Amplifying School Students’ Voices in Europe and Beyond – December 2025

Despite the sweet sound of Christmas bells and the inviting smell of cheese fondues, the OBESSU team has not yet given into the temptation of starting its holidays in advance. On the contrary, the whole office has been quite busy, wrapping up any loose ties left and preparing for the year ahead!

What we have been up to

Annual Review of OBESSU’s efforts and engagements with Stakeholders

2025 was marked by active external engagement and strategic growth. The Board participated in diverse activities –from EU-level events in Brussels to OECD meetings in Paris and Council of Europe initiatives in Budapest and Strasbourg– while maintaining strong cooperation with partners. Throughout, OBESSU grounded its positions in the needs of students across Europe.

If you want to know more, check the Annual Report 2025!

COMEM 2025 flew by quickly. OBESSU Member Organisations met in Cluj-Napoca for two productive days of reconnecting, debating, and adopting two new policy papers: one on Artificial Intelligence in Education (by the Board) and another on the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza (by UdS).

Shortly after, OBESSU published a Position Paper on Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation in School Governance, stressing that the future of education must be shaped collectively by students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders. Within the IMPACT project, OBESSU also released Policy Recommendations for Gender-Sensitive Education, aiming to foster inclusive learning environments by addressing gender bias and stereotypes.

OBESSU at the LLLWeek 

OBESSU played an active role throughout the LLLWeek. On December 11, we were invited to speak at the EVTA Annual Policy Forum, discussing how the upcoming EU VET Strategy can better reflect stakeholders’ realities. OBESSU also hosted the Inclusive citizenship education: The role of teacher education event, where speakers highlighted the relevance of the DeCiTeL project and the need for strong teacher training for effective citizenship education.

11th Meeting of the OECD Group of National Experts on School Resources.

Board Member Lauren joined the group’s open sessions, presenting OBESSU’s reflections on school resources and highlighting relevant 2025 work, particularly the Policy Paper on AI.

EESC and RCC Joint Conference: No future without us – Youth shaping EU enlargement

OBESSU took part in this joint conference, which focused on the role of young people in the EU enlargement process.

Just Transition Platform – Meeting of the Working Groups on Equal Opportunities and Stakeholder Engagement

OBESSU remained active in both working groups of the Just Transition Platform, ensuring continued input.

19th Cedefop Brussels Seminar – Skills for democracy: How vocational education and training shapes active citizenship

On December 8, OBESSU attended CEDEFOP’s seminar, organised with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, where initial findings from Cedefop’s 2025–27 study on citizenship education in VET were shared.

EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda Workshop

OBESSU took part in the final consultation for the Teachers and Trainers’ Agenda, bringing attention to the specific challenges faced by VET teachers and trainers.

The path to a strong Erasmus+ programme

OBESSU contributed to the YFJ event on building a stronger, more inclusive Erasmus+ programme for 2028 and beyond, engaging with youth representatives and MEPs.

Interesting Calls:

  • Are you a young person aged 18-35 and living in Belgium? Then, here is your chance to become a ONE Youth Ambassador! You will have the opportunity to engage directly with EU decision-makers and play a role in shaping conversations about the world’s most pressing challenges. Find out more here: applications are open until December 22.
  • European Charlemagne Youth Prize

The award celebrates youth-led initiatives that strengthen a shared European identity and highlight the positive impact of young people across Europe. The three winners will get a cash prize and the chance to visit the European Parliament in Brussels or Strasbourg. Applications open from 7 January to 2 February, on the dedicated website.

  • Campaign “Your voice, our 2030”​ ​​​​​: Running until January 2026, the European Youth Card Association is aiming to collect stories from young people across Europe on issues that really matter to them. They will combine these stories with input from local activities, and will be discussing them with the European Commission. Contributors have the chance to win a prize. Find here the form to share your story.
  • SOLIDAR invites you to take a short survey on your experience with digital tools in public transport. Your anonymous feedback will help shape fairer, more inclusive public transport and inform policy recommendations through the READJUST project. Take the survey here.
  • “Skills on The Move” Open Consultation: Have your say in the public consultation on the upcoming Skills Portability Initiative, which was designed to make it easier for people to work across the EU. Press here to share your perspective. 

Mark your calendar:

  • 14 January – Webinar on European Partnerships for School Development
  • 19 January – Workshop on the EU Teachers and Trainers Agenda
  • 24 January – International Day of Education

Useful Resources:

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2025 Annual Overview
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