ETUCE Welcomes Social Partners Hearing on EU Teachers Agenda
On
26 June 2026, the European Commission (DG EAC, working together with DG EMPL)
held a social partners’ hearing on the Teachers Agenda, bringing together
education trade unions and employers. ETUCE welcomed this long-demanded
initiative as an important step towards stronger engagement with the teaching
profession.
During
the hearing, ETUCE reiterated its guiding principle: “nothing about us without
us”, and its bold vision on how to shape the EU Teachers Agenda ( ETUCE Teachers Agenda). It stressed that
decisions affecting teachers are too often taken far from classrooms, without
sufficient involvement of the profession. For the Teachers Agenda to succeed,
ETUCE called for structured and meaningful European social dialogue, with the
participation of representative organisations, ministries, and local
authorities. As ETUCE President John MacGabhann underlined:
"if the Teachers
Agenda is to be truly transformative, it must be built on robust and sustained
social dialogue with the profession."
The ETUCE
delegation emphasised that without an attractive teaching profession, there can
be no quality education. Improving attractiveness requires competitive pay,
secure employment, better working conditions, and sustained public investment. The
delegation also highlighted the importance of professional autonomy and
continuous professional development, in line with international commitments
such as the UNESCO Santiago Consensus, which recognises teachers and social
dialogue as key elements in shaping education systems.
ETUCE
raised concerns about increasing workload and administrative pressures,
underlining the need to respect teachers’ personal time and ensure a right to
disconnect. ETUCE Director Jelmer Evers:
"The solution is clear: recognise
teachers as a profession, embed real social dialogue, and invest in those who
shape the future of Europe every day. The EU Teachers Agenda is a unique
opportunity to do exactly that."
Looking
ahead, ETUCE stressed the importance of strengthening the profession through
dedicated structures, including a European Teaching Institute set up by and for
teachers.
The
hearing was seen as a key opportunity to realign EU education policy with the
needs of the profession. ETUCE expressed its readiness to contribute
constructively and called on the Commission to build the Teachers Agenda on
trust, partnership, and sustained social dialogue.
