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Addressing the Social Forum of the Human Rights Council, Takashi Kajiwara, Education International (EI) Vice-President and President of the Japan Teachers’ Union (JTU), made a powerful case for education as an enabling right that supports the fulfilment of all human rights and that must be fully funded around the world.

The event, which took place on October 30th-31st in Geneva, Switzerland, focused on the contribution of education to the respect, promotion, protection, and fulfilment of all human rights. It offered a unique space for open dialogue between civil society, representatives of Member States of the United Nations (UN), and intergovernmental organisations.

Building the future through education

Speaking at a roundtable on education for socio-economic rights, Kajiwara stressed that “educators around the world, including me, love children and want to grow alongside them, and believe that through education, we can build peaceful, democratic societies that respect human rights. That is why we became teachers and strive every day. That's why, among all professions, we find this work the most rewarding.”

In terms of the role of education in the world of work, Kajiwara emphasised that “a prosperous society is built on ensuring children a quality learning experience”.

Sustainable Development Goal 4 is off track

Adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, Sustainable Development Goal 4 is to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.

However, as Kajiwara pointed out, 251 million children and youths were out of school in 2023, of which 71 million were of primary school-age. Barriers to education include war and conflict, poverty, economic and social disadvantages, background, and bullying.

Kajiwara explained that “in Japan too, there are diverse children. Whether their roots are in Japan or not, whether they have disabilities or not, and regardless of their family's socioeconomic status, we educators strive daily to make our schools democratic and inclusive places where all children learn together and learn from each other.”

Dire teacher shortages threaten the right to education

The union leader was the only panelist to mention the global shortage of 50 million teachers which is putting the right to education at risk around the world.

“In the Asia-Pacific region, the region I represent as Vice-President of Education International, teacher shortages are severe, and we need more than 1.66 million teachers,” Kajiwara warned.

According to the JTU President, Japan needs 2,558 more teachers - 1,218 in elementary school, 868 in lower secondary, 217 in upper secondary, and 255 in special education schools. While Japanese law guarantees equal educational opportunities nationwide, this promise is not being fulfilled, significantly impacting children's learning.

“The reason for teacher shortages is simply that public education budgets are insufficient in many countries”, Kajiwara stressed, noting that “teachers' unions have long been voicing concerns about teacher shortages. While this was often perceived as a problem specific to developing countries, through the collaborative efforts of Education International and the United Nations, it has now been recognised as a global challenge shared by governments worldwide”.

Through EI’s z campaign, education unions around the world are working together across borders to guarantee every student’s right to a well-supported, qualified teacher and a quality learning environment. The campaign 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.

Implementing the United Nations Recommendations on the teaching profession

The EI Vice-President also highlighted the 59 United Nations Recommendations as a blueprint to end the global teacher shortage.

Recommendation 5 urges governments to “establish national commissions or other mechanisms, which should include relevant financial authorities, representatives of teachers’ organisations and other relevant stakeholders, to assess and tackle shortages of adequately trained teachers.”

Recommendation 7 clearly states that “quality education is not possible without adequate financing. Funding for public education should be guaranteed at a level of at least 6 per cent of gross domestic product and 20 per cent of total government expenditure, as set out in the Education 2030 Framework for Action, and should allow for increasing investment per capita in education”.

The EI Vice-President concluded his intervention by emphasising that “now more than ever, we strongly believe in building movements from the grassroots level in each country to strengthen public education. This is to ensure we create peaceful, democratic societies where human rights are respected, stand in solidarity with our global peers, and pass this legacy on to our children. Let us work together!