Ei-iE

Education International has welcomed the release of a new report celebrating the work and legacy of one of its founding presidents, Albert Shanker.

The report, Democracy’s Champion: Albert Shanker and the International Impact of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), was published by the Albert Shanker Institute and written by Eric Chenoweth from the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe. The AFT is one of EI’s US national affiliates.

The Albert Shanker Institute has four fundamental principles— vibrant democracy, quality public education, a voice for working people in decisions affecting their jobs and their lives, and free and open debate about all of these issues. It is a non-profit organisation established in 1998 to honour the life and legacy of Shanker, who was also a former AFT President.

EI: Central role of unions and teachers

“This study is a great homage to EI founding President Albert Shanker,” EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen said. “It also rightly highlights that teacher unions and the teaching profession in general are crucial to transmitting and implanting social values, such as democracy, equality, tolerance, cultural understanding, and respect for each person’s fundamental freedoms. Albert Shanker was a true champion for teachers and a great trade union leader. ”

He also stressed that EI and its affiliates are guided by the principles of democracy, human rights, and social justice. They promote and protect the rights of all teachers and education employees and campaign for quality education for all.

Quality education has local and global impact

“Quality education nurtures human talent and creativity, thereby contributing to the personal and professional development of the individual person, as well as to social, cultural, economic, political and environmental development of society at large,” said van Leeuwen. “It promotes peace, democracy, creativity, solidarity, inclusion, a commitment to a sustainable environment, and international and intercultural understanding. It provides people with the critical knowledge, abilities and skills that are needed to conceptualise, question, and solve problems that occur both locally and globally.”

He added that publicly funded, autonomous, and democratically accountable education is part of the long-term solution to any economic downturn, as an effective and well-funded education system ensures the future success, wellbeing and employability of the next generation.

Democracy's Champion can be downloaded here