Social dialogue in the education sector covers activities related to NACE (Rev.) code 85, which include:
- pre-primary education,
- primary, secondary and higher education,
- other education (tutoring, remedial courses, language learning, computer training, religious instruction),
- educational support activities (guidance, testing, exchange programmes.
The sectoral social dialogue committee has been created in 2010. In 2018, more than 17 million workers were employed in the education sector, which amounts to 9% of the labour force in the EU.
Teaching professionals form the largest part of the education sector workforce. It is the most female-dominated sector in the EU, after health and social care. The share of part-time workers is rather high at close to 25%. (Eurofound Representativeness studies, 2020).
The sector faces the following main challenge:
- shortage of teachers and enhancing attractiveness of the teaching profession, including vocational education training (VET)
- digitalisation, new ways of working
- (Public) investment in education and training.
Workers' organisations
Employers' organisations
Key areas
The current work programme focuses on:
- tackling the shortage of teachers and enhancing attractiveness of the teaching profession
- strengthening social dialogue
- dealing with the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation and pushing for innovation
- promoting education for environmental sustainability
- increasing investment in quality education and training
- ensuring Occupational Health and Safety
- fostering democratic school cultures, equality and inclusion in education and training
- improving the working quality, innovativeness and inclusiveness in higher education and research
- promoting the status and attractiveness of the VET profession.
Activities and meetings
Check the library entries for this sectoral social dialogue committee.
Achievements/Joint texts
Check the social dialogue texts database