Education International Africa

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...

Investing in quality education and teachers: an African perspective on EI’s upcoming World Congress

Joan Aja

The teaching profession is traditionally known to be a noble profession and a driver for all sectors and industries we have in the world of work. The profession is highly valued but greatly ignored by many African governments: they want quality teaching but take a short-sighted approach and are unwilling...

Against all odds: the union’s victory to elevate the status of college lecturers in Zimbabwe

David Dzatsunga

How does a lecturers’ union influence legislative change and restore the status of its members in a toxic, polarized, and polarising political environment? Through commitment, resilience and indomitable will. This article chronicles the unlikely victory of the College Lecturers Association of Zimbabwe (COLAZ) that saw the Government of Zimbabwe enact...

Upholding professional teaching standards matters

Ella Mokgalane

Countries without professional standards deprive their education and teaching workforce of quality and professional excellence. As part of its theory of change, the South African Council for Educators (SACE) adopted the concept of Professional Teaching Standards to provide a common language and vision of the profession that all teachers can...

Fossil fuel subsidies and educational performance

Zeynep Clulow

Around the world, companies, NGOs, policymakers, academics and national publics are increasingly calling on governments to phase-out fossil fuel subsidies (FS) - measures that support the consumption and production of natural gas, coal and oil – as a vital step for combatting climate change and building a more just and...

Towards a Just Transition in Education: A Strategic Guide on Fossil Fuel Divestment for Education Unions

Alanah Torralba

Every year, despite recording ‘hottest ever’ temperatures, the world consumes more fossil fuels than ever before. Consequently, climate disasters also continue to rise in frequency and intensity. In 2022, for instance, a third of Pakistan’s land mass was under water for several months following record monsoon rains and melting glaciers...

Copyright and teaching materials in Senegal

Mar Mbodj

Copyright gives authors exclusive control over their works. In education, however, the balance between access to information and respect for copyright is a major challenge. It is essential that we guarantee equitable access to protected knowledge while preserving the rights of artists and authors. Against this backdrop we have conducted...