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A report on violence in schools published last week by Plan International is sensationalist and unjustly targets teachers, said EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen in an address to the first congress of the South African teachers union NAPTOSA on 15 October.

Within the framework of EI's new Middle East and North Africa (MENA) programme, EI organized two training workshops with EI members in Lebanon, the League of Secondary Public School Teachers in Lebanon (LPESPL) and the Teachers’ Syndicate in Lebanon (TSL).

The Global Call for Action Against Poverty, a growing movement of citizens across the world, is urging everyone once again to stand up and take action against poverty, and for equity and justice.

With the country in turmoil, the public education system in a state of collapse, and teachers under attack, Education International is deeply concerned that Somali teachers and students are suffering profound violations of their rights on a daily basis.

The EI EFAIDS Evaluation and Planning Workshop for EI staff and partners was held in early September and provided an opportunity to review the Programme which has expanded steadily since 2006 and is now successfully implemented in almost fifty countries across four regions.

Education International is joining with trade unions in 115 countries in strong support of October 7, the World Day for Decent Work, and the campaign launched by the International Trade Union Federation to demand change in the world economy.

Education, schools and children will ultimately pay the highest price as the global financial crisis hits communities everywhere, EI Vice-President Patrick Gonthier warned participants in a Round Table held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on 3 October to commemorate World Teachers’ Day 2008.

Teachers from across Central and Eastern Europe are reaching out to colleagues facing difficult circumstances in Georgia, Montenegro and Turkey. Representatives of 26 organisations from 17 countries met in Zagreb, Croatia, from 2-4 October.

The validation conference of the joint campaign organized by Education International and the European Student Union, “Let’s Go! Where to now?”, is being held in Villeneuve d’Ascq, France.

At its meeting this week in Brussels, the Executive Board of Education International accepted the resignation of two of its members, Yasuo Morikoshi (Nikkyoso/Japan) and Marilies Rettig (Canadian Teachers' Federation/Canada) and thanked them for their active and valuable engagement in EI's work. In their place, the Board appointed Yuzuru Nakamura...

Governments the world over must address the dramatic shortage of qualified teachers if they are to meet the social and economic challenges of the knowledge society, according to Education International, the global union federation representing 30 million teachers around the world.

Education trade union leaders are meeting in Zagreb to celebrate World Teachers’ Day at the Central and Eastern European Round Table meeting to be hosted by TUWPSEC, one of the five Croatian affiliates of Education International.

EI is organising a seminar in November for its member organisations in the Pan-European region to address the challenges faced by education unions in implementing effective non-discrimination policies related to the rights of lesbian and gay teachers and students.

Education International regrets to announce the passing of Faustin Kanamugire, General Secretary of the former "Equipes Enseignantes du Rwanda" (EER), now known as the "Syndicat des Personnels de l'Enseignement du Rwanda" (SYPERWA).

EI and other member organisations of the Global March Against Child Labour met in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 16-18 September for a Pan-Europe and Maghreb regional conference. The Global March Against Child Labour is the most highly-recognised global alliance which campaigns against child labour and for universal education. EI sits on...

Iranian teachers trying to attend a trade union meeting have been illegally detained in Iran. Teacher trade unions convened the meeting to give members the opportunity to peacefully discuss possible activities to celebrate World Teachers Day. Every year on 5 October, millions of educators worldwide undertake public activities highlighting that...

Human Rights in China has learned that Liu Shaokun, a teacher who was sentenced to one year of Re-education Through Labour after posting online his photographs of collapsed school buildings in earthquake-affected areas, was released by the authorities on 24 September. He will now be permitted to serve his sentence...

The President of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, who was illegally arrested and held incommunicado under appalling conditions, has now been released from prison.