Ei-iE

The Australian Education Union has published a report showing a significant digital gap during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lack of digital inclusion for public school students.

Education International’s affiliates in the United States have reasserted the need for public authorities to listen to the voice of educators and their professional organisations when reopening schools and education institutions, and to deliver proper funding for the education sector.

Education unions in the UK have voiced deep concern concerning the reopening of schools and education institutions planned for September.

As COVID-19 cases increased in Palestine, the General Union of Palestinian Teachers, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, led a project on e-learning. This has assumed greater significance as schools will not reopen in August as had been previously planned.

Representatives of French teachers’ unions have impressed upon public authorities the need to establish a real social dialogue to ensure high-quality education for all during and after the current global pandemic. In particular, they point to the statement adopted by the Education International European Region, ETUCE; which makes recommendations for...

The Government of Zimbabwe announced that schools would reopen, already for examinations in late June and move forward in steps in the following weeks to re-open schools despite risks of an intensification of COVID-19 infections. Education trade unions challenged the re-openings as unsafe and premature and called for social dialogue...

The Bahrain Teachers’ Association has made proposals regarding the reopening of schools and education institutions for the next academic year, 2020-2021, stressing seven measures to be taken.

The 10th edition of the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) took place on 2 June 2020, in a webinar format. Co-hosted by Education International and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ISTP brought together education ministers and education unions for a discussion on the impact...

Organised teachers in Cameroon have warned the government that a resumption of classes on 1 June carried out without sufficient preliminary planning would put the educational community in danger. They have especially insisted on reduced class sizes and the provision of masks and hand sanitizer.

In Kenya, education unions have joined with civil society organisations in presenting public authorities with recommendations and steps to be taken to guarantee a safe reopening of schools and education institutions.

The member organisations of Education International in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have collectively informed the public authorities of the six conditions they insist must be met before schools and teaching institutions are reopened.

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has expressed grave concern at government plans to reopen schools and education institutions on 1 June. Urging the government to prioritise safety, the union has compiled preconditions and non-negotiable items to be met before any educators resume on-site teaching.

French teachers have reacted to the government’s announcement of the relaxation of the lockdown and reopening of school facilities from 11 May, asking the public authorities for an assurance that the school year will be restarted with face-to-face education and full health safety measures to prevent the propagation of COVID-19...

The four Moroccan affiliates of Education International have met with the Ministry of Education to highlight ways to ensure quality education and a safe return to class in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Members of teacher unions in Senegal want to avoid the current school and university year being left “blank” because of the COVID-19 epidemic. While they acknowledge that distance learning is helping education to continue, they insist on an organised recovery of the academic year at educational facilities with proper safety...