Pearle* supports the European Commission’s ongoing initiative to strengthen basic skills in school education. Education is the foundation of a thriving cultural sector and society, in the same way as culture and the arts are an intrinsic value. While literacy, numeracy and digital skills are indispensable, Pearle* considers that the current framing of “basic skills” is incomplete without cultural and artistic skills. Engagement with music, theatre, dance, visual arts and other forms of creative expression is foundational to personal development, social cohesion, democratic participation and Europe’s competitiveness in the cultural and creative industries.

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