On the morning of Thursday, May 23, 2024, the 18th episode of the Beyond Borders: Breakfast Debates titled “Insights into Cross-Border Primary and Secondary Education” took place, targeting a topic of great significance but of infrequent discussion. The discussion covered issues like administrative obstacles and language differences, explaining why cross-border schools are often reluctant to engage in educational exchanges. Participants also highlighted good practices of cross-border cooperation that serve as models for overcoming these barriers, offering practical insights into how such challenges can be effectively addressed. 

Our esteemed host, Lord Andrew Lansley moderated the discussion and welcomed all five panellists who are experts in the fields of cross-border cooperation and education. Ricardo Ferreira, Planning and Programming Officer, Border Focal Point, DG REGIO, very expertly introduced the topic of the session by highlighting the importance of primary and secondary education as it can form individuals and create long-lasting effects. He emphasized that if we teach youngsters to trust their neighbours, they will understand the concept of European cohesion throughout their lives. Lastly, Mr. Ferreira drew attention to the sparsely populated areas, where cross-border education could be the key to population retention. 

The session also featured two video testimonials. The first was by Youth4Cooperation Cross-Border Ambassador Alessia, who stressed the benefits of cross-border cooperation in schools in promoting bilingualism and cultural exchanges. The second video testimonial highlighted the Kita Salut, a cross-border nursery in the EGTC SaarMoselle, which reserves spots for children living on the other side of the border. 

The key speaker of this debate was Dr. Ana Paula Laborinho, Director General for Multilingualism and the Promotion of Portuguese and Spanish Languages & Director of OEI Portugal. Dr. Laborinho presented the network of Bilingual and Intercultural Border Schools, or “mirror schools,” which have been working together for the last 8 years to enhance the education systems of both countries. The number of schools associated with this project has quadrupled since 2020, proving the great results of this initiative. 

Mr. Roland Wolff, Project Collaborator, EMRLingua, shared how Euregio Meuse Rhine combined the efforts of three countries and five subregions to teach the neighbouring language, and not a foreign, as he beautifully phrased it. Next, Mr. Ivan Curzolo presented the challenges that came along with student mobility, which hindered student exchanges between Austrian and Italian schools. To address this issue, EGTC Tyrol sought the assistance of b-solutions, and a case study was developed which provided possible solutions, while also providing visibility and political awareness to overcome the administrative issues. 

The last presenter was Ms. Eldrid Gaukstad, Policy Officer, DG EAC, who presented the strategic framework of the European Education Area, and Erasmus+ as a key instrument for the long-term development of European education systems. Eldrid mentioned the obstacles that come with exploring primary and secondary school opportunities abroad and the work of DG EAC to address them. 

The debate continued with a Q&A session between the panel and the very active participants in the chat! 

The two poll questions that were featured on the debate were: 

1. What is the importance of cross-border cooperation in primary and secondary education? 

2. How can we increase cooperation among primary and secondary schools in border regions? 

Watch the replay here!  

Download all the presentations below!