Socialising at schools: for an inclusive and participatory education fostering democratic values
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly
debate on 28 January 2026 (6th sitting) (see Doc. 16314, report of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education
and Media, rapporteur: Ms Luz Martinez Seijo). Text adopted by the Assembly on
28 January 2026 (6th sitting).See also Recommendation 2303 (2026).
1. The Parliamentary Assembly is of
the firm view that education is a fundamental pillar of democracy. Schools
bring together people of different ages, backgrounds and disciplines
to a degree that is only found in a few other community spaces.
They are not just places for academic instruction, but also spaces
where children and young people can participate as community members,
engage in co-operative learning, develop social skills and attitudes
such as critical thinking and empathy, learn about democratic values
and respect and value diversity.
2. As a mirror of society, schools are however confronted with
increasing challenges in fulfilling this democratic role. While
diversity enriches the school environment, it can also present challenges
in building shared values and mutual understanding. Discrimination,
racism, bullying and exclusion remain common in many school settings,
making it difficult for students from different backgrounds to form
meaningful connections. Excessive social media exposure reduces
face-to-face interaction, can present young people with disinformation
fuelling harmful biases and stereotypes, can deepen a sense of isolation
and anxiety and undermine self-confidence, particularly among adolescents
who struggle with online validation and peer pressure.
3. Moreover, the Assembly expresses real concern for the situation
and well-being of teachers across Europe. They are severely affected
by budgetary cuts in the education system, a lack of human resources,
a lack of voice in education governance and inadequate pay and recognition
for their work. These factors lead to heavy workloads, large class
sizes, poor working conditions and a lack of resources for creative
and innovative work with students. Many teachers also lack appropriate
professional and psychological support. These cumulative constraints
bear a heavy toll on the well-being of teachers and consequently
on the quality of teaching.
4. In many educational contexts, there is a significant gap between
the democratic values and respect for diversity which are explicitly
promoted in curricula and the actual experiences students live within
traditional school cultures, often marked by authoritarian, hierarchical
or even xenophobic dynamics. The deepest and most lasting learning
does not occur solely through declared content, but above all through
everyday experiences within the school community. The Assembly therefore
emphasises that educational environments should reflect the values
they aim to transmit so that students not only study democracy but
also experience it through real practices of participation, deliberation,
shared responsibility and social justice. Processes of transformation
in school culture should be promoted to prioritise coherence between
educational goals and the means used to achieve them, ensuring that
every space, relationship and decision within the school becomes an
opportunity to live democratic principles in action.
5. Given the alarming context of a global democratic decline,
the Assembly emphasises that learning and practising democracy should
be a core political priority in the education system, with the aim
of helping young people to gain trust in democracy and engage in
democratic citizenship. Referring to the Council of Europe Education
Strategy 2024-2030 and the initiative of the Secretary General to
launch a New Democratic Pact for Europe, the Assembly urges member
States to prioritise education and make the necessary investments. Policies
are required to ensure that schools have the necessary flexibility
to respond to today’s challenges, not only in terms of adapting
curricula and methodologies but also in modelling democratic, inclusive
and participatory values and practices within schools.
6. The Assembly therefore recommends that member States of the
Council of Europe:
6.1 concerning
education policies:
6.1.1 consider education a political
priority aiming to strengthen democratic resilience in society and
undertake a strategic policy review, in line with the three pillars
of the Council of Europe Education Strategy 2024-2030: renewing
the democratic and civic mission of education; enhancing the social
responsibility and responsiveness of education; and advancing education through
a human rights-based digital transformation;
6.1.2 develop comprehensive policies to ensure that schools
can integrate socialisation, inclusion and well-being as core objectives,
alongside academic achievement; introduce a flexible curriculum
as a key factor to promote inclusive education, allowing teachers
to adapt content and respond to different needs; and provide opportunities
for active and meaningful participation of students within school
governance and in their communities;
6.1.3 where appropriate, adopt legislation to promote harmonious
living together in schools and prevent bullying; and consider regulating
the use of smartphones at school and introducing an age limit for
access to social media;
6.1.4 adopt a learner-centred and human rights-based approach
to education, with special attention to vulnerable learners, including
migrant children and children with special education needs, by broadening
the concept of inclusive education to focus on students’ needs,
talents, abilities and interests, rather than on their perceived
limitations;
6.1.5 integrate age-appropriate education for democratic citizenship
as a distinct compulsory subject and incorporate competences for
democratic culture in other relevant subjects during all stages
of formal education;
6.2 concerning methodologies:
6.2.1 promote student-centred
and interactive pedagogies and co-operative learning in small groups,
acknowledging cultural differences and multiple identities among
students in a class and making use of the Council of Europe Reference
Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture;
6.2.2 introduce socio-emotional education to promote students’
well-being, prevent mental health problems, increase social cohesion
and provide support for students’ personal and societal development;
6.2.3 aiming at zero tolerance towards bullying, develop school
programmes for the prevention and participatory resolution of conflicts
through mediation, ways to disagree respectfully, peer support and
restorative justice;
6.2.4 offer students a wide range of complementary activities
and clubs (artistic, sportive, environmental, etc.) that encourage
socialisation around their interests; and create opportunities for
democratic participation in schools and their communities (student
councils, debate clubs, community-based projects);
6.2.5 advance digital responsibility and media and information
literacy, using a curriculum framework for digital citizenship education
(DCE Planner), as developed by the Council of Europe; connect physical,
social and digital learning spaces, by sharing a common vision of inclusion,
democratic citizenship, respect for diversity, well-being and learning;
6.2.6 foster active participation and participatory governance
in schools by involving educators, students and parents in developing
a whole-school democratic culture which is based on a holistic,
values-driven and community-focused approach, building trust and
participation in communities through education; partnerships with
external associations and specialists may provide added value;
6.3 concerning measures to create a supportive and enabling
environment for teachers:
6.3.1 strengthen initial and
ongoing teacher training on the topics of socialisation, inclusion, socio-emotional
education, active participation, conflict prevention and resolution,
and co-operative learning;
6.3.2 include the competences for democratic culture as described
in the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture
in teacher education and vocational training;
6.3.3 expand teachers’ opportunities for professional exchange
and development and provide a range of teaching resources and guidance;
guarantee free access to virtual learning environments and to open
educational resources;
6.3.4 promote shared processes of inquiry and collective reflection
on one own’s practice to break the continuity between teachers’
past experiences as students and the critical construction of their
professional identity, and to reinforce a culture of teaching practice
aligned with democratic values, social justice and collaborative
learning.
7. Furthermore, the Assembly calls for strengthened international
co-operation to uphold the democratic role of education and invites
the European Union, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development (OECD) to co-operate closely with the
Council of Europe to provide coherent and complementary guidance
to member States.
