EI leading force at World Education Forum | WPN World People News

The Education International delegation represents the largest constituency group at the World Education Forum, bringing together trade union leaders from five continents, pushing for a rights-based new global education agenda.

The global education agenda for the next 15 years is being discussed at the World Education Forum 2015 (WEF), which opened yesterday in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The conference will set out a global roadmap for Education until 2030.

The Declaration on Education 2030 to be agreed at the Forum will mobilize all countries and partners to implement the new agenda, and propose ways for its coordination, financing and monitoring – globally, regionally and nationally – to ensure equal educational opportunities for all.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the event. “Education secures human rights, including health and employment,” he told the 1500 participants. “And education is also essential to fighting security threats, including the rise of violent extremism.”

EI rolls large at WEF

According to David Edwards, EI Deputy General Secretary, “While significant achievement has been made in the last 15 years, the fact nonetheless remains that none of the Education For All goals will be met. The obligation now exists for the international community to set goals and meet them in the interest of children, for each year that passes, another generation of children is denied the opportunity that is provided through schooling”.

EI’s presence at the WEF provides the opportunity for EI to pursue policy objectives in the interest of students, teachers and other education workers from around the world. The opportunity exists now for teachers to impress upon the international community the need for urgent action: “Time for talk is over, it’s time for action. Governments must fulfil their obligation and commit at least 6% of GDP and 20% of national budgets to education”, reminds Angelo Gavrielatos, Project Director for EI’s Global Response to commercialisation and privatisation.

EI President Susan Hopgood, head of the delegation, will advance EI’s position in the panel “Teachers for the world we want: agenda for policy, practice and research”, present EI’s own Education For All assessment, and is one of the key speakers at the closing ceremony on Thursday.

Source: Education International