European Trade Union Committee for Education

Building on the findings of the joint ETUCE – EFEE project “European Sectoral Social Partners in Education promoting effective integration of migrants and refugees in education” (2017-2019), the project ‘In and Through Education: Education Trade Unions support the inclusion of refugees and migrants’ aims to further build the capacity of the education trade unions on providing specific support to their affiliates regarding the inclusion of refugees and migrants in the education system, and linking it to the attractiveness of the teaching profession. The project also seeks to address the specificities of the refugees from Ukraine.

• Introduction
• Kick-off Conference
• Research
• Sub-regional Seminars
• Final Conference
• Project Videos

Throughout the past decade, the education social partners, the European social partners in education, European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE), have recognised the central role of social dialogue and capacity building, mutual trust and cooperation, engagement and communication to address challenges and detect opportunities in education and training across Europe to improve the quality of teaching and school management. It has become clear that there are common obstacles of a teaching profession facing shortages, low attractiveness, as well as recruitment and retention issues. The European Commission defines the attractiveness of the teaching profession as “a set of characteristics of this profession that make it relatively attractive to skilled candidates with respect to other professions requiring the same level of qualification and that encourage competent teachers to stay in the profession.” In light of current challenges in the field of education and training, in particular the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and of the opportunities presented by the digital and green transitions, EFEE and ETUCE are committed to promote the attractiveness of the teaching profession in Europe as part of quality and inclusive education systems.

This project was developed as a result of the ETUCE-EFEE Joint Declaration (2018), which seeks to raise awareness in European societies on the importance and value of the teaching profession, within quality education institutions that are inclusive, learner-centred, and sustainable. The project aims to further enhance the contribution of the education social partners at all levels for an attractive teaching profession, and to continuously promote and improve social dialogue structures and capacities to rise to the challenges facing the future of education, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated pre-existing threats facing the profession.

The project implements the current ESSDE Work Programme 2022-2023, especially combining the theme on “making the teaching profession more attractive” with the one on the “promotion of social dialogue through capacity building”. By monitoring and implementing European social dialogue outcomes, and by building a common understanding on the elements that contribute to an attractive teaching profession as outlined in the DG EAC’s report (2013), the social partners are to engage in a process of building consensus on the possible adoption of a Framework of Action for the education sector, the first of its kind for the European Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee for Education.

Committed to the full implementation of the first principle of the European Pillar of Social Rights on quality education for all, and the realisation of the European Education Area 2025, the education social partners are to enhance their contribution to the EU and national education policy making, by ensuring that measures taken to raise the attractiveness of the teaching profession  are successful, inclusive and sustainable. Moreover, the project is framed within  the Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2020, where quality education and training are considered key for both social fairness, and to improve Europe’s productivity and resilience easing the transition towards a greener and smarter economy.