The measures imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic have an enormous impact on pupils and students, as well as their educational institutions. While the pandemic will be overcome in the future, the lessons learnt from this impact may have a strongly positive effect on distance learning and cross-border co-operation by educational institutions beyond the pandemic.
Educational institutions throughout Europe and other continents have developed approaches to distance learning and testing. Online networks of researchers have been developed before the pandemic but flourished lately. Students and teachers have more access to the Internet from their homes or in a mobile way. Some educational programmes are offered openly on the Internet.
Nevertheless, targeted public support for educational institutions and students, criteria for admissions of students remaining abroad, recognition of distance learning achievements, and inter-institutional co-operation across national borders are still in their infancy.
The Council of Europe is well placed to address these issues with a view beyond Covid-19 because of its long-standing action on education, on the recognition of studies and diplomas obtained abroad, as well as on transfrontier co-operation at local and regional level.