Introduction
Welcome to the 2025 edition of On the Global Stage – the annual publication that details the international work of the National Education Union over the past year.
We are living in a more unequal, divided and dangerous world. At home and across Europe the far right is on the rise, emboldened by the return of President Trump to the White House. Inequality is rising with billionaire wealth surging while the number of people living in poverty has barely changed in decades.
We are also witnessing a rise in war and conflict. Schools and hospitals are relentlessly attacked; children are killed and maimed; civilians are targeted.
When our politicians look the other way, we don’t. As this edition of On the Global Stage illustrates, the union has acted on the urgent calls of our sister unions, donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to support relief efforts and worked with allies around the world to uphold human rights.
In 2024, members raised more than £156,000 for the NEU/Save the Children Gaza appeal. This phenomenal sum is supporting Save the Children to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to children and their families on the ground in Gaza.
At the union’s largest ever international solidarity conference in October, members recommitted to fight for human rights for all, from access to education for girls in Afghanistan to the protection of education in Ukraine.
None of this work would be achievable without the commitment of NEU members to international solidarity and global justice. Our network of international solidarity officers (ISOs) continues to grow across the country, with ISOs leading campaigns, organising at the grassroots and engaging their communities on a breadth of international issues.
More than ever, we are reminded of our common humanity and that we share a common profession. Just as thousands of additional teachers are required in the UK, 44 million more teachers are needed globally. That’s why this year the union has brought focus to the global teacher shortage, illustrating how the failure to recruit and retain adequate numbers of UK trained teachers have exacerbated shortages of qualified teachers across the Commonwealth.
As the largest education union in Europe, the NEU is committed to building a world in which every educator is safe, valued and respected; where every child can achieve their potential; and where trade union rights and the right to education are realised for all. The need to stand shoulder-to-shoulder together in the campaign for global justice has never been more urgent.
