Ei-iE

The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) has opened a call for external expertise on a Europe-wide survey on the impact of psycho-social factors on teachers.

Italian student protesters have been out in force in the capital, Rome, and other cities as MPs debate a bill on education reform.

Representatives of teachers’ unions from around the world make significant progress towards adopting a collective policy document at EI’s Annual Development Cooperation meeting in Brussels, Belgium, from 18-19 November.

Teachers from the Dominican Republic have been holding demonstrations throughout November to demand 4 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) be spent on education in 2011.

On 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, EI pledges to accelerate its awareness programmes and union education activities to prevent violence against women.

“Today is a good day for teacher trade unionism in Europe. We are showing unity and solidarity, and are going be able to use our resources more effectively."

The average age at which people come out as gay, lesbian or bisexual has fallen steadily over the last four decades, according to the British gay rights group, Stonewall.

Videoclips are now online to promote EI’s first World Women’s Conference, On the Move for Equality, which is being held from 20-23 January, 2011, in Bangkok, Thailand.

EI President, Susan Hopgood, joined the Global Unions Summit at the G20 meetings in Seoul, South Korea, and met with EI national affiliates.

The Latin America Regional Meeting on Public Education and Native Peoples has concluded with EI commitment to quality bilingual inter-cultural public education and respect for existing cultural diversity.

EI will join the Global Unions at the G20 meetings, in Seoul, South Korea, to advocate for investment in education to remain high up the G20 recovery plan. EI will also call on the Korean government to respect trade union rights.

As donor nations meet in Madrid, EI has renewed its calls for a Financial Transactions’ Tax. The lack of support from the west could force poor countries to shut schools and sack teachers, depriving millions of children of education.

EI has launched a new Urgent Action Appeal to call on the Government of Colombia to release Miguel Ángel Beltrán Villegas, a university professor and trade unionist who has been imprisoned.

OECD education ministers have reaffirmed their view that reforming education systems around the world will be necessary to reinforce the social and economic benefits of education.

Education Ministers from 38 countries met in Paris last week, 4-5 November with a theme of investing in education and training.

The member-led Executive Board of EI met in Brussels on 26-28 October to agree strategic policy decisions that will guide the work of the global union over the next period of time.

EI’s Executive Board has approved a resolution of solidarity with the Cyprus Turkish Teachers’ Trade Union (KTOS) and Cyprus Turkish Secondary Education Teachers' Union (KTOEOS).

The Belgian government has announced plans to use its EU presidency to put the Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) on the G20 agenda held in Seoul, Korea, from 11-12 November.