thing for the personal development and cognitive development of children.
And then you see the tendency right now in some countries where they are also, let's say, reducing or prohibiting the use of tablets or computers in the classroom in order to encourage students and children to read more in the books etc.
But there are also other elements that we have included under this umbrella of Rights online, which are also connected to epresence and communication: how to maintain a positive presence online, how to be digital consumers that respect the rule of law and privacy and then how they are able to protect their own rights online, etc.
But, I mean, privacy and safety have been very much promoted, but all the other elements related to them...
The positive aspects.
The positive aspects that are related to respect, empowerment, well-being, empathy... All these elements are a little bit right now being highlighted in the agendas of the different education systems. And so we would like to promote them further.
So you've mentioned a lot of values there. What would the priority be at the beginning of 2025? Which values are you going to concentrate on?
I mean, when we talk about values, we don't put a kind of hierarchy in the set of values that we promote. But of course, human rights and human dignity are the priorities for us, but also respect and inclusion, which are very much in line with the protection of human rights.
And then, inclusion or building inclusive societies is an important element that is very much related to how we see diversity and how we treat others. And then, in this respect, dignity is the key. Let's say respect for the dignity of others is the key value.
But then there are other aspects that are quite important. And one of the most important elements when it comes to how to build those values is the relation with the capacity to critically think and how to develop critical thinking with students and learners.
Because we have seen, in our everyday life now that disinformation or misinformation are key aspects.
So compare information and judge which one it is...
Exactly. They need also not only to be able to detect but also to contribute and participate, but also, react positively, and then critically, when they receive this information online. So not just to then fall victim to disinformation and misinformation.
And you mentioned at the beginning that this project started 10 years ago. So, do you think it's become urgent to increase the efforts of all the stakeholders - you were talking about formal stakeholders, informal stakeholders - how do you motivate all these actors for the campaign to be a success?
What we have noticed the last 10 years is that, very often, every time that there is a problem in society, politicians are asking education to solve it.
But education cannot solve the problems of society one by one. If today it's the lack of empathy, let's promote empathy. Tomorrow, it's the problem related to disinformation, let's promote critical thinking, how to be able to detect misinformation or disinformation, etc. So the first key aspect or priority for us is that we need to tackle all these phenomena, all challenges that we face in society, in a comprehensive and holistic way.
And that's why we are promoting digital citizenship in order to tackle several problems at the same time through a core of skills and values together. So this is the first element that we need or would like to make clear, and then to highlight very much during the campaign. So we cannot solve the issues one by one, education doesn't work like this.
And we are all together learners and students, complex personalities... And then we need also to give comprehensive answers to complex challenges that we face in society. So this is one big thing.
Then, another aspect that we noted is that the school alone cannot tackle all these issues. So we need partnerships and we need partners. So we need to talk to parents and families first and then share with them the same vision and the same values.
I mean, it's in the interest of the parents and families to have good children and then good citizens. But we have not noticed also the power of the private sector that is promoting all these social media, Google or Facebook or what we call now Meta or Lego or other big tech companies, have a power that should be recognised, a power in terms of education, and this power should be recognised.
And then, we need to create coalitions in order also to share the same vision with these big tech companies.
That are very exposed. So they have a mission too.
Exactly. We have created also a network with partners from the private industry. We have also provided member states with guidelines on how to build a relationship with the private industry and the private sector, etc.
So it's important, also to share, again, with them as well, the same visions, the same values and the same approaches towards digital citizens.
So the campaign will also create opportunities to strengthen a little bit more the relations and the partnerships that we have already established. And then, there is another element that we need to keep in mind: that not all our member states are at the same economic development. So you see these big tech companies that are being developed in Western Europe, but then you have also other small countries that very often create a kind of dependency on what these big techs will try to impose on society through their social media, etc. So the idea of building healthy partnerships with the private industry is also a key factor for developing digital citizens.
And if we think beyond - because all this, I expect, will take time - if we think beyond the campaign, beyond 2025, is this just the starting point?
As I said at the beginning, we are not ending the project now. So it's not an endpoint. It's, as you are saying, a new starting point. And throughout the activities of the Year, we'd like also to build a roadmap for the new decade on digital transformation and what kind of transformative digital culture we need to build through education systems.
And the idea is to work with all the stakeholders that I mentioned. So the formal education sector, the non-formal youth initiatives, leaders, etc. But also with parents and families and with the private sector in order to build together a common roadmap and then bring digital citizenship closer to all the learners and to our societies.
Well, thank you for coming on this podcast, and good luck with this campaign.
Thank you very much.
It's a very important project.
Thank you.
