Education unionists worldwide unite for quality public education
On 4 October, on the eve of World Teachers’ Day, representatives of Education International (EI), its affiliates, and international and civil society organisations, will gather at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France to mark the launch of EI’s Global Year of Action, “Unite for Quality Education: Better Education for a Better World” by VIP guests. A simultaneous launch event will take place at the UN headquarters in New York.
Later in the morning of 4th October UNESCO will hold its celebration of the 2013 World Teachers’ Day, under the theme “A call for teachers”.
This event will begin with a keynote presentation, “Teachers for 2015 and beyond”, by Ms Pauline Rose, Director of the EFA Global Monitoring Report, and a panel discussion will follow around the topic “Teachers and global citizenship: Innovation in Pedagogy and Competences for Teachers”.
At 3pm Paris time, EI’S Global Year of Action, “Unite for Quality Education: Better Education for a Better World”, will be launched by UNESCO Director-General Ms Irina Bokova and EI General Secretary Mr Fred van Leeuwen.
In addition, www.unite4education.org will be unveiled and there will be a preview of the EI documentary, “A Day in the Life of a Teacher”.
This will be followed by a Global Teachers’ Forum which will analyse the major barriers to better quality education for a better world. Commitments will be sought from the EI member organisation leaders and participants on their commitments and plans for the forthcoming year of action.
“We are thrilled to be launching our one-year campaign, Unite for Quality Education,” said Mr van Leeuwen. “The settings for the joint launch events - the UNESCO HQ in Paris and the UNICEF HQ in New York – could not be more appropriate. And it is fitting that we launch it on the eve of World Teachers’ Day, two years before the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Education for All. Quality education is, will, and must stay high on the global development agenda.”
He added that “the energy and activities of EI affiliates, inter-governmental bodies, and civil societies will ensure the success of this campaign. Unite for Quality Education is aimed at reminding the world of the importance of quality teachers, quality learning and teaching environment, and quality learning and teaching tools for a bright and sustainable future for all societies.”
