In an era marked by unprecedented migration flows and refugee crises within the European landscape, the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) proudly announces the launch of its latest project “In and Through Education: Education Trade Unions support the inclusion of refugees and migrants.” The initiative co-funded by the European Commission, builds upon the successes of a prior joint project with the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE) and aims to support education trade unions in enhancing their capacity to increase the inclusion of refugees and migrants. By focusing on critical areas such as language acquisition, family engagement, and addressing the unique challenges teachers and other education professionals face, this project aims to transform the educational landscape into one that truly reflects the diversity of Europe today. The project also seeks to address the specificities of the refugees from Ukraine.
Under the lead of an Advisory Group which includes representatives of ETUCE member organisations from Slovakia, Ireland, Turkey, Portugal, and Poland, the project is implemented through a meticulously planned series of activities. These include an online survey among ETUCE member organisations, two 1.5-day roundtables in Ireland and Portugal which focus on exploring specific country cases, and a closing conference in Poland. The insights from the survey findings and roundtable discussions will inform the creation of an Online Course (MOOC) for education trade unions, with a focus on addressing the inclusion of refugees and migrants in education and within unions themselves.
As a first step, on 7 December 2023, the first Advisory Group of the project kick-started this initiative with an initial discussion on the current state of refugee and migrant inclusion in Europe's education systems and identifying the key priorities that will shape our path forward.
The UNHCR reported 12 million refugees in Europe by December 2020, with one-third being children, including unaccompanied minors. Nearly 6.5 million people fled Ukraine due to the war, predominantly women and children. Despite the right to...
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