Education International Africa

The hidden crisis facing kitchen women in Ghana’s pre-tertiary schools

Theodora Dede Amanor

They feed thousands. Who cares for them? Every morning before the first bell rings and the first lesson starts, a group of women are already on the job at Ghana’s schools. They light fires, lift heavy pots, chop vegetables and cook meals for thousands of students across the country. By...

Building a climate resilient education system through union solidarity

Interview with Lucas Amadeu Impuane, National Secretary for International Relationships and Projects, ONP - National Teachers Union of Mozambique

Lucas Amadeu Impuane

Worlds of Education: How have teachers been impacted by the recent floods in Mozambique? The intense rains that occurred in December 2025 and January 2026 triggered widespread flooding. Overflowing rivers destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, and massively displaced people.

Decolonising education in Africa: The role of education unions

Dennis Sinyolo

Many education systems in Africa still perpetuate the legacy of colonialism. As a result, many of our countries’ education systems still struggle to reflect African values, histories, cultures, languages, and the lived experiences of our continent’s citizens. Indigenous knowledge and wisdom are often pushed to the periphery of the curriculum,...

The future belongs to solidarity, not fear

Mugwena Maluleke

We are living through a geopolitical crisis and through a political crisis in which war, disinformation, and authoritarianism feed one another.

The African Women in Education Network: A catalyst for gender equality

Agnès Béatrice Bikoko

Gender equality is at the heart of Education International's work. Since its creation in 1993, EI has supported the establishment of women's networks between and among member organizations at the regional and sub-regional levels, in order to promote women's empowerment and leadership within EI member organizations and within EI structures...

Education voices | Defending public higher education and challenging underfunding in Kenya

Interview with Grace Nyongesa, National Chair of the University Academic Staff Union, Kenya

Grace Nyongesa

This testimony was collected as part of the research project entitled “In the eye of the storm: Higher education in an age of crises” conducted by Howard Stevenson, Maria Antonietta Vega Castillo, Melanie Bhend, and Vasiliki-Eleni Selechopoulou for Education International. The research report and executive summary are available here .

Education voices | International trade union cooperation promotes occupational health and safety for teachers in Burundi

Interview with Rémy Nsengiyumva, president of the STEB education workers’ union of Burundi

Rémy Nsengiyumva

Since 2021, the STEB has been conducting a cooperation project with the French union SNES-FSU to improve occupational health and safety in Burundi’s schools. Rémy Nsengiyumva, President of the STEB, reflects on the progress made with this initiative, the challenges encountered, and the prospects for the future.

From private failures to public futures: Why FFD4 must Go Public

The Financing for Development Conference the world cannot afford to waste

David Edwards

For over a decade, Education International has warned that the World Bank's “Billions to Trillions ” agenda—a strategy to leverage small amounts of public money to attract private investment for development— would prioritize private profit over public need. We were dismissed as ideological, anti-market, unrealistic. Then came the evidence.

Not the exception, but essential: Teachers with disabilities in mainstream classrooms

Nidhi Singal

Where are the teachers with disabilities in our classrooms? A question I often ask my audience is: “How many of you were taught by a teacher who identified as having a disability during your school years?” In a room of 50–60 people, usually only one or two hands go up.

Education voices | How a union is mobilising communities against child labour in Burundi

Rémy Nsengiyumva

Since 2021, projects run by the STEB education workers’ union of Burundi have enabled more than 900 former child workers to return to school. Remy Nsengiyumva, President of the STEB, reflects on the strategies used in these projects supported by Education International, the AOb, NEA, GEW Fair Childhood Foundation, and...

Teacher compensation in South Sudan: The human cost of underinvestment

Mading Peter Angong Sarah Etzel Whitney Hough Mary Mendenhall Kemigisha Richardson Tiffany Tryon Malok Mading Wol

Teachers in South Sudan are the foundation of the education system, providing critical support in one of the most challenging environments globally. Despite their indispensable role, they face widespread financial instability, chronic delays in salary payments, and wages that are far below a livable standard. These issues destabilize the education...

A treaty to protect teaching

Miriam Socolovsky

For many years Education International has been following the discussions being held within the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights of the World Intellectual Property Organization (SCCR/WIPO) regarding limitations and exceptions to copyright for libraries, archives and educational institutions. There are times when it seems progress is being made,...

Tackling the teacher shortage crisis in the Commonwealth

Oliver Mawhinney

44 million teachers are need globally by 2030 – a shortage that affects developing and developed countries alike, as demonstrated across the Commonwealth.

Hair discrimination and cultural bias in South Africa’s education sector

Nomarashiya Dolly Caluza

As a young, South African girlchild, I experienced elements of hair discrimination at school and in my community. I attended African schools taught by African teachers. Our teachers discouraged us from wearing our hair long, claiming that our hair did not look “clean”, forcing us to either keep it short...

Education Voices | Haldis Holst on patient and persistent activism for women’s rights

Haldis Holst

Haldis Holst is Education International’s Deputy General Secretary and leads EI’s equity work. As a teacher, a union leader, and a feminist, Haldis has championed women’s rights in and through education and education unions, working at all levels, from small communities in her native Norway all the way to the...

The best way to celebrate education? Mobilize to defend it, to strengthen, and to fund it

David Edwards

Education is a human right, a public good, and a public responsibility. It relies on the millions of dedicated teachers and support personnel who make it happen in a place called school across the world every day. When this committed education workforce is undermined, the right to education is at...

Addressing the teacher shortage crisis: A Global Imperative

Dr. Ben Arnold Dr. Mark Rahimi

The Global Status of Teachers 2024 (GST) report highlights a stark reality: teacher shortages constitute a crisis with profound implications for education systems in many countries. Drawing on insights from 204 teacher unions across 121 countries, the report provides an overview of the current challenges and opportunities facing the profession.

Education voices | Teachers stand proud as allies for girls’ vision for the future

Marking the International Day of the Girl Child

On October 11, the International Day of the Girl Child, educators around the world reaffirm their commitment to advancing girls’ rights through education. This year’s theme, “Girls’ vision for the future” , highlights their potential to effect change and to build a world where all girls are protected, respected, and...