Ei-iE

The 7th Education International (EI) World Congress meeting in Ottawa, Canada, from 21nd to 26th July 2015:

Notes:

1. That there is robust evidence demonstrating the link between quality education and equity of educational rights and entitlements;

2. That schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions have a critical role to play in promoting equality and diversity and in tackling inequality, including that based on the ethnicity, religion and nationality;

3. That education institutions contribute most effectively to transforming lives and life chances when they exist as inclusive communities in which the rights and entitlements of all members - staff, students and other stakeholders - are safeguarded and promoted;

4. The excellent work undertaken by Education International in standing up for migrant teachers and in developing a global strategy through the work of the Teacher Migration Task Force.

Further notes:

5. That teacher mobility is a global phenomenon that requires a concerted and coordinated effort to curb the violation of migrant teachers’ labour rights;

6. That migrant teachers often face unfair treatment, discrimination and racism;

7. That migrant teachers also face exploitation from governments and employers and, together with migrant workers in other sectors, are victimized and blamed for wider social problems;

8. That economic austerity policy in many countries has increased the extent of discrimination, scapegoating and exploitation of migrant teachers.

Believes:

9. That the exchange of ideas and experiences between teachers from different nationalities and ethnic and religious backgrounds benefits education systems, enriches the curriculum and benefits students;

10. That migrant teachers make a vitally important and necessary contribution to the provision of quality education systems;

11. Migrant teachers should enjoy the right to dignity at work, free from any form of discrimination;

12. That teacher mobility should be supported and assisted on the basis of an internationally recognised and integrated framework of teacher qualifications.

Resolves:

13. To support the work of member organisations in promoting equality for migrant teachers.

14. To continue to support the work of Education International in working with supra-national organisations, including UNECSO and the ILO, to promote the benefits of teacher mobility;

15. To campaign for the equal treatment of migrant teachers and education support personnel and to end the unscrupulous actions of some employment agencies.