World Teachers' Day 2026: Education must remain EU’s absolute priority

“Today, we should focus on the situation of teachers and their working conditions. National budgets are currently being prepared, and important decisions will have to be made.”

The international situation is particularly worrying. As political decision-makers understandably place greater emphasis on security and defence, there is a risk that education will be treated as a secondary priority. Yet education is not an expense to be postponed. It is a long-term investment that is essential to the strength, resilience and cohesion of our societies.

Although education may not produce immediate economic results, its impact is profound and lasting. Teachers help young people develop knowledge, confidence, critical thinking and the skills they need to participate fully in society. Their work strengthens communities, supports social mobility and contributes to more inclusive, democratic and resilient economies.

Evidence from the OECD’s recent PISA and TALIS 2024 studies clearly demonstrates that teachers’ working conditions matter. Professional recognition, adequate job security and supportive working environments are essential to ensuring high-quality education. If societies want to attract and retain qualified teachers, they must ensure that teaching is valued as a profession and that teachers are given the conditions they need to perform their work effectively.

“In these times, I believe it is necessary to remind national and European representatives that education is an absolute priority. Investing in teachers means investing in our collective future.” Luc Viehé stresses.

This commitment is already reflected in the European Pillar of Social Rights, which places education among its fundamental principles. The challenge now is to turn that principle into reality.

On World Teachers’ Day, CESI pays tribute to teachers everywhere for their knowledge, dedication, patience and professionalism. In anticipation of the EU Teachers’ Agenda, the EU Quality Jobs Act and the EU Semester recommendations, CESI’s Expert Commission ‘Education’ calls on national governments and European institutions to place education, teachers and quality working conditions at the heart of their political and budgetary decisions.