Democratic Deficits and Social Inclusion in Eu Education

On Monday, March 2, 2026, the I-CIVIC project held an online seminar focusing on the intersection of democracy, community, and education. The event centered on the consortium’s core issues, primary goals, and the immediate steps required for the first half of 2026. A fundamental objective of the project is to shift the educational paradigm from treating “democracy as content” to fostering democracy as a participatory practice.

deconstructing workpackage 1

Before we can fix a problem, we need to understand it. During the seminar, the team split into three interactive groups to map out the so-called “democratic deficit” and the educational gaps across Europe:

Led by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the University of Jyväskylä (JYU), one team is diving deep into existing research. Their goal is to define what a “democratic deficit” actually looks like. The group agreed that while learning happens everywhere, children spend a massive chunk of their youth in school places that, ironically, often function as non-democratic spaces. That makes schools the perfect starting point for our work.

To see what is really happening in our classrooms, Tallinn University (TLU), ALDA, and VABAMU are taking our research into the real world. They are coordinating in-depth regional case studies to evaluate if and how current teaching practices actually encourage inclusivity and civic engagement.

A third team, guided by the University of Cambridge (UoC) and the University of Siena (UNISI), is creating tools, like surveys and focus groups, to listen directly to the people involved. They want to measure how resilient students are to misinformation and how included they truly feel in their educational communities.

Teacher Training and the Role of Student Activism

Following the WP1 discussions, the seminar addressed practical examples of teacher training. During the seminar, teacher education experts Matti Rautiainen and Aleksi Fornaciari, from the University of Jyväskylä, presented on how democratic education and phenomenon-based teaching are integrated into Finnish teacher training. The session included a co-creation task designed to examine the concept of democracy within specific school environments.

A critical theme during these discussions was student activism. The consortium noted that democratic education should neither treat activism as a taboo nor as a free-for-all. Instead, the teacher’s role is to ensure that activism remains educative, voluntary, safe, pluralistic, evidence-informed, and connected to real decision-making.

Packing Our Bags: Researchers On The Move 

A key part of the I-CIVIC project involves an active mobility program for our researchers and professionals because we believe that to truly innovate, you have to step outside your comfort zone. The afternoon sessions were dedicated to planning these international exchanges, which will allow our team members to travel across Europe, collaborate directly with partner institutions, share best practices, and bring fresh perspectives back to their local educational communities.

Equality, Equity, and Social Inclusion 

The seminar closed with a powerful focus on equality and social justice, led by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (JYU).

Institute Director and Research Professor Taina Saarinen opened the floor by highlighting the frustrating gap between what schools promise on paper and the reality students face: true democracy means every student gets a seat at the table. Project researcher Elina Vaara then explored the attitudes of Nordic youth, stressing that if we want to reverse negative trends in civic participation, we must create tools that speak their language—including digital and online spaces.

Finally, researcher Sonya Sahradyan, an expert in migration and integration, reminded everyone that participation is never a given, especially for youth with immigrant backgrounds. To build true inclusion, we have to dismantle invisible barriers like language, digital divides, and lack of information. After all, democracy is rooted in our everyday, community-level experiences.

Next Steps for I-CIVIC 

The seminar concluded with a summary of key takeaways. A primary objective for the I-CIVIC project moving forward is the development of a conceptual framework and common vocabulary to define key concepts across the consortium. Final discussions reiterated that equity encompasses the core dimensions of social justice: recognition, redistribution, and genuine participation. 

I-Civic is funded by the European Union, under Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA).