Ei-iE

IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde considers it a disgrace that multinational companies use their global reach to exploit loopholes and off shore tax havens to avoid paying taxes.

An international public opinion poll, commissioned by the International Trade Union Confederation from global market research company, TNS, shows deep uncertainty, fear and political dis-empowerment across a variety of countries and economies.

The Union of Education Norway (UEN), one of EI national affiliate, has joined in a strike action in defence of quality public services, as well as decent salaries and working conditions for public sector workers.

The newly launched Education in Crisis website has been updated with a new blog post by Steven Klees, Professor of International and Comparative Education at the University of Maryland. Prof. Klees looks at the roots of the current economic crisis and how the neoliberal agenda led to an education crisis.

Education throughout the world is in crisis. In many countries the current economic crisis is having a devastating effect on education. Public funding for education is being cut severely, resulting in cutbacks in staffing, in salaries, in pensions and in support services.

Two of the UK’s biggest trade unions have launched an historic joint agreement committing the trade unions to work together to protect teachers and defend education. The two unions, both EI affiliates, are the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT).

Education International welcomes the emphasis placed on investments in education by the leaders of eight of the world richest countries in their statement at the end of the G8 Summit at Camp David.

Education unions along with parents’ and students’ associations have called for a strike in Spain on May 22. The strike will make history, covering the whole education sector from Early Childhood Education up to university.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) hold their 2012 Spring Meetings in Washington, from 20-22 April. Global Unions, which includes EI, will be represented to bring the voice of workers to this key event.

The Spanish government has informed the country’s devolved Autonomous Regions about new ‘reform measures’ for public education to be passed by royal decree on Friday. They involve a €3 billion cut in the education budget which will necessitate an increase in teaching hours, the dismissal of 100,000 teaching staff and,...

The EI national affiliate, the Education, Science and Culture Trade Union of Slovenia (ESTUS), has called for strike action by its members on 18 April. The trade union is opposed to an amendment to the 2012 national budget adopted by the Government which includes significant cuts in the budget for...

EI representatives have been interviewed on radio recently, informing and raising awareness among the general public about the impact of the economic crisis on education and on educators’ training and professional development.

The economic crisis is being used to justify the complete deregulation and privatisation of public services in order to reduce costs. Widespread cuts in expenditure on public education are damaging both quality and equality of access to education, as well as undermining the status of teachers and teaching. Read more...

The Committee of EI European region, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), met with Ole Christensen and Alejandro Cercas, members of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs at the European Parliament, together with three more MEPs.

On 22 March, Portugal woke up to a general strike, supported by EI’s affiliate, Federaçao Nacional dos Professores (FENPROF). The devastating cuts to essential public services, including education, have essentially become an attack on the Portuguese people. Unions and civil society demand new social policy and a change in direction...

Almost 50,000 teachers and education support staff in The Netherlands showed their anger today over plans by the Dutch government to cut the country’s special education budget by €300 million. The measure would increase class sizes and may cause more than 3,000 teachers and support staff to lose their jobs...

Almost 50,000 teachers and education support staff in The Netherlands showed their anger today over plans by the Dutch government to cut the country’s special education budget by €300 million. The measure would increase class sizes and may cause some 3,000 teachers and support staff to lose their jobs by...