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.
Education International welcomes the move by Cyprus to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, a commitment to protect students, teachers, schools, and universities during times of war.
Cyprus: 68th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration
Secularism – the division between state and religious institutions –, a historic value of the Turkish political system, is being undermined by changes to the country’s school curriculum, which propose to oust the scientific theory of evolution in favour of an Islamic worldview.
Turkey: Threat of curriculum manipulation to replace science with Islamic worldview
Education International reiterates its call for action and great concerns, after UN experts declared that the “Philippines needs urgent action to reverse spiraling rights violations”.
Philippines: UN experts urge government to put an immediate halt to human rights violations
Disabled girls are among the most marginalised and poorly educated groups in the world. They have not been a priority in international development, education, or arguably, disability organisations.
A Long Way to Go: An Analysis of Inclusive Education for Disabled Girls Globally
Education International has expressed grave concern about the fate of the 14 imprisoned young Saudi citizens convicted and sentenced to death by beheading for attending peaceful protest actions.
Saudi Arabia: global education union movement mobilises to save the lives of 14 young men
Education International has called on its member organisations to condemn the continuous harassment and attacks against students, teachers and human rights activists of the Lumad indigenous communities on Mindanao island in the Philippines.
Philippines: End attacks against indigenous teachers, students and schools
Education International has expressed grave concern about the fate of detained peaceful protesters in Saudi Arabia who face possible execution.
Saudi Arabia: International effort to avert executions of peaceful protesters
Education International welcomes the move by Serbia to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration, a commitment to protect students, teachers, schools, and universities during times of war.
Serbia: 67th country to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration
How can educators facilitate difficult conversations in their classrooms? If we believe that democratic citizenship is linked with engagement in social issues, then undoubtedly these topics also include those that make us feel uncomfortable. Or are complex or even unresolvable. If there are different points of view on a hot...
Preparing for Difficult Conversations
Education International strongly urges Saudi Arabian authorities to halt the execution of student Mujtaba’a al-Sweikat and other men facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia for protest-related offences.
Saudi Arabia: Call to halt execution of peaceful protestors
In a significant move, the General Secretary of the Syndicat National des Agents de la Formation et de l'Education du Niger, has been appointed as the workers’ representative on the National Commission on Human Rights in Niger.
Niger: Trade unionist teacher elected to National Commission on Human Rights
The European Union has answered to the economic and financial crisis, adopting the Europe 2020 Strategy plan for sustainable, smart economic growth. Education, employment, fighting poverty and social exclusion are at the hearth of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the EU-policy making, coordinated through the European Semester coordination. Since the...
Education and Training Policy in the European Semester - Public Investment, Public Policy, Social Dialogue and Privatisation Patterns across Europe
Education International’s Deputy General Secretary, Haldis Holst, has strongly reaffirmed the importance of human rights and citizenship education to meet global challenges and achieve mutual respect in democratic societies.
Human rights and citizenship education crucial to harmony in democratic societies
In response to the government’s clampdown on workers’ rights, the Botswana Sectors of Education Trade Unions and Education International took their fight to the global stage at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Botswana education unions uphold the right to effective collective bargaining
For the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, the repeal of the bill, which limited the rights of labour unions, is a major win after an extensive national campaign was launched to end the conservative policy.
Canada: teachers celebrate repeal of anti-labour legislation
International pressure on the Turkish government is rising since the arrest of the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey, Taner Kılıç. He has been detained on bogus charges of terrorism since 6 June.
Turkey: Urgent action needed
The American Federation of Teachers has issued its Immigrant Youth Guide in Spanish, a tool that helps teachers support and prepare undocumented students in the event of government immigration raids.
USA: teachers work to stop deportation of undocumented students
With freedom of association in Ecuador severely hampered, education union UNE is taking its demands to a higher level at the International Labour Conference in Geneva.
Ecuador: Educators receive widespread support at ILO