IFUT News
ETUCE message on Investing in Education, 2014
ETUCE MESSAGE TO THE NEW EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE NEW COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, and FUTURE GENERAL AFFAIRS and EDUCATION COUNCILS and ITALIAN PRESIDENCY on Investing in Education
The European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE), which represents 129 teacher unions in Europe, i.e. more than 11 million teachers from all levels of the education sector in 45 countries, strongly demands that European leaders prioritise investment in education as the sole way to increase potential economic growth in Europe and to reduce social inequalities.
Congress Pre Budget Submission 2014
Congress Pre Budget Submission
17 Jul 2014
CONGRESS PROPOSES REFUNDABLE TAX CREDITS, REDUCED WATER CHARGES FOR LOWER AND MIDDLE INCOME FAMILIES AND SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Net adjustment of €800 million only needed to reach 3% deficit target.
Five year social housing programme urgently needed.
ETUCE: TRADE IN SERVICES AGREEMENT (TiSA) IS A THREAT TO QUALITY EDUCATION
Brussels, 27 June 2014
ETUCE, representing 11 million teachers and education workers in Europe, is expressing deep concern over the European Union’s intention to include education services in the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) negotiations currently underway.
Martin Rømer, Director of the European Trade Union Committee on Education (ETUCE) said: “Trade rules are legally binding and can have the effect of locking-in and intensifying pressures of commercialisation and privatisation. Rules around market access can severely restrict the ability of countries that make commitments on education services to limit the entry and regulate the operations of private and for-profit schools and institution.”
REQUEST FOR ACTION: European Commission priorities on education for 2015-2020
To : ETUCE Member Organisations in the European Union and in the candidate countries
For information to: ETUCE Member Organisations in other countries
Members of the ETUCE Committee
Dear colleagues,
A new European Commission will be set up in autumn following the European Parliament elections. Therefore, the European Commission is asking our opinion on how to renew its political objectives for the next 5 years (2015-2020).
We would like to ask you to fill in the Public Consultation of the European Commission on the EU2020 Strategy prior to 31 October: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/public-consultation/index_en.htm
The questionnaire is available in ALL EUROPEAN LANGUAGES. We would like to ask you to disseminate is widely and encourage your members to fill it in.
ETUCE: It is high time to improve the value of the teaching profession
Brussels, 27 June, 2014
ETUCE welcomes that the European Commission calls for actions as OECD survey reveals that more than 80% of teachers in the EU feel undervalued.
Yesterday OECD presented the international Talis results on teaching and learning and the European Commission presented the outcomes of the survey concerning Europe. The survey is based on answers of teachers and school leaders of lower-secondary schools in 34 countries, from which 19 countries are in Europe. Around 100.000 teachers answered worldwide, 55.000 in Europe.
WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR, 12 June 2014
Dear colleagues,
Every year, Education International (EI) marks the World Day against Child Labour (WDACL) celebrated on 12 June. EI encourages education unions to organise public activities showing the commitment of teachers and education support personnel to eradicating child labour and promoting quality public education for all children.
Over the years, EI has developed educational campaign material that may be used globally to undertake activities around child labour issues. It is available for download on EI’s website in various languages.
In collaboration with the Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour of the International Labour Organisation (ILO-IPEC), EI is now launching a new Resource Manual “Teachers and Education Unions: Ending Child Labour.”
The online resource manual describes the historical reasons for union involvement on the issue of child labour. It sets out reasons why education unions are well placed to contribute to the eradication of child labour and provides examples of union practice to underpin the arguments. A third section offers guidance on union actions in the areas of: internal union awareness-raising, policy and capacity-building; research and documentation; external awareness-raising, advocacy and lobbying; and collective bargaining and other forms of social dialogue.
Advocacy for the eradication of child labour is enhanced by union campaigns that aim to improve the status of teachers and other education workers, as well as their training, remuneration and working conditions. Improving teaching and learning conditions helps keep children in school and prevent child labour.
At the last Global Conference on Child Labour, held in Brasilia in October 2013, the EI delegation successfully lobbied for the inclusion of a paragraph in the final statement. The paragraph reads: “Education, health and social workers should be entitled to decent working conditions and relevant initial and continuous training, and related policies should be developed with workers’ organizations through social dialogue."
You will find additional information on EI policies and publications on child labour at go.ei-ie.org/childrenrights/ and www.ilo.org/ChildLabourWorldDay. Please contact EI (headoffice@ei-ie.org) if you have any questions.
We thank you in anticipation for your commitment and look forward to hearing about the WDACL activities that you are organising in your country.
Yours sincerely,
Fred van Leeuwen
General Secretary
|
|
Education International Education International, |