Ei-iE

Future of work in education

The future of education depends on strengthening the teaching profession, enhancing its status, and improving conditions to ensure that every student has a qualified teacher. The expertise of teachers must be recognised. Teachers must be the ones leading the development and future of education.

Technology and artificial intelligence are currently changing education as we know it. COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of change, forcing classrooms to move online for extended periods of time. While technology has the potential to support teaching and learning, it also poses major challenges, such as the critical digital divide and increased inequity, the commercialisation of education, issues of data privacy and cyberbullying, to name just a few.

Simply introducing education technology does not lead to enhanced learning. The teaching profession has a critical role to play in evaluating and deciding on the appropriate technology for teaching and learning.

As proven by the COVID-19 crisis, relationships between teachers and students and school communities are critical to student development and cannot be replaced by screens. We advocate for a human and student-centred approach to the use of technology and artificial intelligence in education.

Our work in this area

  1. News 4 August 2023

    The UN High Panel on the Teaching Profession: Panelists discuss strategies to end the teacher shortage

    On 1 August, the UN High-Panel on the Teaching Profession convened its second virtual meeting bringing together leading experts, policymakers, and representatives from education organizations to address crucial issues within the teaching profession. Education International, as the voice of the profession at the global level, plays a central role in...

    The UN High Panel on the Teaching Profession: Panelists discuss strategies to end the teacher shortage
  2. Worlds of Education 27 July 2023

    Education unions grappling with Artificial Intelligence: we snooze, we lose.

    Rob Weil

    There is a lot of speculation regarding the future of teaching and learning in compulsory education, especially with recent developments in technology. The world-wide release of ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence platforms have created a plethora of new, even more difficult, questions. What role will these AI systems play...

    Education unions grappling with Artificial Intelligence: we snooze, we lose.
  3. Research

    Analysis of National Statements of Commitment presented at the Transforming Education Summit

    Isidora Vitorović
    7 July 2023

    The Transforming Education Summit (TES) took place in September 2022 as the first meeting of heads of state in the “post COVID” period. It presented an important opportunity to initiate true transformation of global education, as country representatives gathered, made commitments and calls to action, and set priorities and targets...

    Analysis of National Statements of Commitment presented at the Transforming Education Summit
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  4. News 20 June 2023

    High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession launches to address the global teacher shortage and status of the profession

    One of the main outcomes of the United Nations Transforming Education Summit in 2022, the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, brings together key stakeholders in the education sector to help tackle the growing teacher shortage around the world. Education International brings the voice of the teaching profession to the...

    High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession launches to address the global teacher shortage and status of the profession
  5. News 20 April 2023

    Go Public! Fund Education: Global campaign launched in Latin America

    Education International affiliates from across the region came together to coordinate their work on the new global campaign and to urge governments to invest more in public education in their countries.

    Go Public! Fund Education: Global campaign launched in Latin America
  6. News 14 April 2023

    Great steps forward for teaching and research at the World Intellectual Property Organisation

    The 43rd meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) concluded with major wins for the rights of teachers and researchers to adapt and choose materials for quality education and research. Education International participated together with member organisations CONADU (Argentina), AUSPS (Fiji),...

    Great steps forward for teaching and research at the World Intellectual Property Organisation
  7. Worlds of Education 7 March 2023

    Understanding and taking action for gender equality in science and technology

    Lina Ethel Merino

    On February 11, the world marked the International Day of Women and Girls in Science with the aim of raising awareness of the barriers that prevent women from accessing the world of science and technology, as well as promoting their full and equal participation in the sector. What are these...

    Understanding and taking action for gender equality in science and technology
  8. Worlds of Education 6 March 2023

    Are new technologies feminist?

    Pauline Schnegg

    Surprisingly, while most teachers (70% of teachers in France are women) are in favour of equality between girls and boys, as soon as the words “feminist pedagogy” are uttered, they are met with confusion and even rejection. It is like claiming to be in favour of equality without promoting the...

    Are new technologies feminist?
  9. News 6 December 2022

    France: State education staff called to the ballot box for the social dialogue elections

    French education unions are currently campaigning for their social dialogue elections. The 1.4 million voters in the Ministry of National Education and Youth, the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research are invited to vote by internet from 1 to 8 December 2022.

    France: State education staff called to the ballot box for the social dialogue elections
  10. Worlds of Education 25 November 2022

    Sportswashing edtech: how a World Cup corporate sponsor is playing with education

    Ben Williamson

    Education technology companies do not usually sponsor global sports tournaments. The brand logo of Byju’s, however, is currently displaying in football grounds in Qatar, after becoming an official FIFA World Cup sponsor . But the most highly-valued EdTech company on the planet is also carrying a lot of recent reputational...

    Sportswashing edtech: how a World Cup corporate sponsor is playing with education
  11. Worlds of Education 24 November 2022

    The Copyright Experience of the University of the South Pacific: a Union Perspective

    Elizabeth Reade Fong

    Legislation is meant not only to protect but to bring equity. And copyright legislation is not meant to be any different. However, the reality on the ground in a developing country like Fiji has only reinforced the inequity of access to and, more importantly, the use of information for learning...

    The Copyright Experience of the University of the South Pacific: a Union Perspective
  12. News 25 October 2022

    Education unions on the move to rebuild in Asia-Pacific

    The 9th Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Conference “Rebuilding the Asia-Pacific: Educators and their unions at the forefront towards a sustainable future” provided education trade unionists in the region and beyond with an extraordinary opportunity to connect, exchange experiences, new perspectives, fresh ideas, and delve deeper into achieving decent working...

    Education unions on the move to rebuild in Asia-Pacific
  13. Worlds of Education 25 October 2022

    Teachers, not computers, are the beating heart of education

    Susan Hopgood

    More than 130 countries committed to prioritise education at the United Nation’s Transforming Education Summit (TES), a global meeting of Heads of State held in September in New York.

    Teachers, not computers, are the beating heart of education
  14. Worlds of Education 18 September 2022

    Teachers are ready to transform education — it’s time for governments to step up

    David Edwards

    Despite the global crises facing the world, the power and optimism inherent in education will always provide hope for our future. To move forward from this pandemic, and the deepening inequities it exposed, we need to transform education by fully funding public education systems and investing in, supporting, and respecting...

    Teachers are ready to transform education — it’s time for governments to step up
  15. Worlds of Education 8 September 2022

    The unheard impact: technology and the teaching profession

    Lainie Keper

    Education International (EI) recently hosted a consultation event to provide feedback into the 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report on technology and education.

    The unheard impact: technology and the teaching profession
  16. News 8 July 2022

    European educators reaffirm their commitment to enhance the status of the teaching profession for inclusive, peaceful, democratic and sustainable societies

    Confronted with turbulent times for teachers, educational staff and their trade unions, delegates at the Special Conference of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), the European region of Education International (EI), took a pro-active stand and reasserted their will to mobilise and organise for quality public education, for...

    European educators reaffirm their commitment to enhance the status of the teaching profession for inclusive, peaceful, democratic and sustainable societies