Ei-iE

Education support personnel

Spotlight

Education support personnel cover a wide range of professional, administrative, technical, and general staff working within the education sector such as teaching assistants, school nurses and psychologists, bursars, and bus drivers, among others.

Education support personnel are vital to the delivery of quality education and to ensuring a safe and positive learning environment. They must be recognised for their work in the education community and enjoy the same status, rights, and conditions as other education personnel with similar academic and technical qualifications and experience, as outlined in the Education International Declaration on the Rights and Status of Education Support Personnel.

An ever-growing number of education support personnel are employed on a casual, part-time or limited-term basis. We are particularly concerned about the increased exploitation of education support personnel, the absence of decent work conditions, and the violation of fundamental human and labour rights, such as the right to organise and bargain collectively.

We advocate for education support personnel to be guaranteed the right to a safe and healthy work environment, professional support and guidance as well as possibilities for career development. As education professionals, they must be able to contribute to and participate in decision-making in their educational institutions, particularly on issues directly affecting their jobs.

On the 16th of May 2018 we introduced and celebrated the first World Education Support Personnel Day. Every year, we mark this day to highlight and raise awareness of the critical role of education support personnel in the provision of quality education across the world.

Our work for education support personnel

  1. Standards and working conditions

    Declaration on the rights and status of Education Support Personnel

    A declaration adopted at Education International’s first ever Conference on Education Support Personnel, from 15th to 16th May 2018 in Brussels
    16 May 2018

    Education International proclaims this declaration on the rights and status of education support personnel, calling for its application worldwide. In doing so, we reaffirm and defend education as a human right and public good, guaranteed by the state. This declaration builds on EI policy and should be read in the...

    Declaration on the rights and status of Education Support Personnel
  2. Standards and working conditions 14 November 2023

    USA: Legislators recognize education support personnel play a critical role in providing quality education

    The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), both affiliated to Education international (EI), have welcomed the introduction of the Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Bill of Rights , seeking to provide fair wages, comprehensive benefits and equitable working conditions to the dedicated paraeducators, classroom assistants,...

    Read more USA: Legislators recognize education support personnel play a critical role in providing quality education
  3. Standards and working conditions 10 August 2023

    UK: Raising the status and living conditions of Education Support Personnel

    Education International (EI) welcomes success achieved by the National Education Union, an EI member organisation in the UK, getting increased funding for schools to ensure that the pay awards are adequately funded and prevent the need for staffing cuts.

    Read more UK: Raising the status and living conditions of Education Support Personnel
  4. Standards and working conditions 19 May 2023

    From Aveiro to the world: “Go Public: Fund Education Support Personnel”

    Over 70 participants to the 2nd Education International (EI) Education Support Personnel (ESP) Conference, held from 17th-18th May in Aveiro, Portugal, adopted a strong statement urging governments to increase funding in education systems and to invest in trained and qualified education support personnel that have good working conditions, to ensure...

    Read more From Aveiro to the world: “Go Public: Fund Education Support Personnel”
more: Our work for education support personnel

Our policy on education support personnel