Ei-iE

Education union communicators across Europe have placed the fight for public education at the heart of their common mission. Spearheaded by Education International (EI) and its European region, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), the Communicators’ Network will work together to strengthen advocacy for the future of public education in a social Europe.

Mobilising for public education

The Communicators’ Network met on November 13, ahead of the ETUCE conference, "Fighting for the Future of Public Education in a Social Europe," to be held in Budva, Montenegro, from November 26 -27. ETUCE President Larry Flanagan highlighted the main priorities of the upcoming conference, which include addressing the threats to public education and advocating for policies that support educators and students alike.

“One of the things that is challenging about Europe is that member organisations face quite different contexts across the region. But ETUCE speaks on behalf of all our member organisations and we lend strength to each other. The Conference is an opportunity for us to renew and reenergise our commitment to the values we all share,” Flanagan stressed.

Odile Cordelier, ETUCE Vice-President, emphasised the importance of raising the status and improving the attractiveness of the teaching profession. "It is important to make sure that ETUCE is a strong voice for education, teachers, and education personnel all over Europe. The issues of the attractiveness and status of the teaching profession have become a subject of mobilisation and trade union engagement across Europe," she explained.

Go Public! Fund Education across Europe

The EI “Go Public! Fund Education” global campaign was the focal point of the discussion, with Engjellushe Ibrahimi, International Relations Secretary for the Trade Union Federation of Education and Science of Albania (FSASH), sharing the experience of implementing the campaign in her country.

"Financing education is a problem in Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans. We will demand for 2025 that 20% of the national budget be allocated to education. Both FSASH and SPASH are implementing this campaign together, representing around 22,000 educators that work at the pre-university level. In the framework of this project, we have organised several activities, many workshops, as well as the biggest protest in many years, in front of the governmental building, on May Day this year. We are planning a strong two-year campaign.”

The project has three main pillars:

1. Education advocacy: Albanian unions have selected 20 regional leaders, 10 from each union, to be trained in workshops and activities to advocate for more funding for public education.
2. Policy analysis: Albanian unionists have had several meetings to analyse policy papers, documents, and legislation related to the education sector in the country. By the end of the project, they will produce recommendations and a policy paper that will inform their work in the future.
3. Trade union communication, campaigning and organising.

Looking ahead

Members of the Communicators’ Network for Europe are gearing up for the upcoming ETUCE Conference where they will have the opportunity to further share their know-how and best practices. The future of public education in Europe depends in great part on the collective efforts of dedicated communicators.

"Education International’s global Communicators’ Network began in Europe in 2002 and many of the original members are still active. This speaks to our enduring commitment to our common mission: advocating for strong and well-funded public education systems where teachers are afforded the pay, working conditions, trust, and respect they need to deliver the quality, inclusive education students deserve. With support from Education International and the ETUCE, Europe’s educators and storytellers are mobilising to make this vision of education a reality,” highlighted Rebeca Logan, EI Director for Campaigns and Communications.