Ei-iE

Colleagues, in just a few hours I will address the UN for the opening of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in New York. This is set to be the UN General Assembly that brings together most world leaders in one place in history – and it should be.

A teachers’ manifesto has appealed to the next Ugandan government to increase funds allocated to education, to ensure quality teaching and education for all students.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development being adopted by Heads of State and Government this week in New York contains 17 goals set out to transform the world by simultaneously addressing social, environmental and economic challenges.

In Russia teacher evaluation procedures and performance pay are creating unrest within the profession. The Russian education union has raised its concern with public authorities at regional, district and municipal levels throughout the country.

Teopista Birungi Mayanja, a former member of Education International's Executive Board and founder of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union, has been appointed to a new International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity.

The Global Labour Tax Summit, held in Geneva, Switzerland, recently, stressed that current fiscal laxity is one of the main causes of growing inequality and chronic underfunding of public services in our societies.

Following two months of continuous action, Nepalese teachers have been invited by the Ministry of Education to discuss crucial issues such as the public education system and rebuilding works after the earthquakes.

The teachers’ union Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö has joined over 30,000 workers from all sectors to demonstrate in Helsinki, Finland, to oppose the planned governmental anti-union laws anddefend trade union negotiation rights.

Amid increasing tensions, Kenyan teachers have elected to shutter all public and private schools after the government refused to implement a court ordered pay raise for teachers, stating that the long-awaited increase is unaffordable.

The people seeking refuge in Europe are among the thousands driven from their homes every year in fear of their lives because of violent conflict, political and economic instability, natural disasters, or extreme poverty.

An interunion association grouping the largest unions representing secondary education, including four EI affiliates (SNES-FSU, FO, SNETAA-FO, CGT), is in conflict with the French government on the matter of the reform of high schools.

Technological innovations in the classroom need the active involvement of both pupils and well trained teachers to be a success factor for learning, according to the latest high-level report published on the subject.

More than 50 teachers from Liberia’s 15 counties traveled to the capital Monrovia last week to discuss ways to enhance education quality in the country, part of Education International’s programme to boost the profession.

Education International’s Asia-Pacific regional office has carried out workshops in Tajikistan on trade union basics and on child labour to help boost trade union strength, and to ensure access to education for all.

Teachers have been challenged to take the lead in speaking out against barriers undermining the teaching profession during a three-day training workshop on ‘Teacher Effectiveness’ held in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

Education International strongly supports its affiliates in Kenya, who have been waiting for 18 years for a promised pay rise, recently restated by a Supreme Court decision.

The new school year in Iran looms with threats of increased intimidation, arrest and prosecution of teachers, union activists and those who dare to speak up in favour of quality education for all.

Teachers unions in the Democratic Republic of Congo joined the country’s education ministry for a two day workshop in Kinshasa emphasising the importance of high quality education and teachers.