Opening up education

Education in Europe is being hit by a storm amid increased demand for higher education despite costs constraints, skills mismatches and knowledge gaps. Twenty ministers from as many states aim to open up their education and training systems in the hope of increasing efficacy and making every single one of the continent’s classrooms digital by 2020. Schools are still very traditional and hierarchical. Last year, some education ministers did not know what MOOCs are – and one-third of Europe’s 4,000 universities had never even heard of them!

By contrast, this year saw the number of MOOCs jump to 375 across Europe, according to Pierre Mairesse of the European Commission, who presented the European Commission’s “Opening Up Education” initiative at ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN.