Brussels (Belgium), 14th January 2026 | OIDEL, in partnership with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group, organized a high-level event on educational pluralism at the European Parliament, bringing together Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and civil society leaders. The event was hosted by Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and MEP Mariateresa Vivaldini. Both Sberna and Vivaldini emphasized the primacy of parental rights and educational freedom in EU discussions on education.

Highlighting OIDEL’s Work
Josyane Zingg, co-author of OIDEL’s Freedom of Education Index (FEI), presented the Index and demonstrated how it can support advocacy for education pluralism at the European level.

Expert Perspectives

• Patricia Santos, professor at CEU University, underscored the FEI’s value from a philosophical and legal perspective, highlighting the link between educational freedom and minority rights.
• Tommaso Agasisti, professor at Politecnico di Milano, made the case for school choice from an economic perspective, emphasizing both efficiency and equity.
• Chiara Iannarelli, civil society leader and educator in Italy, shared her experience as a mother and teacher, revealing the challenges of an education system dominated by a public school monopoly.
• Pieter Moens, Chairman of the European Alliance for Christian Education (EACE), provided an overview of evangelical schooling in Europe and set out EACE’s vision for strengthening educational pluralism.

This event marks another step in OIDEL’s ongoing efforts to make pluralism a central part of education policy discussions in the European Parliament.