World Federation of Teachers Unions

The World Federation of Teachers Unions known by its French initials FISE (Federation Internationale Syndicale de L'Enseignement) is an international trade union of educators affiliated with the World Federation of Trade Unions.

The FISE was founded in Paris in July 1946 as a merger of the International Professional Secretariat of Education and l’Internationale des Travailleurs de l’Enseignement (ITE), with the support of the American Education Association. It was reorganized in 1949 and became the first international trade union to become affiliated with the WFTU. It took this step right after the non-Communist unions had left the WFTU and the organization became completely dominated by communists. In 1951 a group of unions split off and founded the International Federation of Free Teachers Unions.

The FISE was the WFTU's "only true professional organization" and had a degree of independence. The FISE was able to work with non-Communist teachers groups through the Joint Committee of International Teachers Federations, or Comite d'Entente. In conjunction with these groups it helped publish a "Teachers Charter" in the mid 1950s During the 1980s it cooperated with the International Federation of Teachers Unions (then affiliated with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions), the World Federation of Educators (affiliated with the World Confederation of Labour) and the World Federation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession.

FISE is an organization with consultative status with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It has had its position within UNESCO since at least 1985.

The organizations highest organ is the Statutory Conference, formerly called the World Conference of Teachers. Originally annual events, they were held at irregular intervals in the 1950s and now are constitutionally mandated to be held every four years. Between meetings of this conference the organization is headed by an Administrative Committee which meets at least once a year. Day to operations are directed by a Bureau which consists of the General Secretary, President, Vice-President and Secretariat, who are ex-officio members of the Administrative Committee.

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