Ei-iE

How are education workers around the world feeling? What are their actual working conditions, daily challenges, and health?

Through the third edition of I-BEST - the International Barometer of the Health and Well-being of Education Staff - Education International (EI) and MGEN will amplify the voices of education personnel in order to improve their working conditions.

David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International, stressed the importance of this international survey: “Education unions everywhere are concerned about the health and well-being of education workers and have made this issue a priority. The physical and mental strain is taking a toll on the profession and is fueling the global shortage of 50 million teachers. Through our global Go Public! Fund Education campaign, we are working together to compel governments to support and invest in the education workforce and to fully fund our public education systems.”

Noting that I-BEST is an integral part of the Go Public campaign, Edwards further stated that the survey findings would inform EI advocacy at national and international levels: “We stand ready to bring educators’ concerns to decision makers and effect change in schools around the world.”

Matthias Savignac, President of MGEN, said: "For 80 years, MGEN has placed the health of education staff at the heart of its efforts. Together with Education International, our work with I-BEST reflects our deep conviction that the quality of education depends directly on the well-being of those who make it happen every day. Above all, I-BEST is a space for education communities to speak out and a powerful tool for action.”

Reflecting on the potential impact of the survey, Savignac added: “The data we collect together, respecting anonymity and with scientific rigour, make it possible to build prevention and support policies rooted in the realities on the ground. This third edition marks a new stage in our common mission to make health in education a priority throughout the world.”

Thousands more educators expected to participate in I-BEST 2026

While over 34,000 education workers across eleven countries and territories participated in the previous two editions of the survey, the third edition is expected to receive input from even more educators with the addition of eight new countries and territories.

I-BEST 2026 will collect insights from educators from Argentina, Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, France, Mexico, Morocco, New Caledonia, Paraguay, Portugal, Quebec, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, The Gambia, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.

Thirty-three partner organisations – education unions, mutual societies and professional associations – have joined I-BEST 2026, indicating increased interest in reliable and comparable data on the health and well-being of education workers.

A deeply participatory approach

Partner organisations play an essential role in all phases of the project, from the choice of current themes to be explored to promoting the findings in their territories.

This collaborative approach ensures that I-BEST reflects educators’ lived realities and that the data collected are used to improve policies and practices on health and well-being in education.

The survey will run from January to April 2026. As the recipient of the data, the MGEN Foundation for Public Health guarantees the scientific and methodological rigor, alongside partner organisations, the UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and Education Support (United Kingdom).

The survey findings will be published in the autumn of 2026 and will inform the work of EI, MGEN, and participating organisations to ensure educators everywhere work in conditions that protect and promote their physical and mental health and well-being, enabling them to deliver quality education for all.