Ei-iE

Union growth

All teachers and education support personnel have the right to organise and be part of a union that represents and defends their values and interests. However, around the world, education unions are facing serious attacks and operate in increasingly challenging and hostile environments. Revitalising unions, building their power by boosting membership and active participation and maximising impact is the way forward.

Our work in this area

  1. News 6 October 2023

    Using the best tools for development cooperation work

    Education unions that promote and fund solidarity projects evaluated and discussed their favourite development cooperation (DC) tools and how they help deliver the best results for their partners.

    Using the best tools for development cooperation work
  2. News 4 October 2023

    Haiti: union building continues despite endemic violence

    Despite the serious and persistent violence in Haiti, the trade union educators of the Union Nationale des Normaliens/Normaliennes et Éducateurs/Éducatrices d'Haïti (UNNOEH) have found the resources to recruit new activists and train them.

    Haiti: union building continues despite endemic violence
  3. News 17 July 2023

    Education International’s Executive Board: World Congress, 30 years of mobilising, artificial intelligence in education, addressing the global teacher shortage

    The Education International Executive Board met online on July 6 and July 14. EI’s 9th World Congress held online on July 11 to 13, as well as the organisation’s strategy on the use of artificial intelligence in education, and the launch of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession...

    Education International’s Executive Board: World Congress, 30 years of mobilising, artificial intelligence in education, addressing the global teacher shortage
  4. Worlds of Education 6 July 2023

    Past and present, women persist in their unions

    Susan Hopgood

    Three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, teacher unionists were in an optimistic mood. Mary Hatwood Futrell, president of the US-based National Education Association, rose to address a global gathering of teacher leaders in Stockholm as Education International was born.

    Past and present, women persist in their unions
  5. News 4 July 2023

    Your guide to connect with colleagues at the 9th EI World Congress

    The 9th Education International World Congress is taking place online from July 11 to 13. This edition of our World Congress will focus on “Growing our unions, elevating our professions, defending democracy." Read on to see how you can connect with colleagues from across the world!

    Your guide to connect with colleagues at the 9th EI World Congress
  6. News 12 June 2023

    ComNet: Communicators working together to change the narrative around public education

    Around 100 communicators working in education unions gathered online on June 1st as part of Education International (EI) Communicators’ Network (ComNet). They reconnected, exchanged experiences and ideas, and got ready to bring the EI “Go Public! Fund Education” campaign forward.

    ComNet: Communicators working together to change the narrative around public education
  7. Worlds of Education 15 May 2023

    Defending the essential work of education support personnel for quality public education

    Francisco García Suárez

    With more than 100 000 members, FECCOO is the most representative trade union organisation in the education support personnel (ESP) sector in Spain. Our union believes that the work of ESP in schools around the world is vital for achieving the right to quality education.

    Defending the essential work of education support personnel for quality public education
  8. News 24 April 2023

    Strengthening education unions, a key priority in Latin America

    Cooperation and solidarity, the Pedagogical Movement and women workers in education and their network. These initiatives to strengthen education unions were debated during the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Café dedicated to the Latin American region.

    Strengthening education unions, a key priority in Latin America
  9. News 24 April 2023

    Education International provides educators with a tool to support the strengthening of their unions

    Education International (EI) has developed a "Toolkit for Union Building – Making Education Unions More Effective” . This toolkit enables each member organisation to engage in a process of self-assessment, proposing that they experiment with new activities to strengthen their organisations.

    Education International provides educators with a tool to support the strengthening of their unions
  10. News 14 April 2023

    Development cooperation and solidarity in the Caribbean, in times of COVID-19 and afterwards

    Present in Brussels, Belgium, for a meeting of the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation Network , Don Howell, General Secretary of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) - an Education International umbrella body for teachers in the Caribbean - and President of the Saint Lucia Teachers' Union (SLTU), explained how...

    Development cooperation and solidarity in the Caribbean, in times of COVID-19 and afterwards
  11. Worlds of Education 20 March 2023

    Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers

    Howard Stevenson

    How can unions engage in a genuine renewal process and build union power to address union members’ needs in a fast changing political environment?

    Lessons in organising: union renewal and the war on teachers
  12. News 20 March 2023

    Development cooperation partners reaffirm their commitment to support education unions’ capacity-building activities

    The recent meeting of the Education International (EI) Development Cooperation (DC) Network gathered education unionists and cooperation development partners from all over the world, the first one since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. They took stock of past and current projects and exchanged good practices and tools to...

    Development cooperation partners reaffirm their commitment to support education unions’ capacity-building activities
  13. Publications

    Toolkit to Build Union Strength

    For more Effective Education Unions
    28 February 2023

    Education International has developed a "Toolkit to Build Union Strength – For more Effective Education Unions”. This toolkit enables each Education International member organisation to engage in a process of self-assessment, proposing that they experiment with new activities to strengthen their organisations.

    Toolkit to Build Union Strength
    1. Download
  14. News 27 February 2023

    European unions’ solidarity brings progress on social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal

    Development cooperation (DC) partners of the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) – Education International’s European Region – met for a DC Café online and discussed activities related to social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal.

    European unions’ solidarity brings progress on social and policy dialogue, gender equity and union renewal
  15. News 16 February 2023

    India: International union solidarity crucial to educators’ professional development

    The All India Primary Teachers’ Federation (AIPTF) has organised a capacity building programme aimed at creating a pool of resource persons who would provide professional development training to the members of its affiliate, the Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association (KPSTA).

    India: International union solidarity crucial to educators’ professional development
  16. News 13 February 2023

    Social and policy dialogue, a key to union renewal?

    Education International member organisation Union of Education Norway is exploring new ways of structuring development cooperation (DC) projects and ensuring that the educators’ voice is heard when decisions are made concerning educational issues and the teaching profession.

    Social and policy dialogue, a key to union renewal?
  17. News 8 February 2023

    Union development cooperation put to good use to fight privatisation of education and promote youth involvement in Africa

    The development cooperation (DC) Café held on 27 January presented activities undertaken and planned by Education International’s Africa Region (EIRAF) with member organisations in the region and international DC partners. Two specific projects were highlighted: the Global Response to the Privatisation and Commercialisation in and of Education campaign and the...

    Union development cooperation put to good use to fight privatisation of education and promote youth involvement in Africa