Considering how the Covid-19 Pandemic affected the teaching profession, the focus was on the protection of the world’s teachers, the promotion of social dialogue and how to handle the pandemic. At the same time, early childhood education (ECE) was the sector in the education system that suffered the harshest setbacks in development. These setbacks have had a huge influence on the youngest children, their feeling of safety as well as the importance of foundational learning as stipulated in the Tashkent Declaration 2022. As a consequence, the children have not returned to pre-primary school in the same numbers as before the pandemic. Thus, a re-affirmation of the ECE Resolution from 2019 at the EI World Congress in Bangkok is required to ensure that Education International (EI) is committed and fully engaged in promoting ECE teachers’ education and professional development. Furthermore, EI commits to strengthening the ECE professions and improving the availability, accessibility, adaptability, acceptability, and quality of ECE.
The 10th Education International (EI) World Congress, meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 29 July to 2 August 2024:
Reaffirming the ECE Resolutions of EI World Congress 2015 in Ottawa and 2019 in Bangkok;
Recognising that the EI ECE Advisory Body has taken an important step towards promoting education and working conditions of ECE teachers and personnel worldwide;
Noting the UN 2015 Sustainable Development Goals especially, target SDG4.2 aiming at ECE, provide a solid platform for development and improvement of quality education and lifelong learning for all children, also the ones growing up in precarious circumstances, from ECE and onwards;
Recalling that the privatisation and commercialisation of ECE-services are a fast-growing trend worldwide, including in countries where public sector ECE has been the norm and tradition;
Considering that there is only sparse documentation on the effects of privatisation regarding the quality of ECE and in relation to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children (Nordic Council of Ministers, Expert Seminar on the Economic Significance of Qualitative ECE, 2023);
Convinced that ECE is an important defense against the proliferation of child labour in several countries and regions of the world;
Pointing out that ECE is not yet considered a universal right in several countries;
Pointing out that the research of Nobel Prize Winner James Heckman proves that quality ECE heavily influences health, economic and social outcomes for individuals and society at large;
Acknowledging that ECE is an intrinsic part of the education system and that play has a central role in children's lives. According to Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to engage in play therefore, play must be put on the agenda in ECE;
Bearing in mind that the 2013 International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for Early Childhood Education Personnel are not yet familiar to nor implemented by all the key actors involved in ECE around the world;
Acknowledging the UNESCO definition of ECE as an organised and purposeful set of learning activities in a safe and healthy environment. Thus, ensuring ECE curricula and pedagogy are building on local knowledge to develop child-centred, play-based, fully inclusive, and environmentally and gender-responsive learning approaches to support children’s learning, well-being, development of socio-emotional skills, active participation in school, and awareness of democratic values as per the 2022 Tashkent Declaration ;
Recalling that under certain circumstances, digital technologies can be supporting tools for ECE teachers and children within the learning processes, whilst respecting the professional autonomy and academic freedom of teaching professionals as well as safeguarding the privacy of children and education professionals;
Emphasising the need to invest in sustainable school buildings and safe, quality digital infrastructure. Highlighting that digital infrastructures and equal access to digital technologies for all teachers and children are of paramount importance, with particular attention to the most disadvantaged groups and the socio-economic divide at the expense of rural and poorer areas;
Taking into account that recent evidence from EI reveals that ECE is the sector most affected by the global teacher shortage, leading to worsening of the working conditions. This is connected to the low attraction and retention of ECE teachers and personnel, the diversity of employment and the challenges of unionisation among the ECE workforce, and the implications of the female-dominated profession;
Recognising the 2024 recommendations of the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession to transform education through the use of social and policy dialogue including collective bargaining as the main mechanism for determining professional and fair salaries, good working conditions and education policies to limit the extraordinary global teacher shortage and enhance the status of the profession.
The 10th World Congress:
Urges EI to adopt the opportunities presented by SDG4, target 4.2 and the international declarations, stating the right to learning begins at birth. Thus, future progress on ECE requires support and new organisational initiatives from EI;
Calls for an organised approach in view of the ILO Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for Early Childhood Education Personnel. EI, the EI Regions, and the member organisations must manage the necessary follow up work to secure the implementation of the guidelines. Furthermore, acknowledge the UNESCO action agenda on the reinforcement of effective ECE programme delivery as outlined in the 2022 Tashkent Declaration;
Recalls that ECE in some countries is a battlefield for privatisation and commercialisation. Capital funds recognise ECE as an object of investments with large profits. Marketisation of ECE as a commodity prevents equality, equity and social justice and holds the potential to intrude other sections of public education. Thus, appreciating the Paris Declaration Commitments and the EI global campaign Go Public! Fund Education are of paramount importance for the ECE sector.
The 10th World Congress mandates the Executive Board to:
Prepare an action plan for ECE to address and recommend policies and activities to be undertaken in the following congress period by EI to promote ECE in society, in education, and in the trade union movement including the following actions:
Coordinate and organise activities, share knowledge and experiences, and create synergy;
Promote research on ECE, and in particular, in relation to girls’ attendance and participation, child labour as well as on a holistic high quality ECE framework;
Continue research on the causes and consequences of privatisation of ECE around the world;
Promote the ILO’s Policy Guidelines on the Promotion of Decent Work for ECE Personnel;
Advocate to improve initial education, continuous professional development and decent working conditions for ECE teachers especially, due to the harsh setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic;
Continue to support EI member organisations to unionize ECE teachers and educators;
Ensure full prioritisation and integration of ECE in EI policies, programmes, activities and campaigns;
Appoint a new advisory body on ECE to advise EI and the Executive Board on ECE issues, as well as support advocacy with the United Nations, its agencies (UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, UNDP, the World Bank, etc.), regional bodies, and governments. This body, constituted in a transparent and democratic manner, must be inclusive, ensuring the representation of the different regions of EI.