Growing with Europe

The relationship between Europe and the youth is known in policies, programs, academic courses, school competitions and the like. Officials in Brussels acknowledged that more should and could be done, but the priorities (like it or not) lie elsewhere. And the opposite – namely a bottom-up relationship of the youth with Europe – is also compliant with the truth. With few exceptions that regard, notably, the Scandinavian Countries, Germany and Spain and that certainly do deserve greater attention and diffusion on the part of the media, students, graduates and young workers have scarce feeling – to say the least – with the realm of EU institutions. They have poor information and display remarkable disinterest. Not to mention the diffidence and disappointment of those who expect Europe to grant them a job. Although the present and future regards them directly the youth aren’t sufficiently involved in the European debate and – like in a vicious cycle – the less they are involved the less they let themselves be involved. And this is core of the matter. The scarce participation and the scarce “European education” are deep-rooted problems. The EU integration process and the gradual introduction of the free circulation of goods, capitals, people and professions should have been accompanied by a common education system – in the respect of the history and the identity of each – leading to the establishment of a joint patrimony of pan-European knowledge and culture. It didn’t exist in the past (exception made for the dubiously green oasis of the European School network), nor does it today. To the question, “is there a common European education today?”, the answer is unfortunately negative. Without European education citizenship cannot be implemented, and the failure of so-called “Citizens’ Europe” is inevitable. It’s a question of equal opportunities, social peace, access to the job market and competitiveness. In a historical framework marked by the poverty of values and by an economic crisis not only the future of the single States is as stake but also that of the EU as a whole. Moreover, what has prevented and continues to prevent a truly European dimension from entering the realm of education? It’s not only a matter of good will. Education – just like health and foreign policy – lies within the exclusive province of each Member State. EU powers consist of mere guidance and support, thus providing the framework whereby national institutions are more or less free to act. It is very unlikely that this status quo will change, as confirmed by the recent Treaties’ reform. If on the one side this attitude is understandable and even partly justifiable (history, cultural education and common roots are currently seriously undermined by the impoverishment of modern society), on the other it would be myopic not to acknowledge that a European conscience entails increased and more substantial trans-national cooperation as relates to study programs (curricula), academic titles recognition, vocational training and refresher courses, exchange of professors and learners with a European content and background. In order to (re)awaken the twofold relationship of Europe/Youth and Youth/Europe there certainly is the need for a new spark. In addition to the games, the dreams and the hopes of childhood and adolescence, school represents the epitome of life experience shared by children and adolescents worldwide, the most important to this regard, since along with the family it takes on the responsibility of human formation and development. Education must therefore be put in the condition of transmitting positive messages of European citizenship, in order to transform game into passion, study into work, dream into reality, hope into project. To enable Europe’s development and help the youth grow with Europe, and not only in Europe.