16 April 2026 On 27 March 2026

Amplifying School Students’ Voices in Europe and Beyond – March 2026

Between longer days and a renewed sense of energy in the air, the OBESSU team is making the most of the moment. The office is in full motion, advancing key priorities and setting the tone for a productive spring ahead.

8th of March campaign (International Women’s Day): On the occasion of International Women’s Day, OBESSU reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality in education through a week-long campaign highlighting the mental health challenges faced by girls and gender-diverse young people in European school systems. Engaging both the OBESSU Board and Member Organisations, the campaign called for the full adoption of our Policy Paper on Mental Health and Policy Recommendations for Gender-Sensitive Education as essential steps toward dismantling systemic gender bias in schools. The Board Statement is available here and on OBESSU’s official Instagram channel.

EU Call for Evidence: Representing school students and vocational education and training (VET) learners, we follow closely and submit our contributions to a variety of EU open calls for evidence. In the past month, along our attendance in a series of online conslutations liked to the upcoming European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training (VET), we also submitted our contribution (co-signed by EAN). We also took the opportunity to submit our view on the Actions linked to the Skills Portability Initiative.

Our submitted formal feedback to the VET Strategy Call for Evidence was based on extensive internal research, including surveys and in-person consultations with student members. At the core of our contribution was remarks aimed towards ensuring that VET is recognized as a high-quality, attractive educational pathway rather than just a tool for labor market supply. Regarding the Skills Portability Initiative, we emphasized the importance of transparency and the removal of barriers to learning mobility. We also shared our support in using digital credentials and interoperable systems (Actions 1 & 2) to simplify the recognition of qualifications, provided these tools remain inclusive and protect student rights.

Last, we also completed the specialised EU Surveys for Stakeholders, ensuring that the voices of structurally underrepresented groups, such as apprentices and secondary students, are integrated into the legislative proposals for the Union of Skills. Our goal is to shift the focus of these EU initiatives toward a model that values education as a public good, fostering both social inclusion and the democratic participation of young people across Europe. Stay up-to-date, by checking our updates within the Annual Overview (2026).

EESC Civil Society Week 2026: At Civil Society Week 2026, OBESSU joined partner organisations to co-host a session titled “Educating Citizenship for Resilient Societies”. During the panel, OBESSU Board Member Lauren underlined the importance of embedding citizenship education in all national curricula as a fundamental instrument for countering democratic backsliding and polarisation. A subsequent session on Local Learning Ecosystems, co-hosted by OBESSU, provided participants with the opportunity to examine key challenges in the delivery of citizenship education. The outcomes of this discussion will contribute to shaping the outputs of the DeCiTeL project. Read the EESC’s article on the full week HERE or check Next Steps HERE.

European Employment and Social Rights Forum: The 2026 Forum, held on March 3-4, focused on the theme “Social Europe: Empowering people in times of change“, addressing critical issues such as quality jobs, the first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, and the implementation of the Pact for Skills. High-level speakers, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, discussed the transition toward a “Union of Skills” and the need for fair labour mobility.

However, contrary to our expectations,we are quite concerned regarding the framing of several of the discussions. We noted a persistent “blind spot” across the panels, where the discourse remained heavily centered on labor market efficiency and competitiveness. We would have also liked to see a focus on education as a fundamental right, enhancing personal development. We also wish to highlight the lack of learners’ and youth perspectives among the speakers, arguing that while policymakers and social partners discussed the “next generation,” the students and vocational learners themselves were largely absent from the stage.

For us, as OBESSU and a network, this exclusion undermines the democratic legitimacy of the European Pillar of Social Rights, as it neglects to meaningfully engage with young people as active rights-holders and instead treats them merely as human capital for the labor market.

ELNE – Education Month 2026: During the month of March, the Educational Leadership Network Europe, of which OBESSU is part, hosted the European Education Month 2026, a four-part webinar series on collaborative leadership. Throughout the month, we engaged directly with European & national policymakers, heard inspiring insights from research and real-life practice, and explored European evidence on leadership across education sectors.

European Semester 2026: European Commission’s DG EMPL organised on 5 March its annual Civil Society Seminar on “Social employment policies in the European Semester 2026”, where we represented OBESSUalong with other partners – including LLLP, EAEA, ECSWE, SOLIDAR+, ESU, EVTA. Together with other civil society stakeholders, we commonly highlighted the narrow approach that this year’s Semester takes towards human capital and competitiveness, highlighting the need to focus more in the Member States’ reviews on validation of prior learning, the entire education and training staff ecosystem, barriers that prevent learners of all ages to access training, as well as key competences development. Read the full report HERE.

LLLP-led events: During February and March, OBESSU took part in this year’s edition of the LLLAB, organised by the LifeLong Learning Platform. The objective of this series of webinars was to learn how to bridge the gap between European and national education and training policies by highlighting the role civil society organisations and other education stakeholders can play through contributing to policy development at both levels.

Interest Group on Civil Society in the European Parliament: On 18th of March, we joined the 2nd meeting of the Interest Group and exchanged views with MEPs and other civil society oganisations on a) Funding for Civil Society in the new MFF 2028-2034 and in the EU4Health Work Programme 2026, b) The EU Directive on European Cross-Border Associations (ECBA) and c) The EUDS Committee Report on the European Democracy Shield.

European Citizenship Initiative: As part of our efforts, we wish to understand this EU tool better. Thus, we joined the webinar addressing the legal requirements for launching an ECI. If you want to find out more, check the website with the recording and more details HERE.

ECP annual flagship event: From 23-25 March, the OBESSU team joined the European Climate Pact Annual Flagship Event, titled “Together in Action 2026”. During the three days, we participated in inspiring discussions on the link between youth and climate, met policymakers, experts and community leaders, and explored the future of climate action from across Europe.

European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO): On the 25th of March, following the month of Ramadan and the celebration of Eid, FEMYSO held a reception as an opportunity to reconnect, exchange perspectives, and together with them and other CSOs reaffirm our shared commitment to fostering inclusive and cohesive societies. We wish all practicing communities and our colleauges in FEMYSO, a blessed Eid filled with joy, peace, and prosperity.

Next EU Budget – Building on what works: an EU budget that delivers for people and region: OBESSU signed EUFunds4Social coalition’s Joint Statement – led by European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD). The document focuses on the next EU Budget and calls for the safeguarding of the European Social Fund (ESF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as standalone funds and for securing funding for social inclusion through the EaSI strand.

Mark your calendars

1^st April, Bureau International Jeunesse, Democracy Reloading SNAC online meeting
1^st April, OECD, Webinar “How much education does a teacher need? – Register here
7^th April, ENGIM Foundation, Presentation Conference “Youth: The Future in the Present. Youth Observatory through the VET Perspective”
12-17^th April, “Voices of Resilience” event in Košice (Slovakia)
15^th April, OBESSU’s 51st Birthday
20^th April, IGLYO Office Warming Party
24^th April-1^st May, European Youth Week
30^th April, ECI All On Board Stakeholders’ Board Meeting