Eurydice

The Finnish model for leisure activities is a project of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The pilot study on the model shows that free, accessible, and inclusive hobby opportunities can positively impact the lives of children and young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

As of 2025, Finnish universities will have nine joint national entrance exams through which applicants can apply for a study place at different universities and in several different fields of education. In addition, the schedule of the entrance examinations will be loosened so that those selected by certificate selection will not have to prepare and take part in the entrance examinations. 

The Irish early childhood education framework, Aistear, has been updated for the first time since 2009. The revised framework, set to take effect in 2025, places greater emphasis on creativity, arts, literacy, numeracy, and STEM education, while promoting the use of the Irish language.

The new Education Act in Norway allows the county authorities to provide upper secondary education to adults who have not completed primary and lower secondary education or equivalent. 

A new legislation in Czechia introduces an adaption period for newly employed teachers as well as two new pedagogical positions in secondary schools. 

The Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has developed, in cooperation with the pedagogical faculties of higher education institutions, a binding competence framework for teacher graduates.  

Starting from the 1^st of January 2025, kindergartens in Slovakia will be financed from the state budget. Responsibility for funding pre-primary education will thus shift from local self-governments to the state. 

The Institute for the Advancement of Education in Serbia has announced a new call for training program to support educator professional development, with a focus on aligning with national priorities and improving educational quality. 

In 2023, Malta discontinued benchmark examinations in year 6 of primary school and replaced it with a more holistic assessment of students’ abilities.