Ei-iE

Education Support Personnel (ESP) are the backbone of our schools, yet they often face discrimination, low wages, and lack of job security. On World ESP Day, May 16th, education unions worldwide raised their voices to recognition and demand better conditions.

ESP, the backbone of education

During an online event organized ahead of World ESP Day, Go Public! Invest in education support personnel: Ensure inclusive education, Education International (EI) President, Mugwena Maluleke, called on governments to invest in ESP, stating: “We call on all governments to invest in education support personnel to ensure inclusive quality education for all.”

Celebrating “the unsung heroes of our schools,” he emphasized the critical role of ESP in supporting student learning, wellbeing, and safety, and the need for their meaningful integration into schools’ pedagogical projects.

He also noted that, “as unionists, we must welcome ESP’s active and meaningful participation and recognition in our unions at all levels.”

The EI leader added: “You are the backbone of our schools. Your dedication and commitment make inclusive education possible. You know the name of each student, you speak their language, you know their hopes and fears.”

The first part of the webinar focused on ESP and inclusion, highlighting ESP’s key role in supporting inclusive education, and discussing the inclusion of ESP in unions and collaborative environments in schools.

ESP and teachers work hand in hand to defend collective rights and shared values

Marjolaine Perreault, Executive Director of the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) and member of the EI Executive Board, stressed the importance of ESP in promoting equitable and inclusive quality education systems, at all education levels.

In 2023, member organizations gathered in Aveiro, Portugal, for the second World ESP Conference, where they adopted the Aveiro Declaration, she reminded. This declaration outlines union demands to secure the rights and status of ESPs and calls on all governments to "Go Public: Fund ESP."

Also, in 2024, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the 10th EI World Congress, a resolution was adopted to continue advocating for the global implementation of the Education International Declaration on the Rights and Status of Education Support Personnel. Perreault noted that the resolution encourages ESP and teacher representatives to support each other and work hand in hand to defend common rights and values to ensure student needs are met.”

Insisting that ESP positions are in majority filled by women, Perreault reported on progress made in recent years in Quebec through salary negotiations and improved working conditions. She mentioned a historic salary increase of 17.4% over five years, including 6% in the first year. Recently, 4,000 additional classroom support staff were recruited. And there was an improvement of the bonuses paid to certain skilled workers (from 10% to 15%) and psychologists.

However, she pointed out the challenges still faced by ESP, such as cuts and hiring freezes, job precariousness, which have returned in recent months. Acts of violence against school support staff have tripled in three years, according to data collected by the CSQ.

ESP, dedicated workers despite deplorable working conditions

Salamatu Braimah, National Chairperson of the Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) in Ghana, highlighted the essential role of education support staff in creating a conducive and clean environment that promotes good health for both staff and learners. She emphasized that these staff members provide healthy food to keep learners alive and ensuring students' success.

Salamatu pointed out the harsh conditions under which education support personnel work, despite their hard work and dedication. She mentioned that these staff members often face discrimination, which affects their morale, growth, and treatment. She stated: “The education support personnel work very hard, though in deplorable conditions to provide support to our counterparts in the classroom.”

She called for increased funding and recognition of the value and contributions of education support staff. Salamatu urged for the promotion of inclusivity and equity, provision of resources for professional development, and ensuring fair compensation and treatment.

Salamatu also highlighted the need for occupational health and safety programs, mentioning that many education support personnel suffer from breast cancer and other deadly diseases due to their working environment. She called for support from partners to fund these programs and provide medical support to those diagnosed with cancer.

On May 19th, TEWU hold a press conference related to World ESP Day, underlining that, on a monthly average basis, a total number of 200 ESP who are union members exit educational institutions through retirement, resignation, or death. Based on its membership data, the union also indicated that about 600 ESP will retire by the end of 2025.

Noting that there is no recruitment policy to ensure that ESP who leave their jobs are replaced, TEWU further urged the government to acknowledge that ESP are essential education workers, to involve them in policymaking and to develop immediate sustainable measures to recruit more ESP.

ESP must remain courageous and uncompromising in defending democracy, inclusion, equality, and solidarity

Flavia Bulletti, an IT technician member of the Federazione Lavoratori della Conoscenza CGIL (FLC CGIL) in Italy, highlighted several critical issues faced by ESP in Italy. She emphasized the increasing instability of working conditions due to repressive actions from the government. Flavia pointed out the gender inequality in hiring practices and salary disparities, noting that women might not be hired if they express a desire to have children, and they can be fired if they get pregnant. She also mentioned that even when women are hired, their salaries are lower than those of men.

She criticized the Italian government for introducing more and more new administrative procedures which increase workload, but not personnel. "How does the ministry respond? With staff cuts. This makes no sense."

Bulletti also highlighted the need for training for all school staff, saying that the main challenge to transform today's society starts with school digitalization. She stated: "The first issue is to train citizens on the use of new information and communication technologies. This transformation must be inclusive and not create or amplify inequalities and injustices."

In conclusion, she called on colleagues “to be courageous and uncompromising in defending your ideas of democracy, inclusion, equality and solidarity!”

The second part of the event focused on funding issues for ESP and the importance of the EI Go Public! Fund Education campaign.

ESP union confronted numerous challenges in Nepal

Sushila Khanal of the Nepal School Employees’ Council (NSEC) emphasized the importance of ESP, acknowledging that “ESP ensure effective school administration, promote inclusive and safe learning spaces, reduce the workload of teachers, act as a bridge between schools and communities and improve the overall quality of education.”

Despite their essential role, ESP often face numerous challenges. Khanal highlighted the issue of low wages, stating, “Across Nepal, one thousand ESP have been working for many years without job security and proper recognition. There is no social protection, like pension, insurance or health benefits.” She further added, “This salary is not enough to support even basic living needs. Most have been working under temporary contracts for years.”

Khanal acknowledged that, “if we want to increase the quality of education, we must invest not only in teachers, but in all school staff too”.

Fragile successes scored by ESP in Latin America

Julián Cabrera, Treasurer of the Asociación de Trabajadores de Enseñanza Secundaria (ATES) in Uruguay, reported on the struggles faced by ESP in Latin America. He emphasized the pervasive inequality in the region and the critical role of ESP in addressing these disparities.

He also highlighted the increasing presence of the private sector in education over the past few decades, which has diverted resources away from public education. He noted that despite these challenges, there have been some successes in countries like Brazil and Uruguay, where efforts to introduce detrimental structures for ESP were thwarted.

He further called for global solidarity, stating: “We need to make sure that ESP is properly recognized. We need to make sure that they are at the table at any kind of negotiations we have, and we need to make sure that everybody is aware of their contribution and importance.”

Cabrera also discussed a significant piece of legislation passed a few years ago in Uruguay and that included ESP and their work with people with disabilities. This law had a substantial impact on the school system, allowing support personnel to provide essential services to students with disabilities. However, he informed that this law has since been dismantled, leaving many students without the necessary support.

“ESP personnel are not non-teaching personnel. Our contribution is something unique which does not need to be related to whether we educate or not. We need to be recognized by what we contribute to society, and we need to be guaranteed decent working conditions everywhere,” he further underscored.

Call to action

On World Education Support Personnel Day, education unions worldwide raised their voices to demand better conditions for ESP. Together, they can ensure that ESP receive the respect, job security, and fair working conditions they rightfully deserve. It is time for governments to recognize the invaluable contributions of ESP within vibrant education communities and invest in their wellbeing and job security.