Education in Europe

Europe boasts some of the most stable education systems in the world.

But a closer look reveals significant challenges and a reality that many children are not being prepared for the world and the future they will face. 

These challenges disproportionately affect those from the most marginalized communities:

high risk of segregation

Ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugees remain at high risk of segregation into different schools and slower school tracks.

extreme discrimination

Poor students confront extreme discrimination. More than a quarter of Europeans attribute poverty to individual characteristics such as laziness—which results in an overall lack of concern for poor children.

increasing divisions

Calcifying education systems only exasperate the increasing divisions within nations, the competing visions for the future of Europe, and the myriad of challenges across the region such as:

  • Rise of radicalism
  • Social isolation
  • Increased inequality
  • Decreased social mobility
  • Aging population

Preparing Europe's Children for the Future

For Europe to meet the challenges of this century, we must invest in strengthening our education systems and building an educational environment that is flexible and innovative. This is how we will ensure children in classrooms today can shape a better tomorrow. 

Teach For All network partners are working in communities across the region and collaborating with schools, governments, and families to make education systems more: 

  • Innovative
  • Inclusive (diverse, tolerant, and equal)
  • Able to promote excellence by building the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values students will need to navigate a changing society and the new world of work
  • Connected across borders so they can learn from each other
Two students painting
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Developing Leaders Across Europe Is Key 

The public sector on its own cannot transform outcomes for students. We need coordinated efforts—strong, diverse leaders in government, civil society, and the private sector working together to create a strong European education infrastructure.

We must cultivate a rising generation of leaders across Europe who are making it their mission to transform outcomes for children over time.

Teach For All is helping to build this community of changemakers—people who can work together across sectors in Europe to realize this shared vision.

Read Our 2022 Stories Collection

Teach For All's Impact in Europe

19 Partners

in Europe (15 in the EU) and growing

4,000+

teachers in classrooms

9,000+

alumni working in sectors including school leadership, public policy and social innovation

300,000+

students impacted

Impact in the Classroom and Beyond

After their two-year commitments, network teachers become network alumni. Informed by their training, development, and foundational experiences in the classroom, they go on to a variety of key roles in education and other sectors where they are helping to change outcomes for children, and many are being recognized for their deep and innovative contributions.

Watch these videos to see some of these extraordinary alumni in action:

Ed Vainker
Ed Vainker, UK
Mihaela Bucsa
Mihaela Bucsa, Romania
Stefan Steinberger
Stefan Steinberger, Austria
Meet More European Alumni

What  the Research Shows

Research shows the effectiveness of Teach For All's approach in Europe—from the classroom to the system level.

Research Highlights

NEWTT: Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, and Spain

A New Way for New Talents in Teaching (NEWTT) was a two-year study that compared the development of Teach For All network teachers to traditionally trained teachers in five European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Latvia, Romania, and Spain. The study demonstrated that overall, network teachers are as prepared, if not more prepared than, traditionally trained teachers before entering the classroom and network teachers developed as much self-efficacy and pedagogical knowledge as traditionally trained teachers. The study associated Teach For All’s approach to recruitment, selection, initial teacher preparation, and ongoing opportunities for professional development with the positive differences in teacher competencies. LEARN MORE

FIERST: Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Sweden, and the UK

From Innovators in Inclusive Education to Real Scale Transfer (FIERST)  was a three-year project designed to inform EU education policy that brought together nine organizations from five countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The project aimed to increase the number of teachers addressing the needs of all students, especially the more vulnerable ones; establish professional learning communities in schools and beyond, enabling educators to work collaboratively to implement best practices in their classrooms; and develop insights from the process of upscaling best practices in inclusive education to be shared with the broader European and global education communities. FIERST was launched in January 2018 and concluded in December 2020. LEARN MORE

Teach First (United Kingdom)

Lessons from London Schools: Investigating the Success
A 2015 report from CfBT Education Trust explored the progress of the London school system between 2003 and 2011, when the city’s schools went from being the lowest performing in England to the highest performing. The report posited that Teach First (Teach For All’s UK partner and the oldest network partner in Europe) was one of the four enablers of London’s success.

The careers of Teach First Ambassadors who remain in teaching: job choices, promotion and school quality
A 2016 Education Datalab study of teachers from Teach First found that they were more likely to become education leaders when compared to other teachers from alternative certification programs in the country. Teach First teachers who remained in the classroom beyond their initial two-year commitments are twice as likely to continue working in low-income communities.

European Alumni Leadership Fellowship

Teach For All is launching a pilot European Alumni Leadership Fellowship to bring together 15-20 emerging leaders from different sectors, countries, and contexts to take part in a six-month leadership development journey. Selected participants will participate in virtual and in-person activities thoughtfully curated for them, including site visits in multiple European countries, exposure to national and international experts,  and mentoring by experienced alumni leaders and supporters from within and beyond the network. 

The fellowship aims to support alumni to:

  • Accelerate their personal leadership on their path to becoming  influential leaders in their countries and across Europe

  • Invigorate their sense of purpose and adopt new practices through the introduction to inspiring examplesthat demonstrate what's possible

  • Build authentic relationships and deeper cross-border connectivity with peers in the European alumni community through a shared learning journey

All alumni who have completed a two-year teaching fellowship from a Teach For All partner organization in Europe are eligible to apply. Learn more and submit your application by 14 November 2022  

FELLOWSHIP JOURNEY OVERVIEW
  • The fellowship will consist of a six-month leadership development journey, beginning in late January 2023. It will begin and end with two in-person gatherings, hosted in Spain and the UK respectively, designed to immerse alumni in examples of diverse education systems and innovations.
  • Between the two in-person retreats, the group will attend virtual events twice a month. These sessions will include group discussions, fireside chats with international experts and senior leaders, and other peer learning opportunities.
  • Beginning in February 2023, each alumni participant will be matched with a mentor who will accompany them along the journey and throughout 2023.
  • Between June and September 2023, alumni will be invited to apply for travel grants to follow up on a connection made during the Fellowship (e.g. cross-border project collaboration, support joint initiatives, forging a new partnership).
WHO SHOULD APPLY

We are seeking emerging alumni leaders from diverse career pathways with a proven track record in leadership locally, nationally, or regionally. You will be a great fit if you are:

  • Committed to your personal leadership development: You demonstrate some understanding of your leadership trajectory, have willingness to further develop your leadership and personal growth, and are able to fully engage in the Fellowship.
  • Committed to creating long-term impact throughout your career: Ideally you are about 3-10 years beyond completing your two-year teaching fellowship in your country. You are actively building towards long-term impact in education equity.
  • Committed to being part of a learning community: You understand the power of collective impact and fostering connections beyond your context, and are willing to engage in the Fellowship community.
  • Bonus if you are in the midst of “crossing a threshold”: If you are currently navigating a major transition point in your career (e.g. completing major research, starting a new position), we strongly encourage you to leverage this Fellowship as a launching point to something transformative.
ELIGIBILITY & APPLICATION PROCESS
  • All alumni who have completed a two-year teaching fellowship from a Teach For All partner organization in Europe are eligible to apply
  • Application Deadline: 14 November 2022 
  • Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview in November 2022
  • Finalists will be announced on 1 December 2022
APPLY NOW

Investing in the Future of Europe

To realize our vision for Europe, we are working to:

  • Enable cross-border learning and connectivity through partner staff, participant and alumni workshops, community peer groups, learning trips and conferences.
  • Build local capacity to launch and enable scale through classroom and community impact workshops and innovate and contextualize global insights around recruitment, selection, marketing, training, support/coaching, digital learning skills, fundraising, partnerships, organisational development and public affairs.
  • Secure resources and partnerships which allow us to build awareness and understanding of our work as well as access funding for and alongside our network partners that we need in order to make progress towards our collective vision

Investing in the Future of Europe
To realize our vision for Europe, we are working to:

Enable cross-border learning and connectivity

  • Participant and alumni grants
  • Alumni community workshops conference
  • Participant community workshops conference
  • CEO and partner staff learning trips

Build local capacity to launch and enable scale

  • Classroom and Community Impact workshops
  • Innovate and contextualize global insights - recruitment, selection, marketing, training, support/coaching, digital learning skills, fundraising, partnerships, organisational development and public affairs

Catalyze local growth

  • Create a fund to provide matching grants to new and existing network partners to support scaling their programs
  • 2nd bullet

Regional  Advisors

Teach For All's European Advisory Council and UK Board build awareness of and support for Teach For All's work and impact in Europe and around the world.

European Advisory Council       UK Board of Trustees