Ei-iE

Democracy is a core value of education unions around the world. On the International Day of Democracy, 15 September, education unions from Education International came together online to reaffirm their commitment to defending and advancing democracy, sharing insights into the challenges they are facing and strategising the way forward.

In a world where attacks on education, teachers, and their unions is a reality in many countries, David Edwards, Education International General Secretary, explained that “teachers and teachers’ unions are in the crosshairs of authoritarians worldwide because we teach children how to think critically, how to exercise their agency, how to work collectively, how to defend their rights. That is a threat to authoritarians who depend on a citizenry that is ignorant and compliant”.

Edwards encouraged education unionists to learn from each other and join forces to develop a common response to rising authoritarianism across the globe. “ On Education and Democracy: 25 Lessons from the Teaching Profession”, a book co-authored by Fred van Leeuwen, Education International General Secretary Emeritus, and Susan Hopgood, former Education International President, distils the historical wisdom of the profession into 25 essential principles that continue to guide teachers’ current mobilisation for democracy.

Authoritarians on the rise around the world

On Democracy Day, education unionists shared insights about the challenges they are facing at the national level and the strategies they are employing to fight back.

Warning that “widening inequalities have been fertile ground for conservatives and the far right”, Manuela Mendonça, President of FENPROF (Portugal) and member of the EI Executive Board, discussed the accelerated rise of the far right and its normalisation across Europe. In Portugal for example, the far right rose from 1% of votes to 22% in just 6 years. Mendonça stressed the need to dismantle the far-right narrative and to build broad alliances among progressive forces in society in order to turn the tide and strengthen democracy. “Educating for democracy, teaching students to be critical thinkers, empathetic, and committed to the public good, is our responsibility as educators and the best defence against extremism”, Mendonça added.

Roberto Baradel of CTERA, Argentina and also a member of EI's Executive Board, reported on the growing attacks on teachers and their unions by President Javier Milei. Academic freedom in Argentina is being undermined by politically motivated accusations of indoctrination against teachers. The government has established hotlines for complaints against teachers and has unsuccessfully brought teachers to court for speaking to students about the genocide in Gaza. Milei’s government is also attempting to take away teachers’ right to strike by defining education as an essential service. Unions are challenging this decision at the International Labour Organization. Furthermore, union leaders have faced attacks and threats on social media to which they have successfully responded in court. After years of attacks against progressive groups in the country, Milei recently suffered a serious defeat in regional elections in Buenos Aires, signalling a broad popular rejection of these policies.

In Eswatini, SNAT, the only teachers’ union in the country and one of the oldest unions in Africa, is facing a sustained campaign of harassment from the government. The union’s Secretary General, Lot Mduduzi Vilakati, described how, in a move to intimidate the union, SNAT President Mbongwa Dlamini has been suspended from his teaching position since 2022. Furthermore, teachers are banned from speaking about democracy and the government systematically refuses to engage in social dialogue with the union. Parliament is currently discussing a law which would ban unions from government buildings, making it illegal to even present a petition. In his hostile climate, Vilakati highlighted the essential role of international solidarity and thanked Education International and its member organisations for their sustained support.

EI Executive Board member and American Federation of Teachers Vice-President Evelyn DeJesus presented the situation in the U.S. where Donald Trump is dismantling public education and healthcare, attacking universities, slashing food assistance for the poor, cutting international aid, and much more just to give tax breaks to billionaires. His war on immigrants and the militarisation of American cities, including Washington D.C., have thrown democracy in an unprecedented crisis. However, a democratic resistance has mobilised to oppose Trump. The AFT is part of a coalition of educators, school districts, and unions that have filed lawsuits against the administration. The union has also taken to the streets in massive marches on March 4, April 5, May 1 – Mayday, and September 1 – U.S. Labor Day. On June 14, teachers joined more than five million people to make it clear that the U.S. accepts “No Kings!”. Thanking EI member organisations for the solidarity and support, DeJesus concluded that “in a democracy, the people are the ultimate source of power, which is why the people must protect it constantly by exercising our democracy muscles”.

An example of how popular resistance was able to defeat authoritarianism came from South Korea, where teachers played a key role in defending democracy during the attempted coup d’etat in 2024. Hyunsu Hwang, International Secretary of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (KTU), described how the union responded to this existential crisis for democracy. Immediately after former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, KTU members gathered in front of Parliament to protect law makers who were passing a bill to stop the coup d’etat. Teachers continued to take to the streets every day for months to demand the President’s impeachment. As the decision of the Constitutional Court impeaching the President was streamed live in classrooms across the country on 4 April, “the entire country became a classroom for democracy” Hwang noted.

Global mobilisation to oppose authoritarianism

Having taken stock of the situation around the world, EI member organisations discussed the way forward and worked on developing a common strategy to oppose the far right across contexts.

International solidarity emerged as an essential part of this joint strategy to defend democracy. Unions also stressed the importance of building broad-based alliances across society. Developing a vision of the future centred on democracy, inclusion, and hope as an alternative to the hate-filled far-right narrative is critical.

ETUCE President John MacGabhann reflected on democracies becoming complacent, with nominally friendly governments moving to the right in an attempt to appease far-right forces in society while ignoring the needs of ordinary people. In this context, education unions must be proactive in opposing austerity measures in education and beyond to reduce the inequality that breeds extremism. Unions must also engage with communities and ensure schools become safe sanctuaries for all.

Unions also agreed to systematically and publicly denounce authoritarian policies, engaging in mobilisations and protests to express dissent and put pressure on governments.

EI member organisations will work to give education workers the tools to rally, organise, and keep safe while fostering joy and hope as acts of resistance to authoritarianism.

Union action plan for democracy

Jelmer Evers, Director of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), presented the key elements of a global EI action plan to defend democracy, stressing the importance of strategic, long-term planning.

EI will conduct research and mapping to inform the joint strategy, including country case studies to explore threats and effective opposition, response strategies (professional, legislative, judicial, educational, organising, alliance building), and learning from other sectors and unions.

Learning and organising will be centred around conferences, events, regional expert groups and networks, resource hubs, country guides and toolkits, and the Organising4Power model. Several conferences on academic freedom are already planned in Asia Pacific, Latin America and the United Kingdom.

Noting that attacks on working people and austerity measures are attacks on democracy, Edwards also highlighted that EI’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign is an important vector in the fight for democracy.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport, it requires full participation and engagement”, Edwards stressed. “From grassroots organising to international alliances, hope lies in collective action”, Evers concluded.