European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 29 May 2017, the European Commission (DG CONNECT) launched the WiFi4EU initiative. This initiative aims at providing citizens with free and fast high-quality Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the EU, supporting the instalment of free Wi-Fi hotspots in public spaces, among others, schools, libraries, universities and research centres. The EU will fund this initiative with € 120 million, aiming at setting up 6,000 to 8,000 hotspots until 2020. The first call for projects for the WiFi4EU initiative will be launched in late 2017 or early 2018.

This initiative stems from the ‘Communication on Connectivity for a European Gigabit Society’ of September 2016 which indicates as strategic objective for 2025 “Gigabit connectivity for all main socio-economic drivers such as schools” with the purpose of opening up education.

ETUCE acknowledges the opportunities digitalization can have for society and recalls that responsible use of digital technologies in education institutions  needs substantial and continuous  public investment in education, not only regarding equipment and Internet facilities, but also regarding digital skills and continuous ICT training for teachers and education personnel. In addition, it is also important to note that digital devices or apps are not  the aim per se, they are one out of many teaching tools. In any event, the usage of Internet services and ICT applications in education must respect the professional autonomy of teachers and educational staff and must not be used to implement privatization in education and/or commercialization of education.

For more information on the “WiFi4EU initiative”, please visit WiFi4EU.