Ei-iE

Go public! Fund education

Campaigns

Education unions around the world are joining forces to build inclusive quality public education for all. We are mobilising to fully fund public education systems and resist budget cuts, austerity, and privatisation.

Go Public! Fund Education is an urgent call for governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public good, and to invest more in teachers, the single most important factor in achieving quality education. This means guaranteeing labour rights and ensuring good working conditions, as well as manageable workloads and competitive salaries for teachers and education workers. It also means valuing teachers, respecting teachers ensuring they are central to decision-making, and trusting their pedagogical expertise.

We are working together across borders to guarantee every student’s right to have a well-supported qualified teacher and a quality learning environment. Let's act together in solidarity to Go Public and fund education.

Advocacy toolkit: From United Nations recommendations to action

  1. Future of work in education

    Activating the Recommendations of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession

    A Guide for Education Unions
    3 April 2024

    The High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession was convened by the United Nations Secretary-General in response to the global teacher shortage. The Panel brought together academics, ministers, former presidents, teachers and students and their unions.

    Activating the Recommendations of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession
    1. Download
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Activating the recommendations on teachers in crisis contexts

    United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession recommendations
    22 May 2024

    The High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession was convened by the United Nations Secretary General in response to the global teacher shortage. Tasked with providing policy advice for governments to ensure that every child’s right to a professionally-trained, qualified, and well-supported teacher is fulfilled, the Panel identified 59 recommendations.

    Activating the recommendations on teachers in crisis contexts
    1. Download
  3. Standards and working conditions

    Activating the recommendations for higher education

    The United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession Recommendations
    3 July 2024

    The High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession was convened by the United Nations Secretary General and brought together academics, ministers of education and labour, former presidents, employers’ organisations, teachers and students and their unions.

    Activating the recommendations for higher education
    1. Download
more: Advocacy toolkit: From United Nations recommendations to action

Campaign news

  1. Leading the profession 5 July 2024

    Empowerment at the forefront: Asia-Pacific women lead in education

    The first Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Women’s Conference, titled “Sisters in Solidarity: Empowering Action and Leadership in Education Unions Across Asia-Pacific,” marked a significant milestone in the journey toward gender equality in education. From July 2nd to July 4th, 2024, women leaders, trade unionists, and youth from 42 member...

    Read more Empowerment at the forefront: Asia-Pacific women lead in education
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 3 July 2024

    Global education leaders meet to accelerate progress towards quality education for all

    With only 6 years until the 2030 deadline, Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education for all is off track. Millions of children continue to be out of school, deprived of their right to education, while education systems struggle with an alarming shortage of 44 million teachers. In this context,...

    Read more Global education leaders meet to accelerate progress towards quality education for all
  3. Go public! Fund education 2 July 2024

    Go Public! G7 milestone achieved by Education International and member solidarity

    Education International (EI), alongside member organisations from G7 countries, sent a powerful message about the fundamental role of education unions and social dialogue ahead of the G7 Italy 2024 Ministerial meeting on Education.

    Read more Go Public! G7 milestone achieved by Education International and member solidarity
  4. Go public! Fund education 28 June 2024

    Fund education: An urgent appeal to the G7

    Call to the G7 Italy 2024 Ministerial meeting on Education

    Education International supports the following statement released ahead of the G7 Italy 2024 Ministerial meeting on Education, following an initiative of Federazione Lavoratori della Conoscenza (FLC-CGIL), concerned by the exclusion of education unions from this important convening:

    Read more Fund education: An urgent appeal to the G7
  5. Go public! Fund education 26 June 2024

    Addressing the teacher shortage crisis in Nepal: A call for action

    Nepal is grappling with a severe teacher shortage that threatens the future of its public education system. Despite the 2015 federal Constitution guaranteeing free and compulsory education, there is a critical shortage of over 65,000 teachers, particularly at lower secondary and secondary levels, to maintain national student-teacher ratios. Furthermore, 12.6...

    Read more Addressing the teacher shortage crisis in Nepal: A call for action
more: Campaign news

Take action!

  1. Go public! Fund education 13 September 2023

    World Teachers’ Day 2023: The teachers we need for the education we want

    Communications toolkit

    This World Teachers’ Day, join the global mobilisation calling on governments everywhere to invest in teachers and in quality public education.

    Read more World Teachers’ Day 2023: The teachers we need for the education we want
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists

    2 June 2023

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists is produced by Education International together with the Global Campaign for Education and ActionAid International. The toolkit is aimed at both civil society organisations and teachers’ unions across the globe campaigning for increased public funding to ensure the fundamental right to education.

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists
    1. Download
  3. Higher education and research 23 January 2023

    Go public! Fund education: Campaign toolkit

    Go Public! Fund education is Education International´s new campaign to mobilise funding for public education around the world. Funding public education improves pay, working conditions, and empowers teachers and education personnel to stay and thrive in the profession they love and the world needs.

    Read more Go public! Fund education: Campaign toolkit
  4. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Roadmap to financing education

    15 November 2016

    In an era where investment in education is declining and myriad shortcuts are popping up, Education International presents its rights-based Roadmap to sustainable, predictable and principled education financing.

    Roadmap to financing education
    1. Download

Research

  1. Go public! Fund education

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe

    An Overview on Funding of Higher and Further Education and Research, its Political and Socio-Economic Causes, and some Consequences, across the Globe
    15 May 2024

    This paper offers an overview on funding of higher and further education across the globe. Drawing on the best available comparative data, it shows how education is funded in different ways. It discusses, for example, how much different countries spend on higher education, how spending has changed over time, how...

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe
    1. Research Paper
    2. Summary
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Nepal | Education Fact Sheet

    27 June 2023

    Nepal’s school education system consists of at least one year of pre-primary education (also known as early childhood education and development or ECED), eight years of basic (grades 1-8) and four years of secondary (grades 9-12) education.

    Nepal | Education Fact Sheet
    1. Download
  3. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    India | Education Fact Sheet

    27 June 2023

    Mapping different indicators related to teachers, teachers’ education and teacher’ salary, this factsheet portrays the profile of teachers in India. It also presents the financing status of school education in India.

    India | Education Fact Sheet
    1. Download

Fund further and higher education and research

  1. Fighting the commercialisation of education 3 July 2024

    Shifting the burden: How an employer levy could transform Higher Education financing in the UK

    Higher education contributes over £70 billion to the United Kingdom's economy. However, despite this significant contribution, the current funding model relies heavily on student debt repayment over up to 40 years, often resulting in government losses.

    Read more Shifting the burden: How an employer levy could transform Higher Education financing in the UK
  2. Go public! Fund education 22 May 2024

    Universities at the turning point: Go Public! Fund Education

    More public funding of Higher Education is crucial for advancing global knowledge and innovation. Countries investing robustly in education often lead in Research & Development, driving forward their economies and societal advancements.

    Read more Universities at the turning point: Go Public! Fund Education
  3. Go public! Fund education

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe

    An Overview on Funding of Higher and Further Education and Research, its Political and Socio-Economic Causes, and some Consequences, across the Globe
    15 May 2024

    This paper offers an overview on funding of higher and further education across the globe. Drawing on the best available comparative data, it shows how education is funded in different ways. It discusses, for example, how much different countries spend on higher education, how spending has changed over time, how...

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe
    1. Research Paper
    2. Summary
  4. Standards and working conditions 26 April 2024

    Argentina marches for public education

    Thousands of people across Argentina rallied in defence of a fundamental pillar of their education system: public universities. Faced with a drastic budget cut of 70 percent and inflation of around 300 percent, the country’s public universities are in serious financial trouble.

    Read more Argentina marches for public education
  5. Standards and working conditions 17 April 2024

    Education Voices | Improving terms and conditions in higher education through collective bargaining in Denmark

    Tommy Dalegaard Madsen

    Tommy Dalegaard Madsen is the Chairman of DM’s Sectoral Board for Vocational Colleges, Vocational Academies and Maritime Education. DM represents 75,000 academic professionals in Denmark, and it is the most representative trade union in further and higher education. In this interview for Worlds of Education, he shares his perspectives on...

    Read more Education Voices | Improving terms and conditions in higher education through collective bargaining in Denmark
more: Fund further and higher education and research

Making the case for public education

  1. Standards and working conditions 22 April 2024

    ISTP 2024: Empowering teachers to shape equitable futures

    The 14th International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) is taking place in Singapore, from April 22-24, bringing together education ministers and leaders from education unions across 19 countries.

    Read more ISTP 2024: Empowering teachers to shape equitable futures
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 21 April 2024

    Bringing governments and education unions together

    David Edwards

    For the well-being of students, our communities and our countries, governments must increase investment in public education systems, including quality teacher training and professional development, guarantee labor rights and good working conditions, involve teacher unions in policymaking and trust and respect teachers and their professional expertise.

    Read more Bringing governments and education unions together
  3. Standards and working conditions 27 February 2024

    Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations

    Manal Hdaife

    Manal Hdaife is a school principal and chair of the Education International Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure Committee, deeply committed to advancing the cause of education in Lebanon. With a career dedicated to promoting teachers' rights and enhancing educational standards, Hdaife has emerged as a key advocate for public education...

    Read more Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations
  4. Standards and working conditions 27 February 2024

    Education voices | Elevating the Teacher Profession: High-Level Panel Recommendations explained

    Mike Thiruman

    Mike Thiruman, General Secretary of the Singapore Teachers' Union, embodies a profound dedication to teacher empowerment by enhancing working conditions, advocating for teacher agency, and fostering teacher wellness and growth. As a member of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, convened by the United Nations, Thiruman's insights are crucial...

    Read more Education voices | Elevating the Teacher Profession: High-Level Panel Recommendations explained
  5. Standards and working conditions 26 February 2024

    A call to action: implementing the UN recommendations to raise the status of the teaching profession

    David Edwards

    On February 26, the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession launched its 59 recommendations to governments to strengthen the profession and ensure that teachers are valued and respected. The Panel and its broad recommendations are the result of persistent union advocacy. It is incumbent upon Governments to implement...

    Read more A call to action: implementing the UN recommendations to raise the status of the teaching profession
more: Making the case for public education