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.
More than five million children in the world are forced to work as slaves, with working days reaching 18 hours per day. The right to education is just one of many human rights that they are deprived of.
Urgent appeal: take action against child slavery
The nearly five-month investigation, reported on the EI website yesterday, into claims that a student teacher had inappropriately touched youngsters at a preschool in Manhattan has ended with the dismissal of all criminal charges, according to the New York times today.
Denmark and USA: Malthe Thomsen dismissed of all charges
The Danish pre-school teachers union, BUPL, is seeking financial support from other EI affiliates, to assist with payment of the huge legal costs of defending a member of the union who has been accused of ‘inappropriate behaviour of a sexual nature ’ at a preschool in New York.
Denmark and USA: Danish Union launches Legal Defence Fund to support trainee teacher
News reports indicated a few days ago that the 43 Mexican students who disappeared in southern Mexico in September were abducted by police on order of a local mayor, and are believed to have been turned over to a gang that killed them and burned their bodies before throwing some...
Mexico: EI demands full investigation into disappearance of missing student teachers
Teacher unionists were among over 100,000 demonstrators who took to the streets of Brussels, Belgium, on 6 November to fight budgetary reform measures planned by the Belgian federal Government that will affect workers severely.
Belgium: Teacher unions join in national strike
Teacher unions in Kenya are urging the Government to allow and support the ongoing negotiations on their basic salaries, and demand the approval of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Kenyan teachers: no quality education without collective bargaining
The long arm of the Hungarian government has reached into the country’s classrooms, leaving many fearful that authorities are preparing to tighten their grip on the teaching profession and undermine the role of education unions.
Hungary: State enters the Classroom
Trade union rights and women’s rights and their implementation were at the forefront of discussions at a recent workshop held by EI in the Arab region.
Jordan: Arab region workshop highlights trade union and women’s rights
Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi have been awarded the Nobel peace prize “for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”.
Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi win Nobel Peace Prize
Outrage across Mexico continues to grow as frantic search efforts are ongoing to find 43 students taken by Mexican municipal police alleged to be controlled by drug cartels in the city of Iguala.
Thousands take to the streets in protest against students ‘disappeared’ by Mexican Police
Education International joins its US affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, in calling for the safe release of American academic Warren Weinstein, who was abducted in Pakistan by al Qaeda.
EI calls for release of kidnapped US hostage
Global action demands end to forced labour in Uzbek cotton fields. Protestors call on Government to stop using education system as tool of modern-day slavery.
Uzbekistan: cotton harvest enslaves teachers and students
The EU maternity leave directive is back in the European Parliament. The newly-elected FEMM Committee in the European Parliament had a first discussion on amending the directive in their first meeting in September 2014.
Maternity Leave Directive Back in European Parliament
On 19 September, the Seoul High Court restored the legal status of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union (KTU) as a legal trade union.
South Korea: Court decision restores KTU as a legal trade union
Falsely convicted as a political prisoner, Mahdi Abu Deeb, of the Bahraini Teachers association has received the support of Education International’s General Secretary in a video message that stresses his courage fighting for freedom.
EI calls for release of jailed Bahraini Teacher
As children around the world prepare to head back to school the unprecedented number of ongoing emergencies are devastating education systems for millions of children.
Back to school campaign remains critical in a world of conflict
When teachers in Paraguay took to the streets last month to demand a decent budget for public education, they were met with police force rather than having their calls for quality education heard.
Paraguay: Excessive repression against teachers
The teachers’ strike in Norway has ended after two months with a new agreement reached between the Union of Education Norway (UEN) and employers. At its height at the beginning of this school year, nearly 8,000 UEN members were out on strike.
Norwegian teachers claim victory as strike ends