Our work in this area
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News 27 January 2022 France: Education workers take to the streets against the downgrading of their pay
Many education unions are part of the multi-union group that launched the cross-sector call for strike action on wages and pensions in France. They are demanding pay rises, defending jobs and working conditions and deploring the fact that in the public education sector salaries are being so starkly downgraded.
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News 24 January 2022 International Day of Education reality check: Governments are failing students and teachers
As the biggest education crisis in history enters its third year, teachers call on governments to truly prioritise education, invest in the sector, and support the profession.
International Day of Education reality check: Governments are failing students and teachers -
News 21 January 2022 Mexico: priority vaccination for education workers
On 8 January, the rollout of the COVID-19 booster vaccine for education workers began in Mexico.
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News 20 January 2022 France: unions continue to mobilise for improved health and working conditions in education
Following the strongly supported strike on 13 January , the French trade union federations have called for another day of action on 20 January to continue to demand adequate health conditions to protect against COVID-19 in schools and an improvement in the status of teachers.
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News 19 January 2022 Romania: Education unions mobilise for decent living and working conditions
The Fédération des Syndicats Libres de l'Enseignement (FSLE) and the Fédération des syndicats de l’éducation Spiru Haret, both Romanian affiliates of Education International, organised a warning strike on 19 January. They are demanding decent wages and working conditions for education workers.
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News 13 January 2022 France: wide participation in strike action against the management of the health crisis in schools
Education unions in France mobilised on 13 January calling for staff to be respected and that schools have the resources they need to function amid the COVID-19 health crisis. The trigger for the strike was the health protocol for schools, announced in the press just hours before the start of...
France: wide participation in strike action against the management of the health crisis in schools -
News 15 December 2021 Iraq: Reforms needed for quality education
Reforms in education must be carried out efficiently and the government must prioritise improvements in education at all levels. That’s according to the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union (KTU) which believes that positive changes in society originate in the education system.
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News 9 December 2021 Francophonie: education and the trade union movement show their resilience in face of the health crisis
The theme of the XVIIth meeting of the Comité syndical francophone de l'éducation et de la formation (CSFEF), which brings together the education unions of French-speaking countries, was “Schools as a vehicle for solidarity and development - if countries give themselves the means”. Participants noted that unions have been very...
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News 8 December 2021 Gabon: teacher trade unionists demand respect for social dialogue and government commitments
Since 15 October, teachers belonging to the National Education Union (Syndicat de l’Éducation nationale - SENA) have been engaged in strike action in order to achieve their demands and ensure that the commitments made by the government are respected.
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News 24 November 2021 Fiji: Minister’s “belittling attacks” on teachers’ professionalism must cease immediately
The Fiji Teachers’ Union (FTU) is urging public authorities to put a halt to the belittling of educators’ qualifications and professionalism in the public media.
Fiji: Minister’s “belittling attacks” on teachers’ professionalism must cease immediately -
Worlds of Education 19 November 2021 In-person schooling during the pandemic: collective bargaining vs. political profiteering
Noemi Esther Tejeda
During 2020, as part of the prevention and isolation measures taken in response to Covid-19, Argentina’s national government passed a decree suspending in-person classes throughout the country. The decision was backed by an institutional framework for social and political support.
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News 18 November 2021 How are teachers feeling around the world?
Launch of the International Barometer on Education Personnel’s Health and Well-being
The first edition of the International Barometer on Education Personnel’s Health and Well-being, based on a survey of 8,000 teachers in six countries on three continents, offers a unique insight into the experiences of teachers in 2021. By analysing issues related to their working conditions, their feelings about their profession...
How are teachers feeling around the world? -
News 17 November 2021 UK: Overworked higher education staff back industrial action
University and College Union (UCU) members working in UK universities have backed strike action in a ballot over cuts to pensions. This comes in light of a recent report which revealed a mental health crisis and one in five university staff working the equivalent of two extra days per week.
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News 16 November 2021 Japan: Educators pay tribute to colleagues and students lost to the COVID-19 pandemic
On 24 October, the Japan Teachers’ Union (JTU) held a tribute ceremony at the Education Tower in the Osaka Castle Park to pay homage to educators and children who have lost their lives. This year, a special focus was placed on educators and students who died as a result of...
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Worlds of Education 29 October 2021 UNICEF’s Innocenti Report on teacher absenteeism in Africa: The wrong approach at the worst time
Dennis Sinyolo
This year, as the education community around the world gathered to mark World Teachers’ Day (5th October) and celebrate teachers for their dedication to duty and contribution to quality education for all, Twitter users were greeted by a message from UNICEF’s Office of Research-Innocenti, sharing their recent report on teacher...
UNICEF’s Innocenti Report on teacher absenteeism in Africa: The wrong approach at the worst time -
News 14 October 2021 Iraq: Teachers celebrated as the cornerstone of a sustainable society
The contribution of teachers was celebrated by the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union (KTU) and Cihan University to mark World Teachers’ Day, 5 October, and Kurdistan Teachers’ Day, 6 October.
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Research The Global Report on the Status of Teachers 2021
Greg Thompson
12 October 2021The Global Report on the Status of Teachers 2021The status of teachers remains a concern in many jurisdictions. Teachers are aware that holding the same qualifications or levels of training as other professions does not bring the same status, despite teaching and facilitating learning being complex work that requires significant expertise.
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Research The public versus austerity: Why public sector wage bill constraints must end
ActionAid, Education International, Public Services International
12 October 2021The public versus austerity: Why public sector wage bill constraints must endThe world faces a series of interconnecting crises and responding to them will demand a complete disruption of business as usual. In the light of Covid-19, the growing debt crisis, rising inequality, gender injustice, and the climate crisis there is an urgent need to revisit the fundamental redistributive role of...