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EI firmly made the case for quality public education at the fourth meeting of the United Nations High Level Panel (HLP), held from 25-27 March in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting is a key event within the on-going processes to shape a new post-2015 development and education framework.

The High Level Panel (HLP) will submit recommendations to the UN MDG Summit in September.  Appointed  by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon in 2012, it is co-chaired by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom. "EI believes the UN process should be transparent and participatory and involve all key stakeholders, particularly the teaching profession," said EI President, Susan Hopgood. "It is vitally important that the voice of educators is heard". "Finding a way to make countries and institutions accountable for the delivery of the new commitments is also key", she added.

Trade union involvement On 23 March, EI and PGRI, its Indonesian affiliate, organised a joint meeting to reflect on common strategies to influence the HLP process both at local and global level. Towards this aim, participants agreed on a joint statement of recommendations for the education post-2015 development agenda (see below).

Speaking at the EI/PGRI meeting, EI Senior Coordinator, Dennis Sinyolo, stressed the need for EI member organisations to be actively involved in the development of the post-2015 agenda. 'As the main actors in the delivery of education, educators, individually and collectively through their representative organisations, must be involved in the process leading to the development and adoption of a new development and education framework", he said.

Sinyolo went on to say: "EI will conduct Education for All (EFA) assessments and work with its member organisations to ensure that education is retained as a key priority in the post-2015 agenda'.  The document was presented to the Indonesian President's advisor, Kuntoro Mangkusubrotto, by EI President, Susan Hopgood  during the HLP meeting, after a positive encounter with an EI delegation that included PGRI President Sulistiyo.

Advocating for quality public education as a goal On 25 March, the HLP Stakeholder Outreach Day allowed interactions of the Panel with external partners including civil society, the private sector, academic institutions and politicians. Two days before, civil society representatives from all across the globe gathered together at a preparation meeting to draft a joint statement with recommendations to the Panel. Among them, an EI delegation participated in different breakout groups and round tables to push for the inclusion of quality public education as a high priority into the agenda. EI President, Susan Hopgood also met with the UN Special Advisor on the Post-2015 Agenda, Amina J Mohammed. Ms Mohammed showed her support to EI's message and acknowledged the crucial role of education to achieve all MDGs. "EI is firmly advocating to ensure that the new education goals address equity,quality and inclusion and that teachers have a central and participative role in shaping the new education framework", stated Hopgood.

PGRI President, Sulistiyo, concurred, noting that his union would support a post-2015 development framework for Education for All that covers all forms and levels of education and is supported by both the national and local governments.

Education, an unfinished agenda "Today the world is dealing with multiple crises —financial, food and climate — impacting on both the developed and developing countries. In many cases, this has shifted the focus of the debate to economic growth", said Angelo Gavrielatos, EI member of the Regional Committee in Asia-Pacific. "This makes it ever-more important to mobilise for quality education for all as an integral part of a post-2015 development agenda, bearing in mind also the role that education plays in helping to achieve other development goals, such as those relating to health, gender equality and sustainable development", added EI Coordinator Antonia Wulff.

Mobilising for quality public education EI calls on all its member organisations to strategically engage in the on-going processes that define the global development framework post-2105 by:

• Engaging members of the UN High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda;

• Contributing to the on-going national, regional and international consultations on the post 2015 agenda;

• Engaging governments to ensure that education is included as a key priority in the Post- 2015 agenda during the negotiation process among member states;

• Sharing experiences and lessons learnt from the current MDGs and EFA.

• Participating in the global EI campaign 'Mobilising for quality education and its culmination event, the World Day of Action in early October 2014;

To access the EI-PGRI joint recommendations for education post-2015 development agenda please go here.

To read the civil society draft statement please click here.