Asia-Pacific
On 25 February, Education International called on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Esmail Abdi, leader of the Tehran branch of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association (ITTA), and to respect the fundamental rights of all Iranian teachers. Abdolreza Ghanbari and Ali Akbar Baghani, two members of the ITTA for whom EI had also launched a solidarity campaign in 2012, were released on 17 March.
The Australian Education Union’s conference held in Melbourne from 26-28 February discussed the need for extra funds to be invested in the national school system. A special session was devoted to the education of refugee children. The EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen informed participants about the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East, and called for all education unions to exert pressure on public authorities to ensure that children's rights, including the right to education, are ensured.
The EI Asia-Pacific (EIAP) regional office presented the outcomes of EI’s sub-regional workshop, “SDGs: Driving Education 2030 Agenda Forward” during the first meeting of the regional thematic working group on Education 2030 in Bangkok, Thailand, on 1 March. The meeting, co-chaired by UNESCO and UNICEF, worked on education-related issues and supporting the achievement of the education goals in Asia-Pacific. Education International was represented by the EIAP Coordinator Anand Singh.
