EDUCATION MATTERS
WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM ICILS 2028, ESPECIALLY REGARDING AI-RELATED CONTENT? The Commission welcomes the inclusion of artificial intelligence in ICILS 2028, which we consider a crucial area. This is also a field in which we are investing, as the European Commission and OECD joined forces to develop an AI literacy framework for primary and secondary education. AI-related tasks will be located within the Computational Thinking domain, which in 2023 was optional for countries but will now be part of the assessment for all participants. This will give us a comparable picture across education systems of how 13–14-year-olds can use, understand, and critically assess AI tools. “The Commission co-funds about 75 percent of the international costs for EU and Erasmus+ associated countries to join ICILS and ICCS. This support lowers financial barriers and has had a clear impact.” But AI is only one piece of the puzzle. From the Commission’s perspective, ICILS 2028 can also shed light on other pressing aspects of digital competence. Given the risks posed by misinformation and disinformation, it is important to know how well young people can judge the quality and credibility of online information—including content generated by AI. Equally essential, in my view, is understanding students’ digital behavior in and out of school, especially their use of devices such as smartphones, the role of social media, and other online activities for leisure. These behaviors affect attention, learning, and academic performance, and ICILS could provide valuable comparative evidence. PARTICIPATION IN ICILS AND ICCS REMAINS UNEVEN. HOW CAN IT BE EXPANDED? All EU Member States and Erasmus+ Programme-associated countries are eligible for co-funding, as are Western Balkan and candidate countries under special provisions. Through a direct grant to IEA, the Commission covers up to 75 percent of participation fees, significantly lowering costs and simplifying the administrative process.
Beyond funding, the challenge for some countries may be to obtain sufficient buy-in from stakeholders at various levels, considering notably the workload that large-scale studies place on schools and policy considerations. My unit is available to discuss obstacles, offer advice, and, if useful, help convey the importance of participation—always within the same financial framework for all participants. Without ICILS and ICCS, Europe would lack a complete picture of digital competence and citizenship knowledge, making it harder to understand differences across education systems and to identify where reforms could bring the most benefit. ICCS participation is now finalized, though we would be delighted if more countries joined ‘at the last minute,’ and broader participation in ICILS 2028 remains a key priority. WHAT ROLE DO IEA INTERNATIONAL LARGE-SCALE ASSESSMENTS PLAY IN ADVANCING THE EU’S ‘UNION OF SKILLS’ AGENDA? The Union of Skills seeks to align education and training with Europe’s labor market and societal needs. ICCS and ICILS, alongside PIRLS and TIMSS, are central to this vision, offering robust, comparable evidence on how education systems prepare students for the demands of the 21st century. They serve three purposes. First, they pinpoint gaps and guide reforms. ICILS and ICCS identify needs in digital skills and civic engagement, while PIRLS and TIMSS do the same for core academic skills. Second, they enable peer learning by showing where high-performing systems excel. Third, they track progress toward shared objectives, offering consistent benchmarks over time. Looking ahead, the next rounds of ICCS, ICILS, PIRLS, and TIMSS will highlight trends on both familiar and emerging skills. They could spark new indicators, giving policymakers sharper evidence on transversal competences, equity gaps, and how schools are preparing young people for the road ahead. Further down the line, I would see strong potential in developing longitudinal studies. The surveys tell us where education stands today—but imagine if we could follow students over time. Linking cycles or adding longitudinal strands would reveal how skills grow, how reforms take root, and how quickly systems adapt. In a world that changes by the year, not the decade, tracking progress over time could be the next big leap for evidence-driven education policy in Europe. ■
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