Ei-iE

Future of work in education

The future of education depends on strengthening the teaching profession, enhancing its status, and improving conditions to ensure that every student has a qualified teacher. The expertise of teachers must be recognised. Teachers must be the ones leading the development and future of education.

Technology and artificial intelligence are currently changing education as we know it. COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of change, forcing classrooms to move online for extended periods of time. While technology has the potential to support teaching and learning, it also poses major challenges, such as the critical digital divide and increased inequity, the commercialisation of education, issues of data privacy and cyberbullying, to name just a few.

Simply introducing education technology does not lead to enhanced learning. The teaching profession has a critical role to play in evaluating and deciding on the appropriate technology for teaching and learning.

As proven by the COVID-19 crisis, relationships between teachers and students and school communities are critical to student development and cannot be replaced by screens. We advocate for a human and student-centred approach to the use of technology and artificial intelligence in education.

Our work in this area

  1. News 25 January 2019

    Today’s Priority - The future of Finland’s education policy

    The annual Educa trade fair organised by Opetusalan Ammattijärjestö, a national education union affiliated to Education International, OAJ, will bring together thousands of Finnish teachers and education policymakers.

    Today’s Priority - The future of Finland’s education policy
  2. News 13 December 2018

    Philippines: union leaders united around gender equality and improving campaign capacities

    The annual evaluation and planning meeting of the Philippines’s women’s network bringing together Education International’s affiliates in this country has taken stock of gender and diversity issues and reinforced the education unions’ capacities and advocacy skills.

    Philippines: union leaders united around gender equality and improving campaign capacities
  3. Worlds of Education 25 October 2018

    Union support for refugee teachers in Saxony, by Brhan Al Zoabi

    Bran Al Zoabi

    Among the many people who have fled to Germany since 2015 are many skilled workers who have not only lost their families, friends, history, work, future, property, home and dreams, but also their direction, path and goal. In other words, they have lost everything. Some workers have found other areas...

    Union support for refugee teachers in Saxony, by Brhan Al Zoabi
  4. News 8 October 2018

    Germany: shortcomings in schools in terms of digitisation

    A new Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft’s study on the quality of educational institutions concludes that German schools are not ready for digitisation.

    Germany: shortcomings in schools in terms of digitisation
  5. Worlds of Education 5 October 2018

    “World Teachers’ Day: Between Recognition and Reward”, by Nelly P. Stromquist

    Teacher’s Day (usually in singular) is celebrated in many countries, a testimony to the importance with which teaching is perceived by those who benefited from knowledgeable and caring teachers. Teaching, in fact, has been identified by many as one of the most influential jobs in the world. Different countries have...

    “World Teachers’ Day: Between Recognition and Reward”, by Nelly P. Stromquist
  7. Research

    The global status of teachers and the teaching profession

    Nelly P. Stromquist
    26 September 2018

    The Global Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession is a crucial read, as it describes and quantifies the challenges teachers face worldwide, but also delineates a path towards a more sustainable future. This ground-breaking global report presents the voice of teachers across all levels of education from early childhood,...

    The global status of teachers and the teaching profession
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  9. Worlds of Education 19 September 2018

    “Education unions: vital to meeting the professional needs of educators”, by Howard Stevenson

    Howard Stevenson

    Many countries face huge problems recruiting educators to work in schools, colleges and universities and creating the working conditions that retain them in that work. Research studies also show that educators rarely get access to the type of high quality professional development they need to be as effective in their...

    “Education unions: vital to meeting the professional needs of educators”, by Howard Stevenson
  10. News 13 September 2018

    Germany: “Higher investment in teacher education is overdue”

    The Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft and the Verband Bildung und Erziehung have drawn attention to the long-standing “neglect” of on-going teacher training in the German discussion on educational quality.

    Germany: “Higher investment in teacher education is overdue”
  11. News 7 September 2018

    Southern Africa: young female education unionists will strive for quality education for all

    The recent Southern Africa Women in Education Network’s gender training and advocacy workshop was an excellent opportunity for young female education unionists to enhance their leadership and mobilisation skills, discuss tackling gender issues, and contributing to achieving the UN sustainable development goals.

    Southern Africa: young female education unionists will strive for quality education for all
  12. News 22 June 2018

    EI welcomes the G20 focus on the contributions of education

    For the first time in its decade-long existence, the G20, under the Argentinian Presidency, will focus on education. EI has been asked to contribute to the preparatory work of the education minister’s working group.

    EI welcomes the G20 focus on the contributions of education
  13. Worlds of Education 19 April 2018

    Protecting and growing the profession: The Professional Standards Conundrum, by Jelmer Evers

    Jelmer Evers

    Not too long ago I had a formal lesson observation as part of my yearly performance review. It’s meant as a basis for professional growth and as such it succeeded. I enjoyed the reflection. In my view it should be a regular part of a teacher’s job, not just a...

    Protecting and growing the profession: The Professional Standards Conundrum, by Jelmer Evers
  14. Worlds of Education 27 March 2018

    #WDR2018 Reality Check #20: Half-Hearted Commitment to Teacher Learning, by Mark Ginsburg

    Mark Ginsburg

    I recently completed work on a moderated discussion (Ginsburg et al., 2018) for the Comparative Education Review (CER) focused on the World Development Report 2018: Learning to Realize Education’s Promise (WDR) (Filmer et al., 2018). In the moderated discussion I muted my voice in order to facilitate a conversation among...

    #WDR2018 Reality Check #20: Half-Hearted Commitment to Teacher Learning, by Mark Ginsburg
  16. News 6 March 2018

    Algerian unions work towards increased gender equality

    Algerian education unions are working with Education International to address gender equality issues in their unions as part of a capacity development programme.

    Algerian unions work towards increased gender equality
  18. Research

    We the educators

    10 August 2017

    The objective of this literature review was exploratory in nature, and because of the depth of the literature (both academic and non-academic) available on standardisation, personalisation and privatisation, this review focuses primarily on scholarly articles and books published in the past decade.

    We the educators
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