The Congress was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from July 29th to August 2nd.
CAFA participated in the 10th Education International World Congress, celebrated in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 29 July to 2 August. Besides, a series of pre-Congress events took place in 26, 27, and 28 July. Education International (EI) is the most important body for education unions globally. It represents 32 million union members in 178 countries and territories, comprising teachers and education Workers, and the World Congress is the supreme decision-making stance of Education International.
The Congress drew attention to the fact that, on a global scale, public education is facing significant challenges, with a particular focus on urgent issues such as underfunding, the influence of right- and extreme right-wing groups attempting to control the curriculum, the lack of academic autonomy and academic freedom, and the impact of corporate greed and business models that are not aligned with the needs of education. Furthermore, the importance of guaranteeing the right to education for indigenous peoples and other marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community, was emphasised, given the risks to democracy posed by mechanisms of disinformation. The effects of the climate emergency constituted another principal topic under discussion.
The rights of educators and students were identified as being violated by delegations from a number of countries. In the Americas, the cases of Argentina and Haiti merited particular attention. In Argentina, the recently elected government has initiated a series of actions aimed at undermining the autonomy of university staff, including the imposition of coercive measures that restrict educators’ rights, such as the right to express opposition to the government. The lack of democratic processes in Haiti has resulted in significant challenges for the education system. Additionally, it was highlighted that in the United States, the growing threats to democracy and human rights, particularly those pertaining to reproductive and queer rights, are having a detrimental impact on the education system.
Many important resolutions were approved, among which one of attacks on academic freedom and institutional autonomy and another on defending democracy. For all the information on the EI Congress, click here.