A recent European Commission Issue paper on citizenship education (2023) gives an overview of the key concepts, EU and international initiatives, different learning approaches and content of citizenship education, ongoing research and inspiring practices.

It also highlights some of the main challengesand points for attention.

• Overloaded curricula can put pressure on instruction time and pedagogical approaches for CE. Still, competence-based CE can go hand in hand with the acquisition of basic skills and reinforce each other in providing more meaningful learning experiences.
• CE is most effective if not only taught as a specific subject but also in a cross-curricular manner.
• CE requires less traditional, action-oriented teaching and learning approaches that can spark pupils’ interest and curiosity and enable them to actively engage and critically reflect. However, addressing contemporary and sometimes controversial issues in the (often diverse) classroom can be demanding and daunting for teachers. Therefore, CE needs to be properly addressed in initial teacher education and continuous professional development.
• Potential disparity between the school community and home environment regarding values and experiences can be challenging for both teachers and learners. CE should be part of the whole school approach: it should be embodied in the school processes and physical environment, and in the school’s engagement with the wider community, including civil society organisations.

The issue paper has been produced by the European Education Area Working Group on Equality and Values in Education and Training, which brings together representatives from national authorities, stakeholders and international organisations. It has previously also published the issue paper on tackling different forms of discrimination in and through education.