Ei-iE

The latest edition of EI’s flagship publication focuses on the global economic crisis and the struggle of teacher trade unionists to ensure that governments worldwide include significant investment in education as part of their recovery plans.

Education International has written to the government of Turkey to condemn the fact that more than 30 members of Egitim Sen, EI’s Turkish affiliate, were arrested in the early hours of 28 May. In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, EI deplores this latest police action against...

EI has launched an Urgent Appeal today appealing for support from all member and partner organisations to lobby the Ethiopian authorities to allow the members of the ex-Ethiopian Teachers' Association (ETA) to register a new independent teacher organisation.

The latest issue of the newsletter of EI's Asia-Pacific region is now available for download in pdf format.

Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called a worldwide action day on June 26 to demand justice for Iranian workers. Demonstrations will take place outside Iranian embassies and consulates to protest the ongoing denial of rights and arrests of trade unionists within the country.

Sajad Khaksari, the 25-year-old son of one of Iran’s leading teacher trade unionists, was arrested on 26 April in Tehran and remains in detention in Ward 10 of the Evin prison.

EI issued a statement today on the occasion of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia taking place on 17 May, highlighting its endorsement of the United Nations' statement on sexual identity and orientation.

Participants at an EI school leadership seminar held in Helsinki last week called for more recognition of the important role principals and other school leaders play in ensuring the achievement of quality education.

"A reduction of the drop-out rate, expansion of early childhood education, better vocational education and training, increased use of new technologies in education, a better adjustment of higher education to new European standards."

Zimbabwean teachers cancelled their strike on 5 May to show their faith in the government, even though the interim US$800 monthly salary promised to them in February has yet to be paid.

Teachers and unionists from Cote d’Ivoire gathered in the capital, Yamoussoukro, for a 3-day national refresher workshop in late March. The event updated the training of master trainers on EFA and AIDS related issues.

Deploring the mounting toll of people, especially children, killed and injured in the zone of combat between Sri Lankan Government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels, EI expresses its strong concern about the violent response by both sides in the continuing conflict in Sri Lanka.

Shortly after the May Day crackdown on Iranian workers’ rallies, teachers organised gatherings to celebrate National Teachers’ Day on 4 May. The teacher association TTA invited members to gather in front of the Education Ministry in Tehran and in front of the Education Department offices in the provinces.

EI affiliate, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), has welcomed the new Government’s decision to reorganise the education sector by creating two distinct ministries - the Ministry of Basic Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Training.

EI members from 10 countries in the region travelled to Buenos Aires to participate in the 3rd Latin American Region Workshop for the EI EFAIDS programme, which began on 26 April.

UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education are organising an E-Forum on “Teachers and HIV & AIDS: Reviewing achievements, identifying challenges” from 18 to 29 May 2009.

Yevoo Pope Yao, local GNAT (Ghana National Association of Teachers) secretary of Dzodze, Ketu district, Volta region and regional EFAIDS trainer speaks about education and the EI EFAIDS Programme in Ghana.

EI will be holding a seminar on school leadership in Helsinki, Finland, from 6 -8 May 2009. The seminar will be hosted by Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö (OAJ), one of the EI's member organisations in Finland.