The Council of Europe has launched a new Reflection and Planning Survey Tool together with a Policy Toolbox to help strengthen plurilingual and intercultural education in lower secondary schools. The launch follows the spring session of the Education Steering Committee from 18-20 March 2026 and supports the Council of Europe’s Recommendation on the Importance of Plurilingual and Intercultural Education for Democratic Culture (Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)1).

Developed for policymakers and education authorities, the tool invites Council of Europe member states to undertake a comprehensive review of how plurilingual and intercultural education is being implemented in lower secondary education. It helps authorities identify their system’s strengths and areas for improvement and provides support to address these areas via the accompanying Policy Toolbox.

By sharing their responses to the survey, including examples of promising practice, member states will be able to learn from one another and contribute to the creation of a European Language Education Profile – a dashboard showing progress across Europe. This shared understanding will also inform the future direction of Council of Europe's Language Policy Programme.

While only policymakers and authorities can submit online responses, teachers and teacher educators are welcome to download the survey for reflection and discussion within their institutions and explore the Policy Toolbox.

To learn more and participate, visit the dedicated page Towards Plurilingual and Intercultural Education.

Source and photo credit: Council of Europe’s Education Department