Teachers 4.0: Insights from Policy Roundtables
Teachers 4.0 is a large-scale capacity-building project that equips teachers and educators across Europe with the knowledge and skills they need to help young people think critically about the digital world.
National Policy Roundtables: Shaping the Future of Digital Education
We are pleased to share an important development in the Teachers 4.0 journey. The project has successfully organised national-level policy roundtables in seven participating countries, bringing together key stakeholders to reflect on project outcomes and develop evidence-based policy recommendations.
These roundtables brought together representatives from government, the private sector, civil society organisations, academia and teacher training institutions. This multi-stakeholder approach ensured that discussions reflected both policy priorities and the realities of what happens in classrooms every day.
Key Themes and Insights
Across all countries, several consistent priorities emerged. There is strong consensus on the urgent need to enhance digital and media literacy education at all levels and create integrated systems that streamline educational initiatives. Participants also identified a persistent gap between existing policy frameworks and their effective implementation in national contexts.
The role of Artificial Intelligence featured prominently in discussions. Whilst recognised as an opportunity for education, AI also presents new risks including disinformation and ethical challenges that require careful consideration.
Participants emphasised that teachers need continuous, practice-oriented support to keep pace with rapid technological change. They also highlighted broader societal dimensions, including the role of parents, the importance of lifelong learning, and the need to reach vulnerable groups such as the elderly and digitally excluded communities.
Voices from the Roundtables
The discussions revealed shared concerns across Europe:
“Media education is a shared responsibility. It cannot be the sole burden of schools; it requires collaboration between the media industry, NGOs, and policy-making bodies to ensure continuous, lifelong learning that adapts to rapid technological shifts.”
– University of Palermo, Italy
“There is a clear gap between students and teachers: students are familiar with technology but do not critically understand it, while teachers may have difficulty using it.”
– Ministry of Education and Research, Romania
“Digital technologies are tools. Their significance depends on how we use them. Correct and informed use brings benefits in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities, whilst a lack of awareness increases the risk of harm.”
– University of Lodz, Poland
Moving Forward
Project partners are consolidating findings from all national roundtables into a comprehensive set of policy recommendations. These will be presented to Members of the European Parliament to inform future policy discussions and initiatives.
The recommendations will focus on several priority areas: strengthening systematic integration of digital and media literacy across curricula, enhancing initial and continuous teacher training with mentoring and practical support, promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration, increasing transparency in the digital information environment, and ensuring stronger alignment between EU frameworks and national implementation.
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