On 25 March 2025, Generation 2004 External Action Service (EEAS) section hosted a conference addressing the pressing challenges within the European Schools (ESS) system. The event witnessed robust participation, with a full room of colleagues and approximately 30-35 online attendees from the EEAS and the European Commission, all deeply engaged in discussions about the future of our children’s education.
Key Issues Highlighted by Participants:
- Overcrowding and Infrastructure Deficiencies:
- Schools are operating beyond their capacity, leading to strained resources and diminished educational quality.
- Safety Concerns:
- Violence and Criminal Activity: Several incidents within school premises have raised alarms about students’ safety.
- Insufficient Law Enforcement Presence: A notable absence of police intervention exacerbates security concerns.
- Exposure to Substance Abuse:
- Drugs and Alcohol: Students are increasingly vulnerable to drug exposure and alcohol abuse, with reports indicating that children in EU schools are being targeted.
- Lack of Harmonisation Across EU Schools:
- EU Schools in Brussels are applying different rules within them which are sometimes even in contradiction.
- Accountability and Transparency:
‘Throughout this study on the ESS, students’ well-being also emerged as a sensitive topic – parents, pupils and teachers reported several issues that negatively impacted pupils’ mental health, such as bullying, drug abuse or a lack of human resources as well as insufficient attention and time provided by teachers or supporting staff to help pupils deal with emotional problems they faced.’ European Parliament, June 2022: The European Schools system: State of Play, Challenges and Perspectives.
Conclusions and Recommendations:
- Advocacy for a Transparent and Democratic System:
There is a collective call for reforms that ensure openness in decision-making processes and active participation from all stakeholders.
- Demand for Comprehensive Enrolment Statistics:
Accurate and detailed data on student enrolment is essential to address overcrowding and plan for future infrastructural developments.
- Need for a Harmonised Educational Framework:
Implementing a cohesive and standardised educational system across all European Schools will promote equity and consistency in student learning outcomes.
A Unified Call for Reform
The consensus among all colleagues both from EEAS and Commission correspond with the issues highlighted by the Parliament in 2022: the current European Schools system is outdated and requires immediate and comprehensive reform. Addressing these multifaceted challenges is imperative to safeguard the well-being and future of our students.
‘… despite all measures put in place to alleviate mental health issues for students, many of them faced serious mental health-related/emotional challenges during the pandemic. According to interviewed students’ representatives as well as several parents’ associations, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the already ongoing mental health crisis in the ESS context (Lalova & Molnárfi 2020), which is very competitive and largely centred around academic success.’ European Parliament, June 2022
Generation 2004 Calls for Change!
The European Schools system must evolve to protect the mental health and well-being of students. We demand the following urgent reforms:
✅Increasing the number of School Psychologists in Primary and Secondary Education – Every school must have qualified psychologists actively involved in pupil support, not just in administrative roles.
✅ Better Supervision and Emotional Support – Increased staff presence during break times and in classrooms to monitor and prevent social conflicts and emotional distress.
✅ More Flexibility in Class Changes – Children struggling with social or emotional issues should not have to change schools – they should be able to change class groups within the same institution.
✅ Addressing the Teacher Shortage – Immediate recruitment efforts to ensure smaller class sizes, individualized attention, and less overburdened teachers who can prioritize student well-being.
✅ Stronger Parent-School Collaboration – Parents must have a real voice in shaping school policies related to psychological support and student well-being. The Parliament also wants a review of the governance of the schools in order to proactively identify issues.
✅ Address lack of proper support for students with disabilities or special education needs. It is quite disconcerting to read comments by respondents who state that, as parents, they had to take their children out of a school because, despite inclusive education being “the guiding principle of the European Schools”, their school failed to practice it.
✅ Address structural overcrowding and the physical environement.
‘…Almost all stakeholders emphasised that the structural overcrowding and lack of appropriate common spaces adversely impacts pupils’ wellbeing and mental health, and in turn, their readiness to learn’European Parliament, June 2022
Generation 2004 remains committed to championing these necessary changes and urges all stakeholders to collaborate in creating a safer, more effective, and equitable educational environment for all.
