Education International celebrates teachers, defends their rights and upholds standards
Tomorrow, October 5, 2006 marks the 12th annual World Teachers’ Day, proclaimed to acknowledge the teaching profession and celebrate the key role played by teachers everywhere in nurturing the next generation and building democratic societies.
This year is also significant because it is the 40th anniversary of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, a landmark document ratified October 5, 1966 by the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The ILO/UNESCO Recommendation is seen as a charter of rights and responsibilities for educators around the world.
As the global union federation representing 29 million teachers and education workers in more than 160 countries, Education International (EI) is well placed to evaluate the performance of national governments in terms of their record on teachers’ rights and their responsibility to provide quality public education for all.
EI will host a series of events in Brussels on World Teachers’ Day, starting with a panel discussion on quality teachers for quality education. Most newsworthy will be the release of a major report by EI to CEART, the Expert Committee that monitors compliance with the standards articulated in the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation. In the afternoon, an international round table will offer perspectives on implementation of Recommendation.
To learn more about the state of education and the challenges faced by educators worldwide, please join us on World Teachers’ Day:
Thursday, October 5 International Trade Union House 5, Boulevard du Roi Albert II
10:00 to 12:00 — Panel discussion with Frank Vandenbroucke, Flemish Minister of Education; Paul Holdsworth of the European Commission; Roger Godet of Belgium’s French Ministry for Education; Martin Rømer, ETUCE General Secretary; and Kounka Damianova of the Bulgarian Teachers’ Union.
12:15 to 12:45 — News conference to release Education International report with EI President Thulas Nxesi of South Africa and EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen.
13:00 — Luncheon: Journalists are invited to join speakers and participants for a buffet lunch.
14:30 to 16:30 — International Round Table with representatives of EI, Johanna Walgrave of the ILO, Georges Haddad of UNESCO, and Annelise Hostmark Tarrou, president of the CEART.
Media contact: Nancy Knickerbocker, Communications Coordinator, Education International, at 02 224 0681 (office) or 0476 850 701 (mobile).
