All teachers and education support personnel have the right to organise and be part of a union that represents and defends their values and interests. However, around the world, education unions are facing serious attacks and operate in increasingly challenging and hostile environments. Revitalising unions, building their power by boosting membership and active participation and maximising impact is the way forward.
Ongoing political conflict has delayed the start of the new school year, keeping students from class while preventing unions from pressing for a better status for teachers and quality education for all children.
New school year taken hostage by political unrest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Iraqi Teachers’ Union received a recent boost to its organisational efforts through a workshop organised by Education International's Arab Countries Cross-Regional Structure and the British National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers.
International solidarity helps Iraqi teachers organise
After more than a year in prison, Miguel Ángel Beltrán, a Colombian academic, has been acquitted from his 8 year sentence by the Colombian Supreme Court, making him a free man.
Colombian academic freed from prison
As Colombia takes the final steps towards a lasting peace deal between the Government and the FARC rebels (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), trade unions are supporting a nation-wide campaign in favour of its adoption.
Colombia: unions support peace process
With Ecuador’s government due to release its decision on the Unión Nacional de Educadores’ legal dissolution at any moment, Education International reiterates its call to affiliates to take immediate action and support their Ecuadorian colleagues.
Ecuador: Time is pressing to halt the imposed dissolution of the teacher union UNE
According to a new report released by Theirschool, a pledge made by world leaders to get all refugee Syrian children into school has fallen far short due to an urgent funding gap.
Struggle to educate Syrian refugee children mounts as funding dries up
The General Secretaries of Education International and Public Services International have expressed their deep concern about Turkey’s ongoing and large scale violations of core labour standards to the International Labour Organization.
Van Leeuwen and Pavanelli meet with the ILO to address the situation in Turkey
Teacher unions and trade unions in the United States are working togetherto provide support and resources to the Orlando community after the mass shooting at a night club in June.
USA: Teachers reach out after Orlando massacre
Ecuador’s National Education Union, UNE, is facing the threat of being shut down as the Ministry of Education initiates proceedings for the union’s legal dissolution, a move that violates the country’s international commitments.
Ecuador: Union resists government threat of dissolution
In response to the latest developments in Turkey, Education International cannot stand idle to what it sees as the degradation of democratic values and strongly condemns the government’s actions which now target the country’s educators.
Turkey’s democratic principles crumble as government purges education sector
The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association has engaged in a nationwide industrial action, joining other public services organisations in defending workers’ trade union rights in their country.
Zimbabwe: Teachers take industrial action to force government to pay salaries
Education International’s support for Djiboutian colleagues fighting for quality education and respect for trade union and human rights was underscored recently when Djiboutian education activist Omar Ali Ewado visited the global federation’s headquarters.
Djibouti: EI welcomes formerly imprisoned teacher unionist
The Iraqi Teachers’ Union has firmly condemned the latest terrorist attack perpetrated by Daesh in Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad, leaving, according to latest official reports, 200 people dead and 225 others severely injured.
Iraq: Teacher union outrage at bombing
The struggle to improve the status of teachers in Algeria was raised when Education International met with representatives of one of its Algerian affiliates at the recent International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Send negotiators, not police forces to deal with Algerian contract teachers
Teachers in the country’s south-eastern region had the opportunity to boost their leadership skills while learning how to shape the future during recent workshops organised by the Asia-Pacific regional office of Education International.
Tajikistan: teachers trained on trade unionism and Sustainable Development Goals
Education International has joined other international organisations in firmly condemning the travel ban imposed on Bahraini teacher unionist Jalila al-Salman as she attempted to attend the Svensson Award ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
Global condemnation of travel ban for Bahraini education union leader
Efforts are underway to pressure the Iranian authorities to release Canadian academic Homa Hoodfar, who is being held in Tehran’s Evin prison after being arrested on baseless charges while in the country.
Global appeal launched to free Canadian academic from Iranian prison
Preparing today’s learners for their multicultural reality goes well beyond teaching human rights as a stand-alone lesson in the classroom, instead requiring the creation of an environment where everyone understands, values and protects human rights.
It takes a whole school, if not a whole society, to teach about human rights