Ei-iE

The EI Executive Board met in Berlin, Germany, from 27-29 March. Below is the list of the decisions taken by the Board:

1. EI 5th World Congress

The Board discussed arrangements of the forthcoming Congress and it will propose a total of six resolutions, of which four concern the main congress theme, "Educators – Joining Together for Quality Education and Social Justice".

2. EI Awards

After careful deliberation, the recipients of the Mary Hatwood Futrell Human and Trade Union Rights Award and Albert Shanker Education Award have been selected. The results will be made public in the near future and the awards will be given out at the EI Awards Dinner during the World Congress.

3. EI activities review

The Board reviewed the activities undertaken since the last meeting, many of which concern the achievement of quality public education for all, the growing number of unqualified teachers and the application of core labour standards. It was recalled that EI provided assistance to organisations in countries where these standards are grossly neglected, which include Colombia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Guatamala, Mexico and Japan. The Board also gave extra attention to the situation in Iran, where teachers have been detained for undertaking industrial action.

4. Relief work

The Board established parameters for EI’s Disaster Relief work, which forms part of the International’s solidarity programme. Relief work may entail humanitarian assistance to teachers and students as well as rehabilitation programmes which include teacher training or the reconstruction of union offices, teachers' homes and/or school buildings. For the latter work EI would seek the assistance of recognized relief agencies. Relief work would be initiated only at the request of member organisations in the disaster area. Local EI affiliates would therefore play an important role in implementing the relief programmes.

5. Task force on Public-Private Partnerships

A task force on Public-Private Partnerships was established by the Board. It will help develop policy on the issue and undertake a study identifying various PPP models and their positive or negative effects on the accessibility and quality of education.

6. EI Research Institute

The Board discussed the establishment an EI Research Institute and approved its governing documents. The Institute will support research activities of EI and its affiliates in order to contribute to the provision of quality education for all, enhancement of the status of teachers and education workers and to promote education for democracy, social justice and peace. It will collect and disseminate information and studies of strategic importance to affiliates and produce quality studies on topical issues in education and in human and trade union rights.

7. Middle East

At the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on the Middle East the Board decided to undertake a range of activities in this area, including a comprehensive union development programme for the region.

8. Executive Board Committees

The Board approved the congress resolutions proposed by the Status of Women Committee on Pay Equity and the Gender Dimensions of International Migration. It also approved the Committee’s recommendations regarding priorities for EI work in Gender Equality for the next 3-5 years. Recommendations submitted by the Constitution and By-laws Committee for amendments to the constitution were approved as well. The Board also accepted the proposal of the Finance Committee to approve the 2006 Financial Reports. Furthermore, it decided upon requests from a number of member organisations for special agreements on the payment of membership dues.

9. Six new EI member organisations

Six organizations were accepted as new members of Education International: • SYNTER/Burkina Faso, • SLET/Chad • NAGRAT/Ghana, • SNEF/Mauritania, • SNEM/Mauritania and • YTS/Yemen

SKTU/St Kitts and Nevis has been reinstated into EI membership.

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A more detailed preliminary report will soon be circulated to all member organisations.

For more information concerning the Board decisions mentioned above, please download the files mentioned below.