World Education Support Personnel Day – May 16, 2022

World Education Support Personnel Day (ESP Day) was launched in connection with Education International’s (EI) first-ever ESP Conference in 2018, following the adoption of the ESP Resolution at the 7th World Congress in 2015. The Conference endorsed a declaration on the rights and status of education support personnel, calling for its application worldwide.

EI’s policies mirrors many of the policies of OSSTF/FEESO. They believe in public education and that unions create a more optimal workplace for workers. EI shares the work that OSSTF/FEESO has done in promoting social justice, peace, and democracy as well as working to enhance the working conditions of teachers and education workers. They promote the right to education for all persons in the world, without discrimination, and work to prepare every citizen for active and responsible participation in society. EI is active in promoting unity among all independent and democratic trade unions within the educational sector, in cooperation with independent trade unions in other sectors, building the international trade union movement.

Similar to World Teachers’ Day, World Education Support Personnel Day is an occasion to celebrate the work of Education Support Personnel (ESP) across the globe, to emphasize their role in ensuring quality education, and to shine a light on the challenges that ESP still face at work.

EI surveyed ESP from across the globe and found, similarly to what OSSTF/FEESO knows, that ESP feel undervalued and rarely recognized in the school community. Many ESP members around the world feel anxiety about the security of their employment and often leave work for summer shutdowns unsure if they are returning to work in the fall. These jobs are often precarious for workers, who are mostly women, and who worldwide often earn a living below the poverty line and have little or no opportunity for advancement.

We hope that you join us in celebrating ESP Day and recognize the important work that all education support personnel bring to the education and well-being of our students.

For more information on World Education Support Personnel Day, please visit: https://www.ei-ie.org/en/detail/15830/history-in-the-making-education-international-launches-first-worldwide-education-support-personnel-day