Ei-iE

Go public! Fund education

Campaigns

Education unions around the world are joining forces to build inclusive quality public education for all. We are mobilising to fully fund public education systems and resist budget cuts, austerity, and privatisation.

Go Public! Fund Education is an urgent call for governments to invest in public education, a fundamental human right and public good, and to invest more in teachers, the single most important factor in achieving quality education. This means guaranteeing labour rights and ensuring good working conditions, as well as manageable workloads and competitive salaries for teachers and education workers. It also means valuing teachers, respecting teachers ensuring they are central to decision-making, and trusting their pedagogical expertise.

We are working together across borders to guarantee every student’s right to have a well-supported qualified teacher and a quality learning environment. Let's act together in solidarity to Go Public and fund education.

United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession: From recommendations to action

  1. Future of work in education

    Activating the Recommendations of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession

    A Guide for Education Unions
    3 April 2024

    The High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession was convened by the United Nations Secretary-General in response to the global teacher shortage. The Panel brought together academics, ministers, former presidents, teachers and students and their unions.

    Activating the Recommendations of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession
    1. Download
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 7 March 2024

    Our fight for education is a fight for women’s rights

    Susan Hopgood

    The right to education means that every child must have access to free quality education, a well-supported, qualified teacher, and a quality learning environment no matter where they live or come from, no matter their gender, ethnicity, or how much their family earns. This is our mission as education unions...

    Read more Our fight for education is a fight for women’s rights
  3. Standards and working conditions 27 February 2024

    Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations

    Manal Hdaife

    Manal Hdaife is a school principal and chair of the Education International Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure Committee, deeply committed to advancing the cause of education in Lebanon. With a career dedicated to promoting teachers' rights and enhancing educational standards, Hdaife has emerged as a key advocate for public education...

    Read more Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations
more: United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession: From recommendations to action

Campaign news

  1. Go public! Fund education 8 May 2024

    Going public to fully fund public education in Indonesia

    In Indonesia, Education International’s affiliate, Persatuan Guru Republik Indonesia (PGRI), is at the forefront of the Go Public! Fund Education campaign. PGRI is specifically calling on the Indonesian government to commit to allocating at least 20 per cent of national, provincial, and district budgets directly to public education. This funding...

    Read more Going public to fully fund public education in Indonesia
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 7 May 2024

    Empowering education in Tajikistan: Unionists organise for robust public funding

    Top education unionists in Tajikistan vocalized a strong appeal for enhanced public investment in education, aligning with the global "Go Public! Fund Education" campaign by Education International (EI).

    Read more Empowering education in Tajikistan: Unionists organise for robust public funding
  3. Go public! Fund education 2 May 2024

    Building stronger public education systems in Southeast Asia

    Under the banner of the Go Public! Fund Education campaign, Education International led the launch of the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession's recommendations specifically targeting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

    Read more Building stronger public education systems in Southeast Asia
  4. Leading the profession 26 April 2024

    Belgium: Education unions join forces to end teacher shortage and austerity

    “Enseignant, pas en saignant” (Teaching, not bleeding). This was one of the slogans used by the 8,000 educators who came from all over Belgium to the capital Brussels to call on politicians to increase funding for public education and put an end to the teacher shortage. The protest took place...

    Read more Belgium: Education unions join forces to end teacher shortage and austerity
  5. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 26 April 2024

    From recommendations to action: Joining forces to end the global teacher shortage

    Johanna Jaara Åstrand

    The shortened version of the following remarks were delivered by Johanna Jaara Åstrand, Education International Vice-president for Europe and President of the Swedish Teachers’ Union, at the European Union Global Gateway High-level Education Event on April 11, 2024. The event marked the regional launch of the recommendations put forward by...

    Read more From recommendations to action: Joining forces to end the global teacher shortage
more: Campaign news

Take action!

  1. Go public! Fund education 13 September 2023

    World Teachers’ Day 2023: The teachers we need for the education we want

    Communications toolkit

    This World Teachers’ Day, join the global mobilisation calling on governments everywhere to invest in teachers and in quality public education.

    Read more World Teachers’ Day 2023: The teachers we need for the education we want
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists

    2 June 2023

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists is produced by Education International together with the Global Campaign for Education and ActionAid International. The toolkit is aimed at both civil society organisations and teachers’ unions across the globe campaigning for increased public funding to ensure the fundamental right to education.

    Transforming Education Financing: a toolkit for activists
    1. Download
  3. Higher education and research 23 January 2023

    Go public! Fund education: Campaign toolkit

    Go Public! Fund education is Education International´s new campaign to mobilise funding for public education around the world. Funding public education improves pay, working conditions, and empowers teachers and education personnel to stay and thrive in the profession they love and the world needs.

    Read more Go public! Fund education: Campaign toolkit
  4. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Roadmap to financing education

    15 November 2016

    In an era where investment in education is declining and myriad shortcuts are popping up, Education International presents its rights-based Roadmap to sustainable, predictable and principled education financing.

    Roadmap to financing education
    1. Download

Research

  1. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    Nepal | Education Fact Sheet

    27 June 2023

    Nepal’s school education system consists of at least one year of pre-primary education (also known as early childhood education and development or ECED), eight years of basic (grades 1-8) and four years of secondary (grades 9-12) education.

    Nepal | Education Fact Sheet
    1. Download
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4

    India | Education Fact Sheet

    27 June 2023

    Mapping different indicators related to teachers, teachers’ education and teacher’ salary, this factsheet portrays the profile of teachers in India. It also presents the financing status of school education in India.

    India | Education Fact Sheet
    1. Download

Fund further and higher education and research

  1. Higher education and research

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe

    An Overview on Funding of Higher and Further Education and Research, its Political and Socio-Economic Causes, and some Consequences, across the Globe
    15 May 2024

    This paper offers an overview on funding of higher and further education across the globe. Drawing on the best available comparative data, it shows how education is funded in different ways. It discusses, for example, how much different countries spend on higher education, how spending has changed over time, how...

    Higher Education Funding across the Globe
    1. Research Paper
    2. Summary
  2. Standards and working conditions 26 April 2024

    Argentina marches for public education

    Thousands of people across Argentina rallied in defence of a fundamental pillar of their education system: public universities. Faced with a drastic budget cut of 70 percent and inflation of around 300 percent, the country’s public universities are in serious financial trouble.

    Read more Argentina marches for public education
  3. Standards and working conditions 17 April 2024

    Education Voices | Improving terms and conditions in higher education through collective bargaining in Denmark

    Tommy Dalegaard Madsen

    Tommy Dalegaard Madsen is the Chairman of DM’s Sectoral Board for Vocational Colleges, Vocational Academies and Maritime Education. DM represents 75,000 academic professionals in Denmark, and it is the most representative trade union in further and higher education. In this interview for Worlds of Education, he shares his perspectives on...

    Read more Education Voices | Improving terms and conditions in higher education through collective bargaining in Denmark
  4. Fighting the commercialisation of education 25 October 2023

    Go Public! Advancing Further and Higher Education and Research for the Common Good

    EI's 12th International Further and Higher Education and Research Conference Statement | Mexico, October 2023

    On 24-26 October, Education International (EI) member organisations convened in Mexico City for EI’s 12th Further and Higher Education and Research Conference. Together, they adopted the following statement:

    Read more Go Public! Advancing Further and Higher Education and Research for the Common Good
  5. Fighting the commercialisation of education 24 October 2023

    Go Public! Leading further and higher education and research for the common good

    The 12th International Further and Higher Education and Research Conference, co-hosted by Education International and its member organisation Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE), is taking place in Mexico City from October 24 to the 26.

    Read more Go Public! Leading further and higher education and research for the common good

Making the case for public education

  1. Standards and working conditions 22 April 2024

    ISTP 2024: Empowering teachers to shape equitable futures

    The 14th International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) is taking place in Singapore, from April 22-24, bringing together education ministers and leaders from education unions across 19 countries.

    Read more ISTP 2024: Empowering teachers to shape equitable futures
  2. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 21 April 2024

    Bringing governments and education unions together

    David Edwards

    For the well-being of students, our communities and our countries, governments must increase investment in public education systems, including quality teacher training and professional development, guarantee labor rights and good working conditions, involve teacher unions in policymaking and trust and respect teachers and their professional expertise.

    Read more Bringing governments and education unions together
  3. Standards and working conditions 27 February 2024

    Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations

    Manal Hdaife

    Manal Hdaife is a school principal and chair of the Education International Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure Committee, deeply committed to advancing the cause of education in Lebanon. With a career dedicated to promoting teachers' rights and enhancing educational standards, Hdaife has emerged as a key advocate for public education...

    Read more Education Voices | Unpacking the High-Level Panel Recommendations
  4. Standards and working conditions 27 February 2024

    Education voices | Elevating the Teacher Profession: High-Level Panel Recommendations explained

    Mike Thiruman

    Mike Thiruman, General Secretary of the Singapore Teachers' Union, embodies a profound dedication to teacher empowerment by enhancing working conditions, advocating for teacher agency, and fostering teacher wellness and growth. As a member of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, convened by the United Nations, Thiruman's insights are crucial...

    Read more Education voices | Elevating the Teacher Profession: High-Level Panel Recommendations explained
  5. Standards and working conditions 26 February 2024

    A call to action: implementing the UN recommendations to raise the status of the teaching profession

    David Edwards

    On February 26, the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession launched its 59 recommendations to governments to strengthen the profession and ensure that teachers are valued and respected. The Panel and its broad recommendations are the result of persistent union advocacy. It is incumbent upon Governments to implement...

    Read more A call to action: implementing the UN recommendations to raise the status of the teaching profession
more: Making the case for public education