Global education movement advances on its priority themes
The 49th meeting of the Education International’s Executive Board will take stock of measures and actions taken and to be taken to implement its quadrennial programme for quality education as mandated by the 2015 World Congress.
From 4-6 April in Brussels, Belgium, Education International (EI) Executive Board (ExBo) members will monitor the implementation of resolutions and policy papers adopted at the 7th EI World Congress held in July 2015 in Ottawa, Canada.
They will also receive reports from events held since their last gathering, including the 10th Further and Higher Education and Research Conference, the meeting of the Research Network in the African region, the Refugees Conference, the Early Childhood Education Working Group, the Education Support Personnel Taskforce, the Development Cooperation meeting, the Conference on OECD matters, and the 2017 International Summit on the Teaching Profession.
Regional reports will be reviewed, including the reports of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) Conference and the Arab Countries Cross-Regional Structure (ACCRS) Conference.
On the agenda
The Global Response to the Privatisation and Globalisation in and of Education Campaign will also be high on the agenda. ExBo members will debate recent successes in this area, including moves against privatisation in Uganda and Kenya for example, and outstanding challenges in other countries. The Executive Board will hear a report on the efforts to undermine through legal action the opposition of KNUT in Kenya to its efforts to highlight the deficiencies of Bridge International’s schools in Kenya.
Aiming to enhance public education and access to education, the EI leaders will also focus on the implementation of the sustainable development goal 4, and seek to devise ways to put pressure on governments to reaching the quality education for all targets by 2030.
During a special session, Dr. Dennis Shirley, Professor of Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, USA, will make a presentation on the new imperatives for educational change needed to improve teaching and learning globally.
The EI Status of Women Committee will also report on the preparations for the 3rd EI World Women’s Conference, to take place in March 2018 in Marrakech, Morocco.
The EI ExBo members will hear a report on the change of venue for the 8th EI World Congress, from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in Thailand and also consider proposals for a theme for the Congress.