Ei-iE

Education First is an initiative developed by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and involving actors from across – and beyond – the education sector. This five-year initiative aims to prioritise education through to and after the 2015 deadline.

On 25 September, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and EI launched a new report identifying severe primary teacher gaps in 114 countries, undermining efforts to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of Education for All (EFA) by 2015.

Mass demonstrations by students and teachers alike were held on 19 September in opposition to the Putting Students First Act, or Bill 115, passed on 11 September. Those opposed deplore the fact that the Bill deprives Ontario’s teachers of their right to collective-bargaining actions and unprofessionally withholds their due wages.

From 25 to 27 September, more than one hundred teachers and trade union leaders from all over the world will meet in Buenos Aires to debate and coordinate action to effectively develop higher education and research, focusing on ensuring high-quality universal public education.

Following the well-followed strike it called for on 9 September, the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) entered immediate negotiations with Chicago legislative officials and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. As of 17 September, the strike has been called off after the CTU succeeded in negotiating a fairer contract for Chicago’s teachers.