Ei-iE

“Teacher lay-offs, education budget cuts and salary cuts, and school closures are unacceptable as policy choices, and in those countries where such measures have been applied, they must be stopped.”

In the face of the global economic crisis, it is vitally important that governments invest significantly in public education, making it a cornerstone of economic recovery plans. Education International, the global union federation representing 30 million teachers around the world, is appealing to the international community to take urgent action...

EI welcomed the commitments made in Pittsburgh last week to put “quality jobs at the heart of the recovery” and “to strengthen support for the most vulnerable”.

Education International’s sixth Asia-Pacific Regional Conference finished today in Bangkok after three days of debates on a variety of problems confronting the teaching profession in the organisation’s largest region.

Below is the keynote address by Fred van Leeuwen, EI General Secretary, at the 6th Asia-Pacific Regional Conference held in Bangkok from 28-30 September 2009. The title of the conference is "Asia-Pacific Teacher Organisations’ Response to the Global Crises".

Education International welcomes the commitments made in Pittsburgh to put “quality jobs at the heart of the recovery” and “to strengthen support for the most vulnerable.” G20 announcements of more coordinated measures for recovery and growth, stronger financial regulation, and a role for the ILO all go in the right...

G20 Leaders responded to labour and civil society. They were “singing our song”. Now comes the hard part – getting governments to follow through

Will the G20 Leaders meeting in Pittsburgh this week agree on the coordinated action need for global recovery? Some positive signs from leaked letters and public statements. But will these signs be translated into real action?

Public investment in education must be significantly increased to meet growing enrolment demands and to confront the worldwide economic crisis, according to Education International, the global union federation representing 30 million teachers and education workers in 172 countries.

Colleagues,

Below is the opening address by EI General Secretary, Fred van Leeuwen, at the High Level Seminar on the impact of the economic crisis on education in central and eastern Europe in Warsaw from 2-4 September 2009.

Central bankers express cautious optimism about recovery. So does the IMF Chief Economist.

The 2009 G8 Summit was held in L’Aquila Italy from 8-10 July. Leaders of the G8 group’s member countries and the European Union were joined this year by the Heads of 20 other countries, and the Heads of 10 international organisations.

This week, the think-tank "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace" published a report on the response to the financial crisis in middle-income countries.

The US needs a 2nd stimulus; Federal programmes try to compensate for State and local budget cuts; teachers and support staff in California - host for NEA's 2009 Annual meeting - are hit hard by State budget impasse.

After weeks of negotiations, the wrap-up of the UN High Level Conference on the Financial and Economic Crisis last was a huge disappointment. The UN Summit was our opportunity to continue lobbying our demands on the global economic crisis after the Doha Conference on International Financing.

Madame Minister, other Government representatives, Mr. President of the Education International, distinguished guests, colleagues, comrades,

The UN summit on the financial crisis fails to take decisive action to deal with the gravity of the situation affecting developing countries. World media widely report civil society critique, including comments by ITUC….