Ei-iE

Future of work in education

The future of education depends on strengthening the teaching profession, enhancing its status, and improving conditions to ensure that every student has a qualified teacher. The expertise of teachers must be recognised. Teachers must be the ones leading the development and future of education.

Technology and artificial intelligence are currently changing education as we know it. COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of change, forcing classrooms to move online for extended periods of time. While technology has the potential to support teaching and learning, it also poses major challenges, such as the critical digital divide and increased inequity, the commercialisation of education, issues of data privacy and cyberbullying, to name just a few.

Simply introducing education technology does not lead to enhanced learning. The teaching profession has a critical role to play in evaluating and deciding on the appropriate technology for teaching and learning.

As proven by the COVID-19 crisis, relationships between teachers and students and school communities are critical to student development and cannot be replaced by screens. We advocate for a human and student-centred approach to the use of technology and artificial intelligence in education.

Our work in this area

  1. Research

    The global status of teachers and the teaching profession

    Nelly P. Stromquist
    26 September 2018

    The Global Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession is a crucial read, as it describes and quantifies the challenges teachers face worldwide, but also delineates a path towards a more sustainable future. This ground-breaking global report presents the voice of teachers across all levels of education from early childhood,...

    The global status of teachers and the teaching profession
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  2. Worlds of Education 19 September 2018

    “Education unions: vital to meeting the professional needs of educators”, by Howard Stevenson

    Howard Stevenson

    Many countries face huge problems recruiting educators to work in schools, colleges and universities and creating the working conditions that retain them in that work. Research studies also show that educators rarely get access to the type of high quality professional development they need to be as effective in their...

    “Education unions: vital to meeting the professional needs of educators”, by Howard Stevenson
  3. News 13 September 2018

    Germany: “Higher investment in teacher education is overdue”

    The Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft and the Verband Bildung und Erziehung have drawn attention to the long-standing “neglect” of on-going teacher training in the German discussion on educational quality.

    Germany: “Higher investment in teacher education is overdue”
  4. News 7 September 2018

    Southern Africa: young female education unionists will strive for quality education for all

    The recent Southern Africa Women in Education Network’s gender training and advocacy workshop was an excellent opportunity for young female education unionists to enhance their leadership and mobilisation skills, discuss tackling gender issues, and contributing to achieving the UN sustainable development goals.

    Southern Africa: young female education unionists will strive for quality education for all
  5. News 22 June 2018

    EI welcomes the G20 focus on the contributions of education

    For the first time in its decade-long existence, the G20, under the Argentinian Presidency, will focus on education. EI has been asked to contribute to the preparatory work of the education minister’s working group.

    EI welcomes the G20 focus on the contributions of education
  6. Worlds of Education 19 April 2018

    Protecting and growing the profession: The Professional Standards Conundrum, by Jelmer Evers

    Jelmer Evers

    Not too long ago I had a formal lesson observation as part of my yearly performance review. It’s meant as a basis for professional growth and as such it succeeded. I enjoyed the reflection. In my view it should be a regular part of a teacher’s job, not just a...

    Protecting and growing the profession: The Professional Standards Conundrum, by Jelmer Evers
  7. Worlds of Education 27 March 2018

    #WDR2018 Reality Check #20: Half-Hearted Commitment to Teacher Learning, by Mark Ginsburg

    Mark Ginsburg

    I recently completed work on a moderated discussion (Ginsburg et al., 2018) for the Comparative Education Review (CER) focused on the World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise (WDR) (Filmer et al., 2018). In the moderated discussion I muted my voice in order to facilitate a conversation among...

    #WDR2018 Reality Check #20: Half-Hearted Commitment to Teacher Learning, by Mark Ginsburg
  8. News 6 March 2018

    Algerian unions work towards increased gender equality

    Algerian education unions are working with Education International to address gender equality issues in their unions as part of a capacity development programme.

    Algerian unions work towards increased gender equality
  9. Research

    We the educators

    10 August 2017

    The objective of this literature review was exploratory in nature, and because of the depth of the literature (both academic and non-academic) available on standardisation, personalisation and privatisation, this review focuses primarily on scholarly articles and books published in the past decade.

    We the educators
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  10. News 7 June 2017

    Ukraine: education unionists deepen commitment to a values-based education

    Interactive activities, lively discussions and stirring speeches set the tone for a professional development workshop that brought together teacher union activists from all over Ukraine to explore ways of relaying democratic values in their teaching practice.

    Ukraine: education unionists deepen commitment to a values-based education
  11. Worlds of Education 5 May 2017

    Big Data or Small Data: What’s the key to unlocking learning opportunities?

    Pasi Sahlberg

    Some say that schools don’t change. Many things may have remained the same but one thing is new: data. Today the walls of principals’ offices display performance results and data walls in teachers’ lounges highlight whether students have accomplished their learning targets. Data has become hot currency in school reforms.

    Big Data or Small Data: What’s the key to unlocking learning opportunities?
  12. Publications

    Value-added measurement or modelling

    Tore Bernt Sorensen
    13 April 2016

    This discussion paper reviews the policy instrument of value-added measurement or modelling (VAM) and the implications the instrument has for teaching and learning in a global context. VAM is based on the assumption that it is possible to create adequately complex statistical models that capture the essential and universal factors...

    Value-added measurement or modelling
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  13. Research

    The Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession

    Vasileios Symeonidis
    3 March 2015

    This report is based on an extensive survey (responses from 73 Education International (EI) member organisations from all regions). It reveals the threats to the status of teachers from misguided “reforms” leading to precarious working conditions for teachers and education workers and curbing teachers' professional development, professional autonomy, social dialogue,...

    The Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession
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  14. Statements 1 December 2014

    Policy Statement on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

    EI's 9th International Further and Higher Education and Research Conference | Brussels, November 2014

    Preamble Massive open online courses, or MOOCs, represent the latest effort to harness new information and communication technologies to provide higher education. Supporters of MOOCs portray them as an inexpensive and innovative way of delivering content to a vast audience. Increasingly, some see the potential for profits to be made...

    Policy Statement on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
  15. Research

    Global managerial education reforms and teachers

    Edited by Antoni Verger, Hülya Altinyelken Mireille de Koning
    15 January 2013

    The EI Research Institute and the University of Amsterdam IS Academie "Education and Development" have co-published a volume exploring the role that teachers play in global policy processes and the effects of education reforms on teachers' labour and professionalism in seven case study countries, including India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Namibia, Peru,...

    Global managerial education reforms and teachers
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