The main education union in the Netherlands, Algemene Onderwijsbond (AOb) honored former EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen, following their annual meeting.
Liesbeth Verheggen, AOb President, said the union and its forerunner ABOP had been proud that one of its members successfully led the international teachers’ movement for 37 years, ultimately bringing together 400 national education unions in 190 countries with a membership of 32.5 million members.
Fred van Leeuwen, a former teacher in the Netherlands, joined the Algemene Bond van Onderwijs Personeel (ABOP - now AOb) in 1973 and became responsible for its international affairs in the late 70s.
In an interview conducted by Jelmer Evers, Van Leeuwen said that EI member organizations should encourage their members to take part in the global conversation on professional standards led by EI. He added, “Commercialization of education and de-professionalization of teaching are the most pressing challenges facing our movement today.”
In the photo above Van Leeuwen and Gaston de la Haye (r) former Deputy General Secretary of EI who is recovering from a heart condition.