Proceedings of the event on educational inequalities in Athens under the LINEup project

LINEup event in Athens 2025

The second LINEup Conference, titled “Understanding Educational Inequalities through Longitudinal Data: Building Evidence, Shaping Education”, took place in Athens on 17th October 2025 and gathered over one hundred participants, including policymakers, researchers, teachers, and school leaders, to explore how longitudinal data can address educational inequalities.

Organised by the Computer Technology Institute and Press “Diophantus” (CTI), the Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE), and the University of Piraeus Research Centre (UPRC), the event fostered a dialogue between research, policy, and practice on evidence-informed approaches to equity in education.

Speakers stressed the importance of moving beyond static attainment measures towards longitudinal analyses that reveal how inequalities evolve throughout learners’ trajectories. They also highlighted the need to translate research findings into practical policies supported by strong governance, transparent data, and professional capacity. Moderated by Altheo Valentini, with contributions from Veronica Mobilio (Fondazione per la Scuola), Emmanuele Pavolini (University of Milano Statale), and Gianluca Argentin (University of Milano Bicocca), the discussion explored Europe’s landscape of longitudinal data.

A major milestone was the launch of the LINEup Education Data Explorer, an open and interactive platform integrating over 100 national, regional, and local longitudinal datasets across 24 countries. The tool enables users to map, compare, and analyse learning outcomes, skills, and contextual factors, facilitating comparative research and informed policy development.

Two panels followed: the first, “Insights from the LINEup Longitudinal Data Analysis”, moderated by Veronica Mobilio (Fondazione per la Scuola), featured Emmanuele Pavolini (University of Milano Statale), Gianluca Argentin (University of Milano Bicocca), and joining online Luis Ortis (University Pompeu Fabra) and Martin Neugebauer (Karlsruhe University of Education).

This panel presented interim findings from LINEup’s longitudinal data analysis and harmonization efforts, offering insights into emerging patterns, data comparability, and methodological challenges and opportunities. The second panel, “How Longitudinal Data Can Transform Education Policies and Practices”, moderated by Ioannis Cholezas (KEPE) with contributions from Konstantinos Dimopoulos (University of the Peloponnese), Katja Upadyaya (University of Helsinki), and Marta Soler-Gallart (University of Barcelona), explored evidence-based approaches in policymaking and intervention design.

The final remarks were given by Bartek Lessaer (European Commission), who concluded by calling for stronger alignment between research and policymaking.

He emphasized that the LINEup event in Athens could be considered the first step for the creation of a community dedicated to longitudinal data, bringing together researchers from LINEup project and other initiatives funded under the same Horizon call. He encouraged greater cooperation and joint efforts among all the projects, noting that the European Commission would also explore ways to advance this work further.

Bartek Lessaer further noted that although early academic performance, such as primary school grades, can predict later achievement, education data alone provides only a partial picture. It is equally important, he argued, to assess whether the degrees obtained lead to fulfilling and well-matched careers. Without this perspective, progress toward quantitative education targets remains incomplete. Hence, he concluded, longitudinal data should become a standard tool for capturing the full continuum of educational and professional trajectories.

Highlights, key concepts and inspiring ideas from the panels and speakers were captured by the Visual Facilitator, Marco Serra, through graphic recording. Using visual storytelling techniques, he created illustrative summaries that made the session’s content more engaging and supported active audience participation. See the tables here:

• Event introduction
• The 1st graphic panel session (1st part)
• The 2nd graphic panel session (2nd part)
• The 2nd panel session

Thematic Workshops

In the afternoon, three specialised workshops complemented the plenary discussions, each addressing different target groups.

Teachers’ Workshop – Unpacking Educational Inequalities

Led by UPRC, 40 teachers explored how school culture and language shape inclusion. The works, addressed to primary and secondary school teachers, were introduced by a presentation from Konstantinos Andronikidis (Education Policy Manager at European Schoolnet), and focused on inclusive practices and classroom strategies that foster student engagement and belonging. He framed the discussion by linking the broader challenges of inclusion with teachers’ professional development. His remarks set the stage for an interactive and practice-oriented session focused on reflection, dialogue, and collaboration.

Research Workshop – Strengthening Research through Longitudinal Data

Coordinated by KEPE, the research workshop explored how longitudinal data can deepen understanding of educational inequality.

Orazio Giancola (Sapienza University of Rome) demonstrated how linking international datasets such as PISA and PIAAC can trace the evolution of early disadvantages over time, with comments from Alessia Messuti (ILO) and Andrea Pastorelli.

Artur Pokropek (Polish Academy of Science) highlighted the need for methodological innovation, digital measurement, and stronger collaboration between researchers and practitioners, with discussion from Massimo Loi (DEEP) and Adrien Pawlik (IDEE), who examined the institutional and resource challenges of sustaining longitudinal research.

Apostolis Dimitropoulos (PhD, Education Policy, Special Advisor on Education Issues to the Presidency of the Government, former Secretary General for Higher Education, Ministry of Education), supported by Francesca Borgovoni (OECD) and Christos Koutsampelas (University of the Peloponnese), underscored Greece’s need for a robust educational data infrastructure that connects learning outcomes with labour market results.

Policy Workshop – Integrating Longitudinal Data into Policy

The policy workshop was organised by CTI and focused on two priorities: embedding longitudinal data into decision-making and improving data governance. Nuno Neto Rodrigues (DGEEC) opened the workshop on the role of longitudinal data in education policy. He provided context and shared insights on the opportunities and challenges of integrating longitudinal data into policy-making processes. Participants agreed that any integration must respect each country’s governance model, whether centralised or decentralised, and emphasised building trust to ensure data informs rather than dictates policy. Accessible tools, such as dashboards and concise policy briefs, along with improved data literacy among educators, were highlighted as key.

Across all workshops, a clear consensus emerged: tackling educational inequalities requires shifting from measuring gaps to understanding trajectories, supported by participatory, trustworthy, and professionally competent data practices. By convening a multi-professional community and launching the LINEup Education Data Explorer, the LINEup Interim Event in Athens played a constructive role in fostering the use of longitudinal evidence within European education policy, underscoring the growing recognition of data as a valuable tool for promoting more equitable and informed education systems. The event also featured sister projects, reinforcing collaboration and ongoing mutual promotion of initiatives focusing on the importance of longitudinal data.