Education International (EI), alongside member organisations from G7 countries, sent a powerful message about the fundamental role of education unions and social dialogue ahead of the G7 Italy 2024 Ministerial meeting on Education.
The G7, or Group of Seven, is an international intergovernmental economic organisation consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The United Kingdom, and the United States. At its Ministerial meeting on Education, the G7 brings together the education ministers of these nations to discuss and coordinate their policies on key global education issues. Despite their key role in education and requests to participate in the gathering, teachers and their unions were excluded from the event.
Against this backdrop, Education International and its G7 member organisations, driven by Federazione Lavoratori della Conoscenza (FLC-CGIL), signed a statement criticising the exclusion of education unions, and highlighting the essential role of teachers and their unions in addressing inequalities and promoting social justice and peace through public education. EI called for meaningful dialogue, economic reforms, and prioritising peace.
Following the demands from unions, the G7 Education Ministers’ meeting, held in Trieste, Italy, from June 27-29, 2024, resulted in a final declaration acknowledging the critical role of teachers in providing inclusive and equitable quality education. Specifically, paragraph 8 of the declaration emphasises the importance of improving social dialogue with teachers' organisations, supporting teacher well-being, strengthening professional development, and enhancing working conditions.
David Edwards, General Secretary of EI, highlighted: "This recognition is a significant victory for educators worldwide. Now is the time to hold our leaders accountable and ensure they fulfill their commitments to invest in teachers and fully fund public education systems, in line with the UN High Level Panel Recommendations on the Teaching Profession. Together, we can build a future where every student has access to a well-supported, qualified teacher and a high-quality learning environment.”
Building on the momentum from the G7 meeting, EI is now focusing on influencing the upcoming G20 summit in November in Brazil to further advocate for robust investment in public education and the teaching profession. By linking their advocacy with the Go Public! Fund Education campaign, EI continues to push for meaningful reforms that will attract and retain qualified teachers by increasing salaries, reducing workloads, and ensuring job security.
Read the full G7 Education Ministers’ Declaration here and Education International's statement here.