Check against delivery! 

Thank you very Mr President, Honourable Members of the [European] Parliament,  

This debate is a timely opportunity to discuss the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children worldwide, and their chance to obtain quality and safe education. Lockdowns, school closures and the resultant disruption to children’s lives and that of their families and communities have negatively affected a generation. 

This debate is timely also because, as the Rapporteur Mr [David] Lega said, there is the tragedy in Ukraine and the tragedy of children also – schools under attack, millions of children forced to leave their homes, their schools, their country. Also, thank you very much to countries, to the Member States for organising education also for children refugees. Thank you very much. 

I would like, therefore, to thank the Rapporteur, Mr Lega, and all Member of the European Parliament who have contributed to this report. We welcome the report and its recommendations.  

Honourable Members, 

The pandemic overturned, within weeks, the global education landscape, affecting over 1.8 billion children around the world. It made us aware of how vital is the availability of digital technologies, equipment and internet access.  

Our approach, as published in the Digital Education Action Plan, is that proper support for a resilient and inclusive digital education must be holistic and cannot replace the wider social and community functions that school education provides for children. E-learning was not a solution for the youngest, pre-school children or those without connectivity.  

Children and youth in the most vulnerable situations in every country are paying the heaviest price: children living in poverty, children in countries in conflict, children from ethnic minority groups, children with disabilities or displaced children.

This further compounds the already significant negative socioeconomic consequences with long-term impact on children's learning, well-being and mental health, with their development and protection. 

The European Union has been working with partner countries since the beginning of the crisis to minimise the impact of the pandemic on learning and on the well-being of children, and to facilitate a safe return to school and to prioritise school reopening. In this regard, the European Union supports education in approximately 100 countries worldwide. We are working with partner countries to develop COVID-19 Response Plans and to adapt education cooperation programmes to ensure delivery of education services, distance learning, curriculum adaptation and support to teachers. 

The European Union is a leading voice in the area of education in emergencies and protracted crises. We have a set target of 10% of our humanitarian aid earmarked for education in emergencies.  

We are also strongly committed to increase EU external funding for education. At least 20% of the funds of the Global Europe instrument should be devoted to human development. Our support in education focuses on quality, by investing in teachers; equity, by promoting girls’ education; as well as in matching skills with emerging labour market needs.  

The European Union is also fully engaged in the preparations of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit to be held in September 2022. Because we will only achieve our goals if we place education at the forefront of the international debate on sustainable development.  

Thank you. 

 Link to the video (starting at 8:55): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-224342