Education

One of the major strengths of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) is the fact that, for each of the 20 elements of the model of competences that represents the core of the RFCDC, a set of validated descriptors of competence is provided. The descriptors of competence included in the second volume of the RFCDC were validated for learners over 10 years of age. This publication complements the initial content of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture by proposing a set of 166 descriptors validated for younger learners, under 10. Unlike the initial set of validated descriptors included in the second volume of the RFCDC, these descriptors for younger learners are not scaled by levels of proficiency but indications are provided about the relevance of these descriptors at different age levels, based on tests done with the support of over 300 teachers from nine European countries. Teachers and other education practitioners, including teacher trainers and curriculum developers, can use this publication for the design, implementation and evaluation of effective curricula and learning activities for younger learners.