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This publication was produced by the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) with the support of the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the official position of the Council of Europe.

The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU) stands in solidarity with the on-going demonstrations, protests and grassroots movements developed in response to the continuously increasing threats to environmental protection.

The people of Australia are currently facing the effects of the worst environmental crisis in modern history. A place well known for its abundant biodiversity has been engulfed in a cycle of wildfires and as a result, human lives and animal species are in grave danger. As students and learners from all across the world we are seriously alarmed by this situation which doesn’t have a concrete solution in sight, and we want to show our solidarity to the people in Australia.

The pressure to succeed academically and have your entire self-worth denoted by grades and numbers; the pressure to outperform your peers and be the very best, juggling the rest of your life to fit into this race; the pressure and expectation that family and personal issues should not be facilitated and understood by the formal education system. This is the situation where students find themselves in education systems all over the world. In this highly stressful environment, and with the world changing everyday, the pressure that students face often threatens their mental health, which concretely impacts on their potential to fully exercise their right to education. Towards the International Students’ Day OBESSU and ESU call on students from all over the world to unite in calling to guarantee a healthy environment for all students!

With the #EcoFighters – School students for the environment project, OBESSU set to promote a culture of environmental awareness and activism in the context of school student and apprentices organisations, through democratic participation of young people in various ways, platforms and levels.

The Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU), representing school students rights in Europe since 1975 advocating for participatory, inclusive and quality education, welcomes the approval of a Council Recommendation on Learning for the green transition and sustainable development that could lead to a European framework, supporting Member States in developing and implementing policies in support of environmental sustainability at all levels of education and training.

The Guidelines for Teachers on Online and Blended Learning are part of Innovation Station: A New Approach Towards Online and Blended Education. This project is coordinated by the Organising Bureau of European School Student Unions (OBESSU). Innovation Station is a response to the needs and challenges experienced by educators and secondary school students across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden onset of the pandemic forced educators and students to rapidly adapt to an online and blended learning environment. This transition was smoother for some than for others. Most schools, educators, and learners found themselves in a situation where they had to experiment and work with the tools available at the time.