Almost exactly one year ago, we launched the Unite for Quality Education Campaign in New York and Paris. Our vision was to highlight the importance of education and the role that teachers play. We also wanted to raise awareness among governments, non-governmental and international organizations, financial institutions, community leaders and the general public. The campaign focused on:
- the critical role quality education plays in the development of the individual and society;
- the importance to provide access to a quality education for every student;
- the fact that education must be the bedrock of any post -2015 development agenda;
- the work of Education International and its affiliates and members on behalf of quality education;
- the essential role of the voice of teachers and their representatives in the development of national and international education policy.
Teachers unite!
In the past two weeks, our Unite for Quality Education campaign culminated in events across the globe: From Buenos Aires to Sidney, Delhi, Brussels, Pretoria, and New York, education leaders, teachers and students from five continents have pushed quality education to the top of the development agenda.
With our round-the-world voyage we celebrated the conclusion of the year-long campaign, which brought awareness to the issues concerning teachers that we must continue to tackle as the global development agenda prepares to move beyond 2015.
In New Delhi, India, education supporters debated what quality education means for the region. I joined them along with Indian singer-songwriter Shankar Sahney. Journalists discussed with us and teacher trade union leaders from India and Malaysia how quality education could become a reality in the Asia region.
In Brussels, Belgium, hundreds of European education unionists and students celebrated the Unite for Quality Education Campaign. High-ranking officials from the European Commission, parliamentarians and representatives of the Italian and German Permanent Representation to the European Union debated with regional union leaders.
In Pretoria, South Africa, our Unite Africa event, saw more than 700 enthusiastic supporters march through the city to the sounds of whistles, songs, and excitement.
The march, led by a busload of school children, waving flags and singing songs snaked its way to Pretoria’s Ditsong Nation Museum for Cultural History. A line-up of speakers, including South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Angie Motshekga, applauded the campaign and addressed the education challenges ahead.
In Buenos Aires, Latin American members of Education International (EI), demanded more investment in education during meetings with political leaders, including with the President’s chief cabinet minister and representatives of the National Congress. At an event with Education International members from 15 countries, Fred Van Leeuwen, Secretary-General of Education International, expressed his support to Latin American trade unions for their courage and long struggle for social justice and against oppression.
In New York, at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Education International delivered the messages of millions of teachers worldwide. Seven classroom teachers from different countries and backgrounds shared their reality of being a teacher and stressed the importance of education for the future global agenda.
The final moment of the campaign was marked when the seven teachers along with myself and Fred van Leeuwen presented a wooden portfolio box to Amina J. Mohammed, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Post-2015.
The box contained an open letter, and was a message from more than 30 million teachers represented by Education International through its 400 member organizations urging the UN Secretary General to ensure that education is a stand-alone goal in the post-2015 development agenda.