Ei-iE

Leading the profession

Teachers and education support personnel know what works in education. They must be recognised and empowered to deliver on the promise of quality education for all.

At the classroom level, academic freedom and professional autonomy are prerequisites for quality teaching and learning. As professionals, teachers must be afforded the space and trust to make the best possible decisions for their students.

Beyond the classroom, education policy must be informed by the vast experience and insights only education professionals can provide. We advocate for the involvement of teachers, education support personnel and their representative organisations in all decision-making in education and work towards the expansion of sectoral policy dialogue at all levels and in all countries.

Our work in this area

  1. Statements 30 April 2026

    May Day: Wisdom workers of the world, unite, inspire, lead!

    We are Education International. We are over 33 million teachers and education workers across 180 countries and territories. We educate the world. In our classrooms, in our schools and universities, in our communities, we stand together for public education, for our profession, for people and planet.

    May Day: Wisdom workers of the world, unite, inspire, lead!
  2. News 30 April 2026

    Education unions are key to the global fight against raging global inequality

    Education unions are a key force in the global struggle against extreme inequality and the growing political power of the ultra-rich, according to Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International. Behar described how billionaires are no longer content with buying yet another luxury yacht and are pursuing political influence to...

    Education unions are key to the global fight against raging global inequality
  3. News 27 April 2026

    Cuba: Education International calls for an end to the fuel blockade and U.S. military threats against the island

    In light of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba, and the threat of further U.S. military and economic aggression in the hemisphere, Education International called for an end to the fuel blockade, and a commitment from the United States to "resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy."

    Cuba: Education International calls for an end to the fuel blockade and U.S. military threats against the island
  4. News 27 April 2026

    Education International demands an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to protect education in the Middle East

    In the face of a war across the Middle East which continues to destroy lives, communities, and education systems. Education International (EI) calls for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, full de‑escalation of hostilities, and the protection of students, teachers, and education workers across the region.

    Education International demands an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to protect education in the Middle East
  5. News 23 April 2026

    Supporting teachers who are at the centre of education in emergencies

    Ahead of Education Cannot Wait (ECW) replenishment later this year, Director Maysa Jalbout stressed the need for governments and donors to stop treating teachers in crisis settings as “invisible” and to work with education unions to measure and improve teacher wellbeing, safety, and professional dignity.

    Supporting teachers who are at the centre of education in emergencies
  6. Worlds of Education 8 April 2026

    Elevate, support, and invest in the teaching profession

    Anand Singh

    We need 44 million more teachers globally by 2030. In Asia-Pacific alone, that figure is more than 16 million. This is not a projection to worry about later — it is an emergency we are living right now.

    Elevate, support, and invest in the teaching profession
  7. News 7 April 2026

    Teachers across Asia-Pacific call for urgent investment and stronger support for the profession

    Around 120 teachers, teacher educators, academics, and education leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region convened in Bangkok from 30 March to 2 April 2026 for the Education International (EI) and UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Teachers. Participants committed to working collectively to elevate, support, and invest in the teaching profession.

    Teachers across Asia-Pacific call for urgent investment and stronger support for the profession
  8. News 31 March 2026

    Asia-Pacific education unions stand firm amid escalating crises

    Gathering in times of overlying crises across the region, the Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) Regional Committee issued an urgent call for peace, democracy, and public education. It adopted a statement demanding “an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation” in Iran and the Middle East and condemning attacks on schools and education workers.

    Asia-Pacific education unions stand firm amid escalating crises
  9. News 31 March 2026

    Mauritania: building union power across the country

    In Mauritania, the SNES (National Union of Secondary Education) is working with determination to support teachers and build union membership. With the support of the SNES–FSU in France, the union’s grassroots strategy has gained momentum over the years, and particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mauritania: building union power across the country
  10. News 26 March 2026

    ComNet Africa: Unions leading to decolonise education

    Many education systems across Africa remain structured by colonial legacies: what is taught, the languages used in classrooms, and the approach to formal schooling. Education unions must lead the effort to decolonise minds, curricula, and education financing across the continent. This was the call issued during a webinar of union...

    ComNet Africa: Unions leading to decolonise education
  11. News 26 March 2026

    France: a week of joint union action to defend public education

    Confronted with a 2026 budget “set to asphyxiate the public education system”, French unions are pressing for more resources, jobs, and pay increases. Building on the many local initiatives led by employees determined to defend their working conditions and the right to education, they are calling for a week of...

    France: a week of joint union action to defend public education
  13. Worlds of Education 18 March 2026

    ISTP 2026: Reflections with Estonia in the mirror

    David Edwards

    As my flight lifted off from Tallinn after three extraordinary days at the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) 2026, I closed my eyes, put in my earbuds, and pressed play on the work of Estonia’s beloved composer Arvo Pärt. Spiegel im Spiegel—“mirror in the mirror”—offered the perfect soundscape....

    ISTP 2026: Reflections with Estonia in the mirror
  14. News 12 March 2026

    Teachers remain at the heart of education, ISTP concludes

    After two days of rich and insightful discussions, the International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) concluded with a strong recognition of the relational nature of education and with concrete commitments from the participating delegations.

    Teachers remain at the heart of education, ISTP concludes
  15. News 12 March 2026

    Senegal: strike action demands compliance with agreements and dignity in public education

    For several months now, in response to the breakdown in social dialogue, teachers in Senegal have been mobilising in defence of their rights, quality public education, and the agreements signed with the government. The movement is led by the G7, a coalition of the seven most representative trade unions in...

    Senegal: strike action demands compliance with agreements and dignity in public education
  16. News 10 March 2026

    Go Public! Fund Education: Building union power and quality education across the Pacific

    The Education International (EI) Go Public! Fund Education campaign has consolidated itself as a central policy and mobilisation framework for education unions across the Pacific. What began as a strategic regional call to address teacher shortages has evolved into a coordinated effort linking national union action to global education policy...

    Go Public! Fund Education: Building union power and quality education across the Pacific
  18. News 4 March 2026

    For strong public education systems: unions learning from each other, sharing experiences, and building collective action

    At a time when education systems across Africa are confronted with major structural challenges – chronic underfunding, teacher shortages, unequal access, growing competition from the private sector – education unions have a vital role to play. A training session organised in Accra, Ghana, brought together several unions from the region...

    For strong public education systems: unions learning from each other, sharing experiences, and building collective action