Denial of Entry to Education International Delegation Will Only Strengthen Our Resolve
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of the Israeli occupation authorities in preventing a high-level Education International (EI) delegation from entering Palestine on the International Day of Education.
The EI delegation, comprising the EI General Secretary, Dr David Edwards; the SADTU President, Magope Maphila; EI Executive Board members; and leaders of education unions from across the world, was travelling at the invitation of the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) to stand in solidarity with Palestinian educators and to participate in activities marking the International Day of Education. The programme included celebrating teachers graduating from a professional development initiative supported by EI and its member organisations.
According to Education International, members of the delegation were detained for hours, subjected to interrogation, had their passports confiscated, and were forcibly returned to Jordan. This constitutes a blatant affront to freedom of movement, academic freedom, and trade union rights.
“Intimidation will not silence educators; it will only strengthen our resolve. This delegation was armed with nothing but a message of solidarity, hope, and humanity. To detain and expel education leaders who came to honour teachers is not a show of strength; it is an admission of fear of the moral force of education. Every barrier you erect steels our determination to organise, to teach, and to defend the right to education in Palestine and everywhere,” said Dr Mugwena Maluleke, General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU).
“We invited our colleagues to share the joy and achievement of Palestinian teachers graduating to serve their learners and communities. They carried only solidarity, hope, and humanity, and no checkpoint can stop that. Denying them entry cannot deny our right to learn, to teach, and to be heard. With SADTU, Education International, and unions worldwide, we will continue to defend every student’s right to education and every teacher’s right to dignity, movement, and professional growth. Attempts to isolate us only
deepen our courage and strengthen our community,” said the General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT).
Let it be clearly understood that attempts at intimidation will not silence us; they will only strengthen our resolve. Preventing international educators from standing alongside Palestinian colleagues at this critical moment is not only punitive but also a deliberate effort to isolate Palestinian education from its global community and suppress international solidarity. We refuse to be intimidated. Our commitment to the rights of teachers and learners everywhere will deepen, not diminish.
Palestinian educators continue to defend the fundamental right to education under extreme conditions. The graduating teachers represent the future of Palestinian education—its resilience, commitment, and hope. No wall, checkpoint, or administrative barrier can halt the moral force of that message or sever the bonds between educators across borders.
SADTU stands in unwavering solidarity with the people of Palestine and with our sister union, GUPT. We call for full respect for international law, including the right to education and the freedoms of association, expression, and movement for educators and their unions. We further call on the global education community, democratic institutions, and civil society to condemn actions that undermine educational rights and to intensify support for Palestinian teachers, learners, and schools.
About SADTU:
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) is the largest teachers’ union in South Africa, committed to quality public education for all and to the defence of workers’ rights, academic freedom, and human dignity.
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ISSUED BY: SADTU Secretariat