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COVID-19: Education unions stand united and mobilise

Spotlight

Welcome to the Education International information hub for educators and their unions during the COVID-19 crisis. Get up to date with the latest news, read the guidelines or see what other unions are doing and get inspired.

Video

Facing the pandemic: Educators lead in solidarity for an equitable recovery

14 July 2021

Guidelines during the COVID-19 crisis

  1. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Effective and Equitable Educational Recovery | 10 Principles

    Education International and the OECD
    28 April 2021

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the frequent closure of school buildings in most countries in the world and has interrupted the school attendance of at least 1.2 billion students in 2020 and 2021. Although many education systems have been able to adapt in varying degrees, the pandemic has shown...

    Effective and Equitable Educational Recovery | 10 Principles
    1. Download
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 28 April 2021

    EI and OECD launch Principles for Effective and Equitable Educational Recovery

    How will we ensure effective and equitable educational recovery from COVID19? Education International and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) developed ten key principles which every country can use.

    Read more EI and OECD launch Principles for Effective and Equitable Educational Recovery
  3. Trade union rights are human rights 14 December 2020

    Education International and UNESCO call for educators to be considered a priority group in COVID-19 vaccinations

    Today, on the 60th anniversary of the Convention that promotes the universal right to education, Education International and UNESCO published a joint message calling on governments and the international community to consider teachers and education support personnel as a priority group in COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The call came as some...

    Read more Education International and UNESCO call for educators to be considered a priority group in COVID-19 vaccinations
  4. Equity and inclusion

    Auditing Educational Equity in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic

    A Guide for Education Unions
    3 December 2020

    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented school closures that have affected over 1.5 billion students worldwide. However, the impact of the pandemic has not been equal, with vulnerable and disadvantaged students disproportionately affected by the resulting global crisis in teaching and learning.

    Auditing Educational Equity in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic
    1. Auditing Educational Equity in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic
    2. التدقيق بمبادئ العدالة ال ت بوية في ظل جائحة كوفيد- 91 دليل خاص بنقابات التعليم
    3. Guia: Auditoria da equidade na educação durantea pandemia da Covid-19
  5. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 3 December 2020

    Education International Launches Guide on Auditing Educational Equity in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic

    To address the strong concerns that have arisen across the world about equity gaps within education as a result of the closure of schools and other educational settings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the global federation of education unions has published a Guide for its member organisations on the process...

    Read more Education International Launches Guide on Auditing Educational Equity in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic
more: Guidelines during the COVID-19 crisis

Unions for vaccine equity

  1. Equity and inclusion 14 June 2021

    No one is safe until everyone is safe

    Take action for universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, medical products and technologies!

    With a few high-income countries taking over most of the global vaccine supply, the rest of the world is left fighting new waves of the COVID-19 pandemic without essential tools. In the meantime, new variants of the virus are threatening to send us all back to square one.

    Read more No one is safe until everyone is safe
  2. Standards and working conditions 21 January 2022

    Mexico: priority vaccination for education workers

    On 8 January, the rollout of the COVID-19 booster vaccine for education workers began in Mexico.

    Read more Mexico: priority vaccination for education workers
  3. Equity and inclusion 21 December 2021

    Expanding Vaccines Beyond Our Borders

    Randi Weingarten, Mugwena Maluleke

    If there is one thing we never see again, let it be a crematorium waiting list. Let temporary morgue tents be just that—temporary. We have the capacity to make that happen—to prepare for the next global public health crisis, so we never see this level of chaos and destruction again,...

    Read more Expanding Vaccines Beyond Our Borders
  4. Equity and inclusion 16 December 2021

    Education unions in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, the USA and South Africa call on governments to support vaccine equity

    Education International member organisations in Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, the United States of America and South Africa are calling on governments to support the temporary waiver of intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines and treatments at the World Trade Organization. If adopted, the waiver would enable an expansion...

    Read more Education unions in Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, the USA and South Africa call on governments to support vaccine equity
  5. Equity and inclusion 29 November 2021

    Global Unions demand urgent action for vaccine equity as new Covid-19 variant emerges

    Representing over 200 million workers worldwide, the Council of Global Unions has published a statement urging governments and in particular, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, along with the European Commission, to put people over profit and waive intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines and medical products at the World Trade Organization.

    Read more Global Unions demand urgent action for vaccine equity as new Covid-19 variant emerges
more: Unions for vaccine equity

What education unions are doing

  1. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 14 July 2021

    Facing the pandemic: Educators lead in solidarity for an equitable recovery

    Latest message from Education International General Secretary stresses the role of the education union movement in the fight against COVID-19 and climate change to further social justice, democracy and a sustainable future for all.

    Read more Facing the pandemic: Educators lead in solidarity for an equitable recovery
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 27 June 2022

    Education International calls for a new deal for teachers at the Transforming Education Pre-Summit

    Educators’ insights on progress, challenges, and strategies for the future of education will all feature in Education International’s contribution to UNESCO’s Transforming Education Pre‐Summit, taking place from 28-30 June in Paris, France.

    Read more Education International calls for a new deal for teachers at the Transforming Education Pre-Summit
  3. Future of work in education

    The pandemic - moving forward: Governments and teacher unions working together to leave no-one behind

    A briefing by Education International for the International Summit on the Teaching Profession 2022
    9 May 2022

    Convened by Education International and the OECD, the International Summit on the Teaching Profession brings together governments and education unions in OECD countries in order to strengthen and support an informed and honest policy dialogue between and among elected representatives of the teaching profession and national government authorities.

    The pandemic - moving forward: Governments and teacher unions working together to leave no-one behind
    1. Download
  4. Standards and working conditions 20 January 2022

    France: unions continue to mobilise for improved health and working conditions in education

    Following the strongly supported strike on 13 January , the French trade union federations have called for another day of action on 20 January to continue to demand adequate health conditions to protect against COVID-19 in schools and an improvement in the status of teachers.

    Read more France: unions continue to mobilise for improved health and working conditions in education
  5. Standards and working conditions 13 January 2022

    France: wide participation in strike action against the management of the health crisis in schools

    Education unions in France mobilised on 13 January calling for staff to be respected and that schools have the resources they need to function amid the COVID-19 health crisis. The trigger for the strike was the health protocol for schools, announced in the press just hours before the start of...

    Read more France: wide participation in strike action against the management of the health crisis in schools
more: What education unions are doing

EI COVID-19 Solidarity Fund

  1. Union renewal and development 27 October 2021

    Solidarity in times of crisis: the EI COVID Response Fund

    As the COVID-19 pandemic became global, education unions showed solidarity with a dedicated COVID Response Fund to support member organisations during school closures and where teachers were hit by the health crisis.

    Read more Solidarity in times of crisis: the EI COVID Response Fund
  2. Leading the profession 27 August 2021

    Mauritania: unions working more closely with teachers to meet their needs

    Through the use of Education International’s COVID-19 solidarity fund, its two affiliates in Mauritania have been able to conduct a series of joint school visits to meet with teachers. The initiative has helped boost the unions’ image and membership levels.

    Read more Mauritania: unions working more closely with teachers to meet their needs
  3. Standards and working conditions 2 August 2021

    Rwanda: SYPERWA stands by teachers during the crisis

    Rwandan education workers’ union SYPERWA organised a tour to meet teachers from private schools and help them solve the problems encountered. Thanks to Education International’s COVID-19 solidarity fund, the union has been able to map the issues for teachers affected by COVID-19, provide legal assistance to teachers suspended as a...

    Read more Rwanda: SYPERWA stands by teachers during the crisis
  4. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 15 July 2021

    Chad: the SET supporting teachers during the COVID-19 crisis

    Throughout the crisis, the Chad Teachers Union (SET, Syndicat des Enseignants du Tchad) has focused on listening to and supporting teachers. To this aim, the union carried out a large-scale survey to better understand the impact of the pandemic on teachers and to assess the effectiveness of distance learning.

    Read more Chad: the SET supporting teachers during the COVID-19 crisis
  5. Trade union rights are human rights 25 November 2020

    Niger: Trade union unity on skill development and improved working conditions for teachers

    With the help of the of Education International’s COVID-19 Solidarity Fund, the national unions that are members of Education International affiliate structure in Niger (IESNI) have collaborated in the organisation of an Inclusive Education Policy Forum, a skill development workshop for twenty-five female teachers, and the organisation of an awareness-raising...

    Read more Niger: Trade union unity on skill development and improved working conditions for teachers
more: EI COVID-19 Solidarity Fund

Opinions | Stories | Lessons

  1. Leading the profession 20 March 2023

    Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers

    Howard Stevenson

    How can unions engage in a genuine renewal process and build union power to address union members’ needs in a fast changing political environment?

    Read more Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 28 March 2022

    Teachers and students in Lebanon need global solidarity to save their education system and their hope for the future. The world must answer.

    David Edwards

    The failure of governance and the inability to deal with over-lapping crises has paralysed Lebanon. A whole generation of young people risks losing life opportunities due to the meltdown of the education system.

    Read more Teachers and students in Lebanon need global solidarity to save their education system and their hope for the future. The world must answer.
  3. Standards and working conditions 1 February 2022

    A simple solution for education

    Armand Doucet

    We celebrated the International Day of Education on January 24th. In these unprecedented times, beginning year 3 of this pandemic, I am grateful to be a teacher. I am grateful that I have a job that I love and that I make a positive impact on my students’ lives every...

    Read more A simple solution for education
  4. Equity and inclusion 21 December 2021

    Expanding Vaccines Beyond Our Borders

    Randi Weingarten, Mugwena Maluleke

    If there is one thing we never see again, let it be a crematorium waiting list. Let temporary morgue tents be just that—temporary. We have the capacity to make that happen—to prepare for the next global public health crisis, so we never see this level of chaos and destruction again,...

    Read more Expanding Vaccines Beyond Our Borders
  5. Standards and working conditions 19 November 2021

    In-person schooling during the pandemic: collective bargaining vs. political profiteering

    Noemi Esther Tejeda

    During 2020, as part of the prevention and isolation measures taken in response to Covid-19, Argentina’s national government passed a decree suspending in-person classes throughout the country. The decision was backed by an institutional framework for social and political support.

    Read more In-person schooling during the pandemic: collective bargaining vs. political profiteering
more: Opinions | Stories | Lessons