Conference Agenda

The CoE Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) (Council of Europe 2018 a, b, c) was developed to stipulate learning outcomes that would help education systems and institutions make preparing for democracy a key purpose of education (Council of Europe 2007) at all levels in practice and not only in solemn declarations.  The project was launched as the main priority of Andorra’s Presidency of the CoE Committee of Ministers in 2011 – 12.  The model for the RFCDC was adopted by the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education in April 2016, while the full framework was established in 2018. It has later been supplemented by guidance documents intended to further implementation of the RFCDC within specific areas of education, including higher education (Council of Europe 2020). The RFCDC may be either integrated wholesale into national education systems and provision or, more likely, be developed to take account of national and regional specificities.\nThe RFCDC establishes twenty competences organized in four clusters: values, attitudes, skills, and knowledge and critical understanding. For each of the twenty competences, a set of descriptors has been developed, and these are organized in three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced.  A set of 135 key descriptors is supplemented by further descriptors for each competence.  All descriptors were developed through an extensive testing process involving educators at all levels and from many CoE Member States.  \nThe extent to which competences for democracy can and should be assessed was an important point of discussion during the development of the RFCDC.  It was, however, considered important that the competences be both teachable and assessable, and the descriptors therefore make it possible to assess the extent to which a given competence has been acquired.  While the RFCDC descriptors thus indicate level of achievement, they are not value statements and do not provide’” a basis for judging learners as “more or less democratic”.  An individual may have acquired certain competences at advanced level and others only at basic level or not at all. The competences described in the RFCDC may be developed in various ways and through both formal and non-formal education. Nevertheless, the formal education system is key to developing the competences we need as active citizens in democratic societies.\nThe presentation will describe the development of the RFCDC and consider some discussion that arose during the process and explain the choices made.  It will also  discuss the role of higher education in developing competences for a culture of democracy as well as the importance for students to develop democratic competences.\nReferences\nCouncil of Europe (2007): Recommendation CM/Rec(2007)6 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the public responsibility for higher education and research, https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=09000016805d5dae, accessed April 27, 2026\nCouncil of Europe (2018 a): Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture Volume I: Context, Concepts and Model.  Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing https://rm.coe.int/prems-008318-gbr-2508-reference-framework-of-competences-vol-1-8573-co/16807bc66c, accessed April 27, 202\nCouncil of Europe (2018 b): Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture Volume II: Descriptors of Competences.  Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing https://rm.coe.int/prems-008418-gbr-2508-reference-framework-of-competences-vol-2-8573-co/16807bc66d, accessed April 27, 2026\nCouncil of Europe (2018 c): Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture Volume III: Guidance for Implementation.  Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing   https://rm.coe.int/prems-008518-gbr-2508-reference-framework-of-competences-vol-3-8575-co/16807bc66e, accessed April 27, 2027\nCouncil of Europe (2020a): Competences for democratic culture in higher education  Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publications https://rm.coe.int/rfcdc-guidance-document-for-higher-education/1680a08ee0,  accessed April 27, 2026