Draft:Open Schooling

Open Schooling (OS) is a concept endorsed by the European Union that highlights the collaboration among schools, families, universities, and businesses to enrich student learning through authentic projects. This approach redefines schools as 'agents of community well-being,' encouraging active involvement from families and professionals across various sectors to introduce real-world projects into classrooms:.

The term "Open Schooling" emerged from expert discussions and was introduced by the European Commission to tackle the scarcity of scientifically literate individuals in European society, a challenge also observed in other regions. The primary goal of Open Schooling is to make education more meaningful for individuals, communities, and the global society by adopting inclusive, engaging, and future-oriented approaches that align with sustainable development goals.

In the aftermath of the pandemic, there is a critical necessity for governments to promote scientific literacy throughout society. Europe currently faces a shortage of individuals with scientific knowledge at all societal levels precisely when the demand for scientists, especially STEM professionals, is escalating. The COVID-19 crisis underscores the essential role of highly skilled professionals in science, research, innovation, and healthcare for societal well-being. To address this deficit and enhance science literacy among the population, collaborative efforts in Open Schooling are strongly recommended. Additionally, fostering responsible research and innovation aligned with societal needs requires an increase in the number of scientific thinkers among citizens and professionals to ensure a sustainable future.

Advocating for science education as a fundamental component of compulsory schooling for all students necessitates policies that support students, teachers, parents, and the broader community in accessing quality education. This approach aims to empower individuals to excel in learning outcomes, cultivate motivation for scientific engagement, and facilitate further studies in science education.

Over the past ten years, numerous projects have been funded by various European Union programs under the umbrella of Open Schooling.

European Science Education Projects
In the period from 2015 to 2017, the project ENGAGE focused on equipping the next generation with active engagement in science through open-ended projects that fostered collaboration between teachers, students, and practicing scientists. This initiative aimed to instill a direct understanding of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) among participants. Moving on to the years 2017 to 2020, OSOS emerged as a transformative endeavor that sought to turn schools into innovative ecosystems, serving as shared spaces for science learning. By engaging students in real-world science projects, this project aimed to create dynamic learning environments that transcend traditional educational boundaries. Between 2019 and 2022, projects like SEAS and PULCHRA took center stage in advancing scientific literacy and community engagement. While SEAS focused on promoting scientific literacy for responsible citizenship, PULCHRA emphasized strengthening science education through community partnerships, particularly highlighting urban ecosystems. Additionally, PHERECLOS aimed at involving children and young individuals in academic research, fostering early engagement with scientific inquiry. Transitioning to the period from 2020 to 2023, initiatives like SALL, MOST, MAKE IT OPEN, and CONNECT underscored the importance of practical education and community collaboration in science learning. SALL conducted research projects in outdoor spaces related to food sustainability, while MOST facilitated partnerships connecting schools with communities to enhance scientific competences. MAKE IT OPEN focused on opening up school learning through hands-on experiences, and CONNECT promoted inclusive and future-oriented science education through engaging activities. From 2021 to 2024, projects such as COSMOS, MultiPlayers, and Pafse emphasized community engagement and preparedness for addressing societal challenges. COSMOS aimed at creating organizational structures for meaningful science education through open schooling practices. MultiPlayers focused on ensuring meaningful engagement with science and research through partnerships, while Pafse worked towards preparing communities to mitigate risks associated with communicable diseases and epidemics. Looking ahead to the period spanning from 2023 to 2026, initiatives like ICSEfactory, SLEs, and LEVERS took a proactive stance towards mentoring, inclusivity in science learning environments, and climate justice projects. ICSEfactory encouraged mentoring across partnerships within science labs while maintaining a systematic approach to quality assurance. SLEs developed science learning paths emphasizing inclusiveness across formal and informal settings, whereas LEVERS delved into climate justice projects involving industry, business, and policymakers to drive transformative impacts in European science education.

These initiatives have primarily focused on developing strategic actions to investigate the design, implementation, refinement, and scaling up of open schooling for both current and future generations. In light of the sustainable development goals acceleration towards 2030 and the green digital transition, new priorities for open schooling have recently emerged (1.)	Establishing partnerships in science and technology across diverse learning environments, including educational institutions, workplaces, and societal organizations, with a focus on the Green Deal, Health, and Digitalization. (2.)	Building cross-community networks of stakeholders that emphasize promoting inclusion, diversity, and equity, with a specific objective to enhance female participation. (3.)	Encouraging engagement in enterprise-funded innovation as part of lifelong learning programs. This involves supporting start-ups, SMEs, and entrepreneurs through mentorship and coaching opportunities.

Open schooling initiatives have initiated a significant movement by fostering an increasing number of tangible partnerships, leveraging resources, methodologies, and technologies to promote sustainability. Open Schooling Together (OST) is a network established in December 2020 and coordinated by ECSITE - the European Network of Science Centres and Museums. OST comprises eleven EU projects aimed at fostering collaboration among all projects to explore the Open Schooling approach for revolutionizing traditional education, making it more meaningful to cultivate scientific literacy. Each project aims to equip future citizens with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world. To address these challenges, the network has developed innovative methodologies, guidelines, toolkits, platforms, and activities for teaching and learning that transcend the boundaries of traditional schooling and engage a diverse range of community stakeholders. By involving these stakeholders, students are empowered to see themselves as agents of change. There are various other projects exploring the meaning of open schooling for example Edu-Artic, which describes open schooling as projects that combines online and place-based activities, exploring how science-based open schooling affected young people’s literacy and engagement in environmental issues, their interest in pursuing a STEM career, and whether this was influenced by socio-geographical aspects of their school. .

Many schools may not yet be interested in open schooling because their focus is on curriculum knowledge for exams. This can be seen as the visible part of an iceberg, whereas open schooling aims more at what is beneath the surface of the iceberg. This means deep understanding which students can discuss real-life problems supported by transferable knowledge and skills. The Open Scholing Declaration launched in 2023 by CONNECT project and OSTogether network aims to expand the awareness of Open Schooling across the world.

Another conceptualisation of open schooling refers to open approaches, distance methods and makes appropriate use of appropriate technology and infrastructure to mediate learning and support depending on context, offers possibilities to address the needs of out-of-school children and youths. Open schooling is used as synonym of open learning by the National Institute for Open Schooling (NIOS) in India. COL has partnered with NIOS on many occasions in the past to explore various aspects of open schooling provision.