Importance of providing basic skills
In order to be able to fully educate and disseminate knowledge about citizenship and what it means to be an active citizen, there must also be an agreement regarding the importance of providing the basic skills in moderns societies such as literacy, numeracy, digital or technological knowledge that are necessary for any learning process and most importantly to integrate all of members of society and promote social inclusion.
Literacy and numeracy
When it comes to literacy and numeracy, meaning the ability to read, write, and perform basic mathematical operations in 2015 the ratings regarding the European Union already presented that 99,1% of the population has at least the basic level of literacy11 and even though the higher education levels of literacy within the EU are still not above 50%12, they are not a mandatory requisite to be able to be full immerse in citizenship education. Therefore, European population is consider fit for citizenship education.
Digital and technological skills
The worldwide pandemic that forced to world to be in lockdown for most of the year 2020 and 2021, highlighted the already known importance of having digital and technological skills not only for working purposes but also for learning opportunities. According to Eurostat, in 2021, 54% of people in the EU aged 16 to 74 had at least basic overall digital skills. The EU’s vision for digital transformation has an aim for 80% of EU citizens aged 16-74 years old to have at least basic digital skills by 2030.13 The access to information and acquirement of skills regarding digital competences must be enlarged either through national government programs or creating a local web class from which any citizen can access information and help navigating online and having access to not only education regarding citizenship but any information they would like.