New report examines multilingual education policy in 16 EU Member States

The SIRIUS Watch 2026 report has been published, offering important insights into how European education systems support migrant and refugee learners.

Titled “Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Language Support and Multilingual Education,” the report draws on data from 16 EU Member States to present a comprehensive picture of the current state of language support in education across Europe.

Key Findings

The report identifies several critical challenges:

• Uneven access and quality — While language support exists in some form across Europe, the quality and accessibility of that support vary significantly from country to country.
• First and family languages remain sidelined — Support for learners’ first and family languages is still largely optional or dependent on individual projects, rather than being embedded within mainstream education systems.
• Inconsistent teacher training — Training for educators in multilingual and intercultural education is often voluntary rather than a mandatory part of professional development.
• Fragmented data systems — Inconsistent and disconnected data collection across countries limits the ability to design evidence-based education policies.

About SIRIUS

NEPC is proud to be part of the SIRIUS network, an international Policy Network on Migrant Education co-funded by the European Commission. The network is dedicated to building a more inclusive Europe through evidence-based education policy.

Our Commitment

At NEPC, we firmly believe that multilingualism is not a barrier — it is an asset. We remain committed to promoting stronger support for multilingualism and ensuring that every learner’s linguistic background is recognised, valued, and nurtured.