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.
In the face of evolving educational landscapes and the ever-present need for robust representation, education unionists are spearheading a dynamic movement to consolidate their influence and expand their membership. This initiative, particularly focused on engaging young educators and women, was the centerpiece of a pivotal breakout session titled “Organizing for...
Education unionists mobilize for greater influence and membership growth
Public education in Argentina is under threat from a political agenda that has made its way into the national government and aims to – in the words of President Javier Milei himself – “destroy the state from within”. Arguing that the state is a “criminal organisation” that attacks freedom (of...
The fight for public education and universities in present-day Argentina
The teaching profession is traditionally known to be a noble profession and a driver for all sectors and industries we have in the world of work. The profession is highly valued but greatly ignored by many African governments: they want quality teaching but take a short-sighted approach and are unwilling...
Investing in quality education and teachers: an African perspective on EI’s upcoming World Congress
The first Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Women’s Conference, titled “Sisters in Solidarity: Empowering Action and Leadership in Education Unions Across Asia-Pacific,” marked a significant milestone in the journey toward gender equality in education. From July 2nd to July 4th, 2024, women leaders, trade unionists, and youth from 42 member...
Empowerment at the forefront: Asia-Pacific women lead in education
In the face of pressing global challenges, Education International’s Asia-Pacific (EIAP) regional office is spearheading Development Cooperation (DC) initiatives to revitalize unions, advocate for public education, and address the urgent climate crisis.
Empowering educators: Transformative initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region
To mark May Day, Education International, the global voice of the teaching profession, is calling on governments everywhere to fully fund public education systems, and guarantee labour rights and good working conditions for teachers and education support personnel. Well-resourced, inclusive, and equitable quality public education systems are a prerequisite for...
May Day 2024: Education unions call on governments to Go Public! Fund Education
Education International welcomed the elections held in the education sector in Benin from March 29th to April 1st. Organised by the Minister of Pre-School and Primary Education, the vote marked a crucial step towards social dialogue and teacher union representation.
Benin: Union elections give hope of real social dialogue in the education sector
Education unions that promote and fund solidarity projects evaluated and discussed their favourite development cooperation (DC) tools and how they help deliver the best results for their partners.
Using the best tools for development cooperation work
Despite the serious and persistent violence in Haiti, the trade union educators of the Union Nationale des Normaliens/Normaliennes et Éducateurs/Éducatrices d'Haïti (UNNOEH) have found the resources to recruit new activists and train them.
Haiti: union building continues despite endemic violence
The Education International Executive Board met online on July 6 and July 14. EI’s 9th World Congress held online on July 11 to 13, as well as the organisation’s strategy on the use of artificial intelligence in education, and the launch of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession...
Education International’s Executive Board: World Congress, 30 years of mobilising, artificial intelligence in education, addressing the global teacher shortage
Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, teacher unionists were in an optimistic mood. Mary Hatwood Futrell, president of the US-based National Education Association, rose to address a global gathering of teacher leaders in Stockholm as Education International was born.
Past and present, women persist in their unions
The 9th Education International World Congress is taking place online from July 11 to 13. This edition of our World Congress will focus on “Growing our unions, elevating our professions, defending democracy." Read on to see how you can connect with colleagues from across the world!
Your guide to connect with colleagues at the 9th EI World Congress
Around 100 communicators working in education unions gathered online on June 1st as part of Education International (EI) Communicators’ Network (ComNet). They reconnected, exchanged experiences and ideas, and got ready to bring the EI “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign forward.
ComNet: Communicators working together to change the narrative around public education
With more than 100 000 members, FECCOO is the most representative trade union organisation in the education support personnel (ESP) sector in Spain. Our union believes that the work of ESP in schools around the world is vital for achieving the right to quality education.
Defending the essential work of education support personnel for quality public education
Cooperation and solidarity, the Pedagogical Movement and women workers in education and their network. These initiatives to strengthen education unions were debated during the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Café dedicated to the Latin American region.
Strengthening education unions, a key priority in Latin America
Education International (EI) has developed a "Toolkit for Union Building – Making Education Unions More Effective” . This toolkit enables each member organisation to engage in a process of self-assessment, proposing that they experiment with new activities to strengthen their organisations.
Education International provides educators with a tool to support the strengthening of their unions
Present in Brussels, Belgium, for a meeting of the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Network , Don Howell, General Secretary of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) - an Education International umbrella body for teachers in the Caribbean - and President of the Saint Lucia Teachers' Union (SLTU), explained how...
Development cooperation and solidarity in the Caribbean, in times of COVID-19 and afterwards
How can unions engage in a genuine renewal process and build union power to address union members’ needs in a fast changing political environment?
Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers