COP22
Education International (EI) participated in the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco, from 7-18 November. Assibi Napoe, Richard Langlois and Dennis Sinyolo took part for EI, and advocated for education to be placed at the centre of national, regional and global efforts to combat climate change – this requires measures to strengthen educators’ capacity in all countries.
At a roundtable on “ Sustainability starts with educators”, organised by EI and UNESCO, Sinyolo stressed the importance of supporting educators to build capacity on education for sustainable development (ESD) and climate change. Napoe also contributed to the parallel trade union event, and Langlois participated in a panel during the Day of Trade Union Strategy, both International Trade Union Confederation-organised events.
A summary of EI’s recommendations to COP22 and governments can be found here
EI 10th IFHERC
The EI 10th International Further and Higher Education and Research Conference(IFHERC) was held in Ghana, Accra, from 14-16 November. Attendees discussed a range of issues, including open educational resources, privatisation, academic freedom, casualisation and sustainable development goals (SDGs) and related education indicators on higher education and vocational education and training.
Among the keynote speakers were Ghana’s Education Minister, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Professor Nelly P. Stromquist, University of Maryland, USA and Miguel Angel Beltrán. Professor Leesa Wheelahan, University of Toronto, launched the EI-commissioned report on Global Trends in technical and vocational education and training (TVET): A Framework for Social Justice.
“Providing Education to Refugee Children from Conflict Areas in the Middle East - Fast track to Equal Opportunities and Integration” Conference
Participants from 50 education unions in 38 countries, as well as education authorities from Sweden, Greece, Jordan and the Netherlands, gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, from 21-22 November, for this conference. Key speakers included the 2016 recipient of the Global Teacher Prize, Hanan Al Hroub, and Sweden’s Minister of Education, Gustav Fridolin.
Education International pledged to press for a meeting of EU prime ministers to address the education challenges for refugee children and young people and to plan a global conference on democratic and social justice values in the US in 2018 (an assurance for EI’s African colleagues that refugee education remains high on EI’s agenda). It also renewed its commitment to Global Citizenship Education, continuing to advocate its global partners, and encouraging affiliates to show leadership in this area.
Many EI affiliates have made – and continue to make - similar pledges.
Following the Stockholm conference, EI affiliates participating in the new EI-Open Society Foundations’ project, “Mobilise School Communities for the Rights of Refugee Children and Teachers”, met with parents’ and students’ organisations to discuss ways to promote refugee children’s right to education.