Ei-iE

The Ministers responsible for higher education in 47 countries of Europe gathered at the 10th Anniversary Bologna Ministerial Conference, celebrated on 11-12 Mar in Budapest and Vienna, for the official launch of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Two EI member organisations reacted to the Maurice Smith Review released today, which recommends that "teachers in England should not be banned from membership of the British National Party (BNP) or any group which may promote racism".

To date, a total of 250,000 US dollars have been raised after the Urgent Action Appeal launched by EI for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit the country on 12 Jan.

A major study of the professional knowledge and experience of Aboriginal teachers in Canadian public schools was released today at a special Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) event on Aboriginal education.

Lebanese teachers have so far received no response from the authorities concerning their demand of 24 Feb. Thousands of teachers from public secondary schools and vocational institutes took part in an industrial action that day, which was unprecedented in size and turnout.

A panel on “Homophobia within the Education System” was held on 5 Mar in New York at the 54th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

Every year on 8 Mar, women from all around the world come together to celebrate their Day. It is a day to evaluate the progress made in and the remaining challenges towards achieving gender equality.

The four Global Unions at the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW) currently held in New York issued an open letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, expressing their outrage at the process and substance of the event.

EI has been informed that the High Court in Izmir decided yesterday to postpone until 22 June 2010 its decision in the case concerning 31 public sector unionists, including 27 teachers.

Education International has just published a report on “Enhancing Quality – Academics’ Perceptions of the Bologna Process” specially aimed for dissemination at the Bologna Anniversary Conference taking place in Budapest and Vienna in March 2010.

The trade union delegation present in New York at the 54th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women(UNCSW) denounces the absolute lack of dialogue with civil society during this critical forum to achieve gender equality.

EI is expecting the decision of the High Court in Izmir today on the case of 31 public sector unionists, including 27 teachers. They are charged with providing “intellectual support to illegal organisations”.

After the catastrophic events last weekend when an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Chile, on behalf of all member organisations around the world, EI expresses its concern and support to the Colegio de Profesores de Chile (CPC) and the Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación Chilena (CONATECH).

More than 1,100 teachers lost their lives in the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti on 12 January, according to estimates by leaders of the Haitian teachers’ union. But Jean Lavaud and Rene Jolibois of the Confederation Nationale des Educateurs d'Haiti (CNEH) said they have been overwhelmed by the solidarity shown...

The strike committee of the Educators and Scientists Free Trade Union of Georgia (ESFTUG) has decided to postpone the teacher strike due to start on 2 March nationwide.

Together with representatives of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and Belgian trade union centres FGTB and CGSLB, EI held an audience with the advisor to the Turkish ambassador on 26 Feb in Brussels.

EI is very concerned about the continuous governmental interference the Iraqi Teachers' Union (ITU) is experiencing. The ITU, an organisation currently applying for EI membership, continues to face extreme attacks from the Iraqi government which wants to control the union.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will review the progress achieved on the commitments made in the Beijing Platform for Action, a global policy framework to advance gender equality formulated in 1995.