International Labour Conference: Education International calls for teachers and unions to be at the center of the debate on Artificial Intelligence
“Education is not an assembly line, a content delivery platform, or, under any circumstances, a transaction. Our students are not data, and our classrooms are not markets.”
This was stated by José Olivera of Uruguay’s National Federation of Secondary Education Teachers (FENAPES) during his intervention before the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the 114th International Labour Conference (ILC), on behalf of Education International (EI).
In his speech, Olivera referred to the ILO Director-General’s report, “A moment of choice: Harnessing artificial intelligence for decent work”, and issued a strong call for action: “throughout the report’s more than 30 pages, the word ‘teacher’ does not appear a single time; and ‘education’ is mentioned only a handful of times”
The trade union leader stressed that teachers are not merely passive consumers of technology but essential actors in shaping how it is used in education. “There can be no legitimate governance of artificial intelligence in education without the active participation of teachers and their trade unions.”
At the same time, he noted that the report recognizes that “technological change is not neutral, that governance matters, and that we need a people-centred and rights-based approach.”
He also stressed that “The report reminds us that human intelligence, creativity and empathy must be protected, not displaced by artificial intelligence, and that technology should complement human capacities, not replace them. In education, that human capacity has a name: teachers’ professional judgment.”
During his intervention, Olivera also drew attention to the situation in Palestine, where education continues to be under attack, and expressed Education International’s solidarity. “Palestinian teachers have gone years without receiving full salaries, and students are learning under conditions of displacement and trauma. Yet teachers continue to teach, continue to resist, and continue to defend the right to education,” he emphasized.
The International Labour Conference is the annual meeting of the International Labour Organization, the United Nations’ tripartite agency that brings together governments, employers, and workers to develop and oversee international labour standards. In it, the IE delegation has followed up on several cases of violations of trade union rights and has spoken out in defense of decent working conditions for teachers.
