Ei-iE

Instead of sending each of its members a Christmas card, the EI affiliated Swedish Teachers’ Union, Lärarförbundet, decided to give 50,000 Swedish Krona (around €5,600) to EI’s Solidarity Fund.

EI’s national affiliate, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), has sponsored 400 teachers to upgrade their professional skills.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) held its 51st National Delegates’ Conference in Accra, Ghana, on 5-10 January. Delegates discussed and adopted a five-year strategic plan to further improve the standing of the teaching profession in the country.

EI has welcomed the work done by A World at School to ensure that Syrian children get access to quality education. A World at School is a global initiative to mobilise efforts to deliver education and learning to the 57 million children globally who miss out on education.

EI has strongly condemned the continued disproportionate violence perpetrated by Cambodian authorities against striking garment workers. Five workers have been killed, dozens injured and at least 39 arrested. The strike has been halted but demands for an increased minimum wage are maintained.

Kim Jeonghun, the president of EI affiliate Korean Teachers’ Union (KTU), has been released. Having been arrested illegally on 22 December 2013, Kim received widespread international support and the warrant for his detention was overruled by a judge, leading to his release on 25 December.

The Global Labour University (GLU) invites trade unionists and labour activists to apply for its Masters in ‘Labour Policies and Globalisation’ course offered by the University of Kassel and the Berlin School of Economics and Law in Germany, and the newly launched GLU Masters in ‘Labour and Global Workers’ Rights’...

Education International has expressed grave concern at the escalating violence against legitimate trade union organisations in South Korea. Authorities have staged raids in the last few days, including against one of EI's affiliates in the country, the Korean Teachers' Union (KTU).

The Pan-Africa Teachers’ Centre (PATC) and EI African regional office (EIRAF) have joined UNESCO, UNICEF and several progressive regional and international organisations in coordinating a project to develop, print, validate and pilot a UNESCO guide on gender mainstreaming containing 10 modules to be used in Teacher Training Institutions (TEIs) in...

A book writers’ workshop was organised by EI’s affiliates in Tanzania in collaboration with the national Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MoEVT), in Dar es Salaam, from 2-11 September. The workshop was organised in collaboration with the Pan African Teachers’ Centre (PATC), under the umbrella of EI’s Unite for...

The EI Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure (ACCRS) Standing Committee affirmed its commitment to EI’s Unite for Quality Education (Unite) campaign at its third meeting in Beirut, Lebanon, from 13-14 December.

National laws, especially on gender issues, came under the spotlight at an International Labour Organisation (ILO)/National Laws Seminar evaluation and planning meeting attended by six EI affiliates from Sri Lanka. The seminar was organised by EI and its Norwegian affiliate, UEN, in Colombo, from 13-15 December.

The contribution of migrants to their host countries and countries of origin must be recognised. That’s according to Global Unions, the international trade union organisations, which include EI. Global Unions made the call to mark International Migrants’ Day on 18 December. In their statement, the Global Unions call for the...

The Central European University (CEU) is calling for applications for its third annual European Award for excellence in teaching in the social sciences and humanities. The award, launched in 2011 to mark the CEU’s 20th anniversary, is the first and only such pan-European honour and is accompanied by a €5,000...

EI has welcomed a European Citizens’ Initiative calling on governments not to count education spending as part of the deficit. The initiative proposes to “exclude from the calculation of each country's public spending deficit, that part of Government spending for education that is lower than the last five-year Eurozone average”.

Strengthening the participation of women in decision-making structures was the focus of EI Latin America’s Women Education Workers’ Network when it met in Costa Rica on 27-29 November.

The Berlin branch of the Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft(GEW), one of EI’s national affiliates, organised a hugely successful industrial action on 4-5 December. More than 2,400 teachers and about 150 pupils participated in the strike, demanding improved living and working conditions for education staff.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), two of EI’s national affiliates, have called on the Government to engage in honest social dialogue to ensure quality education in the country.