Ei-iE

Education trade unions worldwide are advocating for fully funded, inclusive public education systems to counter the rising tide of far-right nationalism and authoritarianism. This urgent plea was made during a breakout session titled “Mobilizing for Rights and Gender Equality in the Face of Far-Right Nationalism and Authoritarianism,” held on July 30th, 2024, at the 10th World Congress of Education International (EI).

The battleground of education

The session’s moderator and National Official for Equality and Training at the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union in the United Kingdom, Jennifer Moses, framed the discussion by highlighting the significant progress made in human rights over the past decades. However, she warned of the current pushback and violence from anti-rights and anti-gender movements driven by far-right political groups.

“These actors promote a narrow, hierarchical, and patriarchal vision of gender relations,” Moses explained. “They counter what they perceive as threats to national well-being, arising from feminism, social justice movements, and LGBTI+ rights.”

Education under siege

Moses emphasized that achieving the societal and legal shifts these far-right actors seek involves action on several fronts, with education being a critical battleground. Schools and universities have become targets for these agendas, with efforts to control access to educational institutions and dictate curricula. This includes banning gender-neutral language, imposing restrictions on uniforms and dress codes, and enacting curricular bans on gender or race-related content.

“In 2024, at least 60 UN member states had laws restricting freedom of expression, and 59 states had laws that could restrict the rights to peaceful assembly and association based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Moses noted.

The impact on marginalized communities

Moses warned that the actors pushing these restrictive laws are using false moral threats to undermine democratic norms. “The first to be impacted by these laws are already those who are the most marginalized in our societies,” she said.

Building a powerful movement

The session highlighted successful actions and lessons learned from various challenges. Representatives from different countries shared their experiences and strategies. For instance, Christine Sampson-Clark from the National Education Association in the United States, Paola Giménez from the Paraguayan Organización de Trabajadores de la Educación del Paraguay-Auténtica, Shiva Amelirad from the Cooperative Council of Iranian Teachers Trade Associations, Dorota Obidniak, coordinator of international cooperation and educational projects at the Polish Zwiazek Nauczycielstwa Polskiego, and Lorvica Matthews, executive officer for membership and communication of the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, all contributed valuable insights.

Call to action

In her closing remarks, Moses stressed the importance of collective action. “Countering these anti-rights, anti-feminist, and anti-democratic trends is everyone’s responsibility. We need strong union action across the board, driven by the collective voices of people of all genders.”

She also announced that EI will host a webinar on September 26th, 2024, featuring high-level experts tracking anti-rights actors in education.

EI’s LGBTI+ Caucus and Women’s Caucus tackling similar issues were also organized prior to the EI 10th World Congress. Learn more about these events and the Congress here.

Looking ahead

The fight for inclusive and equitable education continues, with trade unions at the forefront. As Moses rightly put it: “By working together, sharing our work, and supporting one another, we can build a powerful movement that stands up to far-right nationalism and authoritarianism and champions the rights of all.”