Eurobarometer survey: digital skills are fundamental skills
The Flash Eurobarometer survey 564, Future needs in digital education, reveals a strong consensus among EU citizens regarding the importance of digital skills education at all levels.
It reveals EU citizens’ views on the importance of digital skills education, the role of teachers in fostering learners’ digital wellbeing, and the risks and benefits of using technology in education, including artificial intelligence (AI).
Key findings include:
- 92% of Europeans agree that digital skills should be taught at all levels of education
- 78% believe digital skills should receive the same attention as reading, mathematics, and science
- 80% agree that digital literacy helps protect against online misinformation and disinformation
- 69% support the ban of smartphones in schools, while 87% favor the use of digital technologies specifically designed for learning
- 81% of teachers believe they should be equipped with skills to use and understand AI, including Generative AI
- 88% of teachers and 87% of parents and families agree in teaching and supporting children in developing skills for safe and responsible technology interaction
These findings underscore the growing recognition of the need for digital skills education and the importance of integrating AI into the educational framework.
A need for guidance on AI in education
The appropriate use of AI in education is a topic of great interest but also concern for European citizens. More than half recognise that the technology brings both benefits and challenges for teaching and learning and call for further exploration and assessment of those. Teachers are seen as important agents of change: 81% believe that teachers should be equipped with the skills to use and understand AI, including Generative AI.
Fostering learners’ digital wellbeing and mental health
92% of respondents agree that schools should teach their students how to manage the impact of digital technologies (including social media) on their mental and physical health. Most agree that teachers (88%) and parents and families (87%) also play a key role in teaching and supporting children in developing skills needed for interacting safely and responsibility with technology.
Next steps
The Eurobarometer survey will help inform the European Commission's efforts to strengthen digital education in the EU – in 2026, the Commission will adopt an education package as part of the Union of Skills that includes a 2030 Roadmap on the future of digital education and skills.
