EU Education Package: AI literacy and EDU-EDIC

What launched

The European Commission today presented its Education and Skills Package. It aims to reverse declining basic skills, help schools put AI and digital tools to work for learning, and ease teacher shortages.

Four priorities: basic skills, digital and AI tools in education, a stronger teaching profession, and more agile, industry-linked vocational education and training (VET). The package also aligns with the Union of Skills and the Apply AI Strategy.

AI in schools: EDU-EDIC and literacy

On 3 November, at the request of eight founding Member States, the Commission established EDU-EDIC (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium on Education). It is meant to deploy trusted AI and digital services for schools, enable secure data exchange between institutions, and help European EdTech firms serve schools across borders.

Drawing on the EU-OECD AI Literacy Framework, the Commission will define age-appropriate AI literacy outcomes and assessment guidance. A pilot AI Literacy Certificate for learners starts in school year 2027/28.

It will also propose a European Healthy Screens Pledge: shared tools for schools, parents and pupils on online safety, screen time, and a healthy online-offline balance.

Teachers and basic skills

A separate Council Recommendation on the attractiveness of teaching (EU Teachers Agenda) asks Member States to fix shortages through careers, working conditions, training, and teachers' agency in how AI is used. From 2027, Teacher Academies 2.0 will target novice teachers and school leaders.

The basic-skills recommendation pushes reforms and investment. European School Alliances will pair schools across Member States with measurable plans for at least one basic skill; Erasmus+ support starts in 2027, aiming for 100 alliances a year in the next MFF. From 2027 an EU advisory and support network also rolls out, with 30 regional services.

Background from the EU reading of PISA 2025: 33.9% of 15-year-olds underachieve in maths, 31.3% in reading, 25.9% in science. Top-performer shares also fell.

Why it matters

This is education policy, not a model launch: it puts AI into school infrastructure, teacher training and learner literacy, with EDU-EDIC and the certificate pilot timed around 2027. Next up is Council adoption of the recommendations. We covered a related policy track in the OpenAI Community Compact for AI campuses.

On 20 November the 2026 European Education and Skills Summit kicks off implementation with Member States, social partners, schools, teachers, EdTech and pupils.