May 17, 2021 - Education ministers of the European Union's member states on Monday called for creating equal opportunities for children in primary and secondary education regardless of their social status, Croatia's Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs said. 

The ministers met in Brussels to discuss equity and inclusion in education and training.

There are still differences between member states regarding equal opportunities, which became more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fuchs said after attending the ministerial meeting.

The Council of the EU education ministers concluded that the education system is supposed to provide a socially inclusive, equitable, successful, and high-quality education system and training for all.

Despite certain progress in creating equal opportunities in education for all, the data show that in the EU, there is still a high percentage of children with difficulties who drop out of school, and one in five of them fails to finish their education.

Children of non-natives are at a higher risk of dropping out of school than children with native-born parents, 22.2% to 8.9%.

Member states are called to increase the availability of digital tools and resources at all levels of education and training.

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