| NEW
GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR EDUCATION
TO CHALLENGE GOVERNMENTS |
A new campaign to pressure governments for the delivery of education
for all before the year 2015 was launched mid October at EI headquarters
in Brussels. The Global Campaign for Education brings together Education
International, ActionAid and Oxfam International in partnership with civil
society network organisations -such as the Global March against Child Labour-
working in 180 countries and aims to hold governments accountable for the
fact that 125 million children are denied an education.
“It is time that governments and the international financial institutions
recognise that education is a fundamental human right and that provision
of quality education for children, young people and adults is a core responsibility
of the state. Governments must provide the resources needed to achieve
education for all – so far they have failed to implement the promises made
at Jomtien 10 years ago” declared EI Deputy General Secretary Élie
Jouen following the meeting.
The 40+ participants (from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso,
Ghana, India, Mozambique, Peru, Sénégal, South Africa, Tanzania
and other nations) agreed on a Mission Statement (see http://www.ei-ie.org)
and a plan of action including a Millennium Mailing with an appeal to heads
of state, a Global Action Week at the beginning of April 2000 and lobbying
the World Education Forum in Dakar (Sénégal) when governments
meet to review their progress against the Jomtien targets. The Directors
of UN agencies concerned have already been contacted by the Belgium-based
campaign secretariat. E-mail: global.edu.campaign@ei-ie.org
The campaign’s key demands include:
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Free and compulsory quality education for all children, for at least eight
years, and a second chance for adults who missed out;
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Increased provision of quality early childhood education and care;
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Increased public expenditure on education to at least 6% of GNP, and new
resources through aid and debt relief for the poorest countries;
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An end to child labour;
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Democratic participation of, and accountability to civil society, including
teachers and their unions, in education decision making at all levels;
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Reform of International Monetary Fund and World Bank structural adjustment
policies to ensure they support rather than undermine free, quality education;
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Fair and regular salaries for teachers, properly equipped classrooms and
a supply of quality textbooks;
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Inclusive and non-discriminatory provision of services for all;
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A Global Action Plan for basic education to mobilise political will and
new resources in support of national education plans to realise the 2015
targets.
EI members will remember that the 1998 Congress carried unanimously
a comprehensive resolution on a global campaign (see Congress Highlights
p. 79-84). More information soon.
Asia-Pacific
The economic crisis in Asian
nations puts education and rights at risk
A report of activities for 1998/99, Development Cooperation projects,
and plans for the Third Education International Asia-Pacific Conference
-to be held in Madras or Delhi (India) mid 2000- were the main items on
the agenda of the EI Regional Committee for Asia-Pacific, meeting 23-24
September 1999 in Kathmandu (Nepal). Development Cooperation strategies
were examined on 21-22 September. Deputy General Secretary Élie
Jouen represented EI.
As in previous years (see Monitor Vol 6 No 2), the devastating effects
of the economic crisis on education caught the Committee members’ attention:
in Indonesia, 7 million primary and lower secondary students dropped out
of school in 1998 and another 6.1 million will be at risk of doing so,
according to the ILO Jakarta office. This situation results in children
often ending up in the streets selling cigarettes, newspapers, flowers
or themselves. The World Bank is spending about US$ 390 million on scholarships
and grants for poor students. In Thailand, it is estimated that one million
youngsters have left school and about 5.1 million children are at risk
of dropping out. The number of students going to school in 1998 was down
to 81% from 90% in 1997. In the last academic year alone, some 400,000
children quit primary school. In the Philippines, about 7% of the 13.5
million households had to take at least one child out of school last year,
mainly because of the crisis. A number of school students were forced into
prostitution to support their studies. Estimates for India indicate that
millions of children have abandoned school; in some depressed areas, up
to 60% of students dropped out last year. In South Korea, thousands of
workers have lost their jobs and more than 9,000 under 19s were placed
in state care in 1998 -up nearly 40% from 1997- while about 17,800 youngsters
are in government shelters indicating the break up of families due to the
crisis. The structural adjustment policies undertaken by the government
of Mongolia have led to massive retrenchment and layoffs, with about 4,500
teachers dismissed due to the Asian Development Bank’s conditions for a
loan provided to the country. Thousands of teachers and civil servants
do not receive salaries in time (sometimes for months) and are forced to
strike for payment. A regional round table on the economic crisis was scheduled
in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) for November 1999. A comprehensive report of
a survey on education, conducted by the regional office among EI members,
will be presented to the next EIAP regional conference.
On the trade union and human rights front, the region is under continuous
threat. Ethnic, political and religious violence continues to shatter Indonesia.
East Timor is going through a painful transition to independence. The government
of China defies basic human and trade union rights. The military dictators
in Myanmar (formerly Burma) continue to repress all human and trade unions
rights and extensively use forced labour. In Nepal, the Maoist Insurgent
movement and the police offensive against this group have taken hundreds
of lives including some 30 teachers from EI affiliates NTA and NNTA. Civil
servants (including teachers) in Pakistan are not allowed to contact foreign
organisations for aid without prior permission and the law bars them from
establishing unions. The country has not ratified the ILO fundamental recommendations
on the right to organise and on the right to collective bargaining.
The regional report also reviewed action on child labour with the ILO/IPEC/ACTRAV/EI
project currently underway for India, Philippines, Bangladesh and Nepal.
More than 2000 women leaders and active members were involved in various
union and professional programs including a series of workshops, special
seminars, courses and study circles organised both under general as well
as women’s network projects in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The South Pacific Women’s Network has undertaken activities in this sub-region.
The ASEAN sub-region has planned a series of activities to take place in
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sabah, Sarawak and Thailand. In line
with the Congress resolution on the World March of Women in 2000 (see Congress
Highlights p. 141), member organisations in the region were requested to
take part in regional and national preparatory activities. Work is also
progressing on the implementation of the last Regional Conference resolution
on indigenous and tribal population education.
With 60 affiliates from 31 countries representing a combined membership
8.9 million, Asia-Pacific in the largest EI region. The latest global figures
indicate that Education International represents 23.7 million members.
Africa
EI/WB/ILO/UNESCO/FES Leadership
training seminars held in Niger and Egypt
Following a first presentation (Mauritius, February 1999) for 40 English-speaking
union leaders of the Southern Africa/Indian Ocean area (see Monitor Vol
6 No 3), EI’s Leadership Training Programme organised with the cooperation
of the World Bank, ILO, UNESCO and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES)
recently convened two sub-regional seminars for French- and Arabic-speaking
members.
West Africa
More than 40 leaders from EI Francophone member unions in Bénin,
Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée, Mali, and Niger attended
a week-long seminar from 4 to 8 October 1999 in Niamey (Niger). The Minister
of Education and other representatives from the government of Niger, the
World Bank, ILO and UNESCO took part in the programme, as well as EI staff
from headquarters and the regional office. Lively discussions dealt with:
the G8 Summit proposed debt reduction (which concerns 31 of the 50 countries
on the African continent), access to quality education, the moral and material
situation of teachers –many unpaid for months, and for almost a year in
the case of Niger. As debt reduction is conditioned by the financing of
programmes to decrease poverty and to improve health and education, the
trade unionists discussed priority programmes to be implemented through
transparent partnerships with governments and international financial institutions.
A special programme was set up for 5 October, World Teachers’ Day, with
a round table on the status of teachers, followed by a celebration and
social activities later in the evening.
North Africa and the Middle
East
With aims similar to those of the Niamey seminar –see above, Cairo
(Egypt) hosted EI delegates from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti,
Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia on 18-21 October 1999. Talks were also quite
lively, in particular on the World Bank’s policies and strategies for education.
With close to 50% of children out of school in countries like Egypt and
Morocco, access to quality education was also a serious issue debated.
An ILO-Cairo official described the reforms required for a better transition
from school to the labour market in order to combat youth unemployment.
The Egyptian Minister of Labour inaugurated this seminar, which was prepared
by EI personnel in Brussels and Lomé in close cooperation with the
local branch of the FES. The working languages were Arabic and English.
Tragic car accident following
a union workshop in Malawi
A workshop organised by the Teachers’ Union of Malawi (TUM) had an
abrupt ending due to a tragic car accident that occurred on the night of
Friday 10 September 1999. The fatal accident saw the death of Mr. Murray
A. Mulunga (until his death TUM’s Vice-President and Chairperson of the
Educational and Professional Sub-committee) and of Mac Duff B. Tchoni,
TUM’s driver. Three other Executive members suffered varying degrees of
injuries. EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen expressed his great sadness
and shock in a letter of condolence to our TUM colleagues and to the families:
“Our thoughts are with you at this time of great sorrow and distress. We
wish you fortitude and strength.” EI also conveyed a message of encouragement
and hope to those who were seriously injured.
Europe
European affiliates invited
to a Round Table on Eastern and Central Europe
Bratislava (Slovakia) has been chosen as the venue of the 6-8 December
1999 Round Table on Eastern and Central Europe. All European affiliates
of Education International have been invited to attend this annual event.
The problems confronting education systems in these transition countries,
and partnerships & reforms in the perspective of a unified Europe were
placed on this year’s agenda. The working languages will be English, French,
Russian and Slovak. The deadline for registration has been set as 12 November.
Some 80 participants from more than 20 countries took part in the December
1998 meeting in Krakow (Poland).
New EURYDICE publications:
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European Glossary on Education. Examinations, Qualifications and Titles.
223 p. ISBN 2-87116-286-7
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Thematic Bibliography: Financing Education. 1999, 34 p. ISBN 2-87116-279-4
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Organization of Higher Education Structures (1998/99). ISBN 2-87116-287-5
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Key topics in Education. Vol. 1: Financial support for students in higher
education in Europe. Trends and
Debates. 260 p. ISBN 92-828-5163-X (Also available in French and German).
http://www.eurydice.org
Transition in Central and
Eastern Europe: implications for equality
The first of a series of EI regional Round tables on issues of most
concern to women (as decided by the Second World Congress) was convened
on 28-30 October 1999 in Zagreb (Croatia). Some 30 participants from European
unions had registered to talk about Countries in Transition and the Implications
for Equality.
The program offered an overview of workers’ -in particular women workers’-
rights, the place of women within the education sector unions and strategies
for ensuring that equality issues feature on the union agendas (Day 1).
The second day was devoted to social provision and safety nets in economies
in transition, with workshops about how best to ensure women are involved
in the development of policies and participate fully in society. The third
session concluded with the promotion of a culture of peace based on respect
for fundamental human and trade union rights and a discussion of priorities
for action by EI and its affiliates. Keynote speakers from the International
Labour Organisation and the World Bank were invited to address the plenaries
along with EI representatives. A presentation by UNICEF of their recent
study on increasing inequalities in post-communist countries was also on
the agenda (Women in Transition, available in English and Russian with
a press summary in French -see http://www.unicef-icdc.org or call +41 22
909 5509). English, French and Serbo-Croat were offered as working languages.
A similar round table will be organised for Latin American women in March
2000, with other regions to follow.
Tense situation for teachers
unions in the Balkans and the area
Fred van Leeuwen, EI General Secretary, and Sheena Hanley, Deputy General
Secretary, visited the Independent Union of Education, Science, Culture
and Physical Culture of Montenegro (IUESCPC) to attend a two-day
conference in mid-October that brought together over 130 union delegates
in Hercig Novi. In EI's address to the Conference, the situation of colleagues
in the Balkans and in other areas of Central and Eastern Europe was highlighted.
The need for EI to help unions in the education sector to provide input
to the discussions concerning the Stability Pact countries was stressed.
The Deputy Minister of Education spoke of the reform process now in progress,
while the Deputy Minister of Justice outlined the process the government
will follow to implement decentralisation of some aspects of the education
system. A lively debate followed the presentations, with all speakers being
asked questions on aspects of their statements.
Discussions between the EI General Secretary and the Executive Board
of the Montenegrin union ranged over a number of topics including the relationship
between the Montenegrin and the Serbian Unions, the options for membership
of EI for unions with federal structures, the current situation of education
personnel in Montenegro and the desire of Montenegrin unions for contacts
with colleagues from other countries. Svetozar Bulatovic, President of
IUESCPC and members of the Executive Board presented a clear picture of
the tense and difficult situation and the changes that have taken place
in Montenegro particularly in the last five years.
Vukasin Zogovic, present in the meeting as a vice-president of the
Independent Trade Union of Education, Science, Culture and Physical Culture
of Montenegro and as President of the Federal Committee of the Autonomous
Trade Union of Education, Science Culture and Physical Culture of Yugoslavia,
held discussions with the EI delegation on the situation facing the Federal
Committee and the many difficulties it meets. Continuing discussions and
cooperation will take place between EI and IUESCPC and further information
concerning the situation of education personnel in Serbia will be provided
to EI.
The Montenegrin Union is working with EI on finalising a three year
programme which will include partnerships with a number of EI member organisations
active in development cooperation. AOb, EI's Dutch affiliate, is starting
the programme with a study tour invitation to the Netherlands of the union
leaders.
|
New Education International and EI/PSI publications
-
The second issue of EI’s Development Cooperation newsletter (Vol 2 - October
1999) features 8 pages of articles on cooperating and host organisations,
the John M. Thompson Fellowship Program, a profile of Nobel Prize laureate
Amarty Sen, and a new Oxfam International publication on development guidelines.
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EI/PSI’s Working for lesbian and gay members addresses key workplace issues
for lesbians and gays and proposes ideas for union action, model policies,
collective bargaining clauses, and lists of resources. 28 p.
|
EI/E Regional Committee implementing
the 2000-2001 Working Programme
The European Regional Committee met in Brussels on 20 September 1999
with President Lars-Erik Klason in the Chair. He reminded members of the
highly successful biennial Regional Conference held in Luxembourg in May
1999 (see Monitor Vol 6 No 5) and set the Committee the task of ensuring
that the agreed Working Programme was put into effect.
A major decision of the meeting was to transfer resources so as to
continue the development of policy on early childhood education in 2000;
the importance of this work was stressed by many delegates at the Conference
and a round table for member organisations will be the central element.
The Committee gave advice on the European dimension of EI’s Global
Campaign for Quality Public Education for All and authorised further steps
in EI/E’s work on the question of teachers’ pensions. The existing survey
of pension provision will be extended to non-European Union/European Free
Trade Association (EFTA) countries. On a separate but related front, efforts
will be made to ascertain the extent (probably small at present) to which
teachers’ pension contributions in Europe are invested in real funds, as
opposed to being applied to “pay-as-you-go” schemes. This will help the
work in which EI is cooperating with ICFTU and other International Trade
Secretariats (ITSs) on the use being made of workers’ pension funds throughout
the world.
A major part of the meeting was devoted to reports and discussion on
a range of human rights and equality issues, which are covered elsewhere
in this issue – in particular, the situation in the part of Europe so tragically
affected by conflict, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro. EI Deputy General
Secretary Sheena Hanley reported in detail on the work done by Education
International and the various missions to those areas in recent months.
In addition to helping SBASHK and assisting in the education of the refugee
population, the need to respect cultural diversity in the new situation
in Kosovo was stressed, as was the importance of links with Serbia and
its trade unions. Emphasis was laid on the serious problems in Montenegro,
where 20% of the population is now composed of refugees and the teachers’
union is making strenuous efforts to help them. The Committee unanimously
passed a resolution supporting the work of EI in the area. Next meeting
(to be confirmed): 13 December in Brussels before the ETUCE Executive Board.
Latin America
|
RECRUITMENT OF STAFF AT
EI
Education International requests the submission of applications
and curriculum vitae from individuals for a position of
coordinator for Latin America
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The coordinator will work on the implementation of EI's activities in Latin
America.
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Knowledge of the region, trade union experience and strong interest in
the promotion of rights and education are essential.
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An excellent written and oral command of Spanish is essential, with the
ability to work in English or French
-
Duty station: San José de Costa Rica
Deadline for the submission of applications and CV: December
15, 1999.
Education International is an equal opportunity employer. Salaries and
conditions of work are in accordance with the collective agreement. A detailed
job description and any other relevant information are available upon request
to the General Secretary: educint@ei-ie.org
5 boulevard du Roi Albert II (8)
1210 Brussels
Belgium. |
JOINT MESSAGE ON THE OCCASION
OF WORLD TEACHERS' DAY
5 October 1999
Teachers: a force for social change
As the century draws to a close, we take
this moment to acknowledge the vast contribution of teachers across the
globe in awakening potential and fostering the fundamental capacity of
human beings to seek knowledge, to disseminate information and to share
their collective wisdom. Never has there been a more educated century,
yet never was there a more pressing need for cooperation and understanding
among the peoples of the world.
Teachers can awaken the sense of social
justice that is essential to building peace and sustainable development
on a foundation of strong social policies centred on social progress, justice,
democracy and the eradication of poverty. In their daily work, teachers
offer ideas, provoke ways of thinking and acting, instil principles, values
and ideals. Teachers, educators and their organizations play a crucial
role in the process of expanding access to education, as an effective response
to the scourge of child labour. Free basic education, defended by teachers
as an inherent right, is universally acknowledged to be a key in removing
an estimated 120 million children between the ages of five and 14 years
from full-time work and providing for their social integration. Teachers
are a tremendous force for bringing about these social changes.
As the backbone of the education sector,
teachers assume responsibility for the most challenging assignment in the
world - that of developing the potential of children as they set out on
their individual paths "to learn", "to do", "to be" and "to live together",
the four pillars of education identified by the Commission on Education
for the Twenty-first Century chaired by Jacques Delors. Teachers are instrumental
in giving children that unique first glimpse of the possibilities of life
and in perpetuating the quest for knowledge through lifelong learning.
Always in the intellectual vanguard, teachers
occupy a central role in advancing and developing ideas – nurturing critical
thinking skills and the thirst for knowledge in learners. This task becomes
more challenging in today’s information society. In the knowledge economy,
teachers need more than ever to ensure quality outcomes for students in
literacy, numeracy and life skills.
Today, we pay homage to the untiring efforts
of teachers as they prepare today’s children for the future. Their professional
commitment, despite sometimes poor working conditions, limited resources
and inadequate remuneration, has helped the world move forward. Teachers
need the active support of the communities and societies that they serve,
through the implementation of the guidelines on good practices contained
in the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day,
jointly initiated by Education International and UNESCO and now also supported
by ILO, UNICEF, and UNDP, we appeal to the world community, to governments,
parliamentarians, parents, community leaders, the media, non-governmental
organisations, civil society institutions, the private sector, educational
institutions, teachers unions and associations at the international, regional
and national level, to renew their commitment of support to teachers, who
are and will remain in the coming century, the core of the education system.
No amount of meaningful social change or
educational reform can truly be brought to fruition without the active
participation of teachers as partners.
Federico Mayor
Juan Somavía
Mark Malloch Brown
Carol Bellamy
Director-General
Director-General
Administrator
Administrator
Executive-Director
Executive-Director
UNESCO
ILO
UNDP
UNICEF
|
Governments asked to give
the world’s teachers a stamp of recognition
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and the Dominican Republic were
the first nations to answer the call from EI, UNESCO, the World Bank and
the Inter-Governmental Philatelic Corporation to issue commemorative stamps
for 5 October, World Teachers’ Day. Although the process takes up to 2
or 3 years, a few other countries (Montserrat, Mongolia) may still be able
to announce WTD stamp issues in 1999. The United Nations also issued a
remarkable set of stamps on education.
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Paying a tribute to local teachers H. A. Robertson, Yvonne Francis-Gibson
J-P, Edna Peters and Christopher W. Prescod, the St. Vincent emission consists
of a block of four stamps inset in the well-known EI/UNESCO World Teachers’
Day poster with the caption Teachers make a world of difference. Issued
by the St. Vincent Philatelic Services, General Post Office, Kingston,
St. Vincent, West Indies. Posted on http://www.ei-ie.org
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The Dominican Republic stamps feature a classroom scene with the EI &
UNESCO logos and the mention Día Mundial de los Docentes 1999. First
Day covers (special envelopes with WTD design, stamp and first day cancellation)
are available, as well as a leaflet with technical information and a presentation
of World Teachers’ Day. 100,000 stamps were printed by Inposdom, Servicio
Filatelico, Centro de los Héroes, Santo Domingo, República
Dominicana. Fax: +1 809 535 8334.
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Fascination, the United Nations Postal Administration philatelic journal
for collectors, announced the issuing on 18 November 1999 of a set of six
stamps on the theme Education - Keystone to the 21st Century /L’éducation
- clef de voûte du XXIe siècle / Bildung - Eckpfeller des
21. Jahrhunderts. More than 2.5 million colorful stamps celebrating education
are on sale with a variety of first day covers. For information or a free
copy of Fascination: UNPA, Palais des Nations, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.
Fax: +41 22 917 0024 http://www.un.or.at/unpa/index.html
or zmontanini@unog.ch
EI hopes that by 2003, ‘stamps of recognition’ dedicated to teachers
will have been issued by all countries in order to increase the awareness
of and respect for ‘the world’s most important job’. An Asian philatelic
site commented: “This is a very noble thing to do.[...] It would
truly be a national shame if our respective countries are not among the
collection of teachers stamps for the 10th World Teachers’ Day”. See: http://www.abda.webprovider.com
As several postal administrations are in the process of selecting their
philatelic programmes for coming years, affiliates are strongly invited
to contact, as soon as possible, governmental and postal authorities and
demonstrate their members’ interest in this EI initiative. Seek support
from UNESCO National Commissions or regional offices, UN agencies, NGOs,
the media, not forgetting philatelic societies.
Stamp collecting is a powerful educational tool enjoyed in classrooms
around the world and a popular hobby for millions- including many teachers
such as EI President Mary Hatwood Futrell, who collects stamps on the topic
of education, and former EI Board Member Diana Jayasundera now leading
philatelic workshops in Sri Lanka schools. By the way, did you know that
the creator of modern postal service and ‘inventor’ of the postage stamp
(in 1840) was a Great Britain teacher, Rowland Hill? Another good argument
to add to the 55 million reasons why the world’s teachers should be recognized
by the issuing of World Teachers’ Day stamps.
World Teachers’ Day 1999
around the World
Antigua & Barbuda: sale of WTD tags in schools to finance
young athletes, A&BUT teachers’ rally in the afternoon with speeches,
entertainment, and (on Sat. 9) fund-raising dinner.
Mongolia: demonstration on working and pay conditions, several
meetings of FFMESWTU.
Malaysia: Request for WTD stamps and NUTP celebrations on 9-10
Oct.
Canada: provincial/territorial governments proclaimed 5 October
as WTD, CTF invited medias to cover school events, to talk with and about
teachers; symbolic picket lines on pay equity and negotiations by CEQ teachers.
St. Lucia: Teachers Week 3-10 October, football game between
the SLTU’s and the Ministry of Education’s teams and other sporting activities,
exhibitions, talent shows, and rally on Sunday 10.
Bermuda: BUT reported the proclamation of WTD by the Premier.
Pakistan: APGSTA seminar with guest speakers from the MOE on
the topic Teacher, a Force to Change.
Barbados: BUT and CUT activities and publications marked the
Day
Sri Lanka: request for WTD stamps submitted by ACUGET to the
President, the Minister of Education and the Department of Posts. Special
programs and ceremonies for teachers in every school.
Belgium: CGSP-Enseignement seminar and press conference on WTD
1999 theme.
Mauritius: the Government accepted GTU’s invitation to declare
5 October a school holiday and to take part in activities.
New Zealand: What’s special about my teacher? was the question
answered in 200 schools and early childhood centers. The ‘prize’ was a
morning tea from NZEI Te Riu Roa. Among the heartwarming answers: ‘They
are here for us!! Teachers are cool’, ‘They display our work really well
even if they don’t like climbing up ladders’, and, about her 23 years old
teacher, one child stated: ‘She’s got a lot of teacher left’...
Haiti: 10 departmental sit-ins and a demonstration in the capital
Port-au-Prince.
Ireland: Irish teachers’ unions launched a booklet on linking
with developing countries and sought support for the Education Now campaign.
Mexico: Conference, press releases, Guard of Honor at the Monument
for Teachers in the Toluca region.
Ethiopia: solemn ceremony in ETA’s compound, members and guests
reviewed recent struggles and tribulations and paid a tribute to Dr Taye
Woldesmiate ‘a great fighter for human rights and for the bright future
of millions of Ethiopia’s children’.
Zambia: activities like football and drama. The Education Minister
pledged to work with ZNUT to address the teachers’ plight.
Niger: celebrations during an EI seminar.
Worldwide: more web sites than ever before echoed WTD messages
and celebrations.
| EI International Conference
on Higher Education and Research: an important step
Bringing together in Budapest (Hungary) 80 participants from some 25
countries around the world, the second EI International Conference on Higher
Education and Research aimed at developing the role of higher education
and research unions and strengthening EI’s position as the representative
organisation of teachers and research workers worldwide. According to membership
records, there has been a remarkable growth in membership from that sector,
and EI now represents around 840,000 Higher Education and Research members
in 24 higher education and research-specific unions and 54 general teachers’
unions. This development has resulted in the growing involvement and influence
of Education International in a wide range of activities with intergovernmental
agencies.
Building on the 1997 experience, the 23-25 September 1999 conference
made an important step in both providing a forum both for exchanges on
substantive issues (see Monitor Vol 6 No 4 and October 1999 Magazine) and,
even more significantly, for examining ways of broadening and deepening
the dialogue on higher education and research issues within EI.
The sessions highlighted a number of important areas requiring action
in the coming months, for example the critical World Trade Organisation
meeting in Seattle -to be monitored by EI- in which the interests of EI’s
higher education and research affiliates -and others- are directly involved
(see the recent EI-PSI publication posted on Internet). The members of
this sector were also invited by the General Secretary to contribute to
EI’s ongoing campaign for quality public education, especially on the role
of teacher education, research and lifelong learning and the role of higher
education in the transmission of culture. Education International will
publish a comprehensive report of the Budapest conference as soon as possible.
In the meantime, resolutions and other material can be found at http://www.ei-ie.org |
Education for All: EI proposes
a set of concrete actions demanded by teachers
Education International recently presented a 100-page report for the
Global Education For All 2000 Assessment. The document provides the teachers’
perspectives in nine ‘giant’ countries representing 2.7 billion individuals
with 70% of the world’s adult illiterates and more than half of its out-of-school
children: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria
and Pakistan (see previous Monitor p. 4). The lack of sufficient resources
in education and the inadequate recognition of the important role played
by teachers are identified as some of the reasons why the Jomtien goals
have not been reached, despite some progress. To achieve education for
all within a reasonable time, Education International proposes a set of
concrete actions which governments need to take: increase enrolment and
improve the quality in education, defend public education as a public service,
increase the resources for education, improve the status of teachers. As
for the 1995 EFA mid-term evaluation, EI’s contribution follows an extensive
consultation of its members, including missions to some countries. EI hopes
its recommendations will be heard by the EFA World Education Forum scheduled
for 26-28 April 2000 in Dakar (Sénégal). The EFA Forum is
a coalition of UN agencies UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Bank.
EFA: http://www.education.unesco.org/efa
UNESCO consultation on Visions
and Policies for secondary education
A task-force on secondary education reforms met on 9 and 10 September
1999 in EI’s Brussels secretariat with participants from Chile, Ireland,
Malaysia, South Africa, the United States, Togo and EI personnel. EI’s
policies and strategies, the Quality Public Education for All campaign
and the main conclusions of the former sectoral committee on secondary
education were reviewed. The Director of UNESCO’s Division for the Renovation
of Secondary and Vocational Education, Armoogum Parsumaren, made a presentation
of the initiative “Towards a vision and policies for reform”. He tabled
a draft proposal for collective action currently under consultation in
organisations from the international education community such as EI, UN
agencies, intergovernmental organisations, youth associations, etc. Various
outputs are envisaged by UNESCO (ex: publications) depending on the results
of the consultation.
EI seminar on School Health
and HIV/AIDS & MST Prevention in Southern Africa
Some 25 participants from Southern African countries (Botswana, Lesotho,
Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe) met on 6-9
September 1999 in Harare (Zimbabwe) for the latest in a series of regional
and sub-regional seminars organised in the wake of the July 1995 EI/WHO/UNESCO
International Conference (see Monitor Vol 2 No 4). The objectives of these
seminars are to increase the number of EI members actively involved in
promoting school health through partnerships with Education and Health
ministries, in developing HIV-related policies in their unions, and in
improving curricula and training programmes for teachers and other members
of the community. The September 1999 meeting was organised by Education
International with the support of WHO & UNAIDS in collaboration with
UNESCO & the Education Development Center (EDC, USA).
As approved in a 1998 Congress resolution (see Highlights p.115-117),
Education International is, this year again, a partner in the World AIDS
Campaign with Children and Young People which culminates on December 1,
World AIDS Day. EI affiliates recently received a most useful campaign
kit full of data and ideas prepared by UNAIDS to sensitise our members,
their community and the media, in particular on World AIDS Day. The dramatic
progression of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and Asia is a serious concern
for all; in 1998, 2 million Africans died of AIDS, and in Côte d’Ivoire,
for example, five teachers die every day (see EI Magazine July 1999). Members
are invited to share EI’s pledge to strengthen international, national
and local action on HIV/AIDS. The 1999 Campaign theme is Listen, Learn,
Live! (see Monitor Vol 6 No 3). For more information go to: http://www.unaids.org
Getting youth through the
AIDS crisis in the October 1999 UNESCO Courier
The HIV/Aids epidemic is raging in the countries of the South – above
all in sub-Sahara Africa with around half of the newly infected aged between
15 and 24. “School is an ideal place to make young people aware of the
dangers of AIDS. But the topic is delicate and all the harder to handle
with precious few resources” notes the October 1999 issue of the UNESCO
Courier which features an article by EI coordinator Monique Fouilhoux on
“Prevention at school: an arduous course”. The UNESCO Courier is published
monthly in 27 languages and in Braille; some versions are available on
Internet at: http://www.unesco.org/courier
UNICEF’s The Progress of
Nations 1999: the toll of HIV/AIDS on women and children
The Progress of Nations plays an essential role in monitoring global
advances towards the goals set at the 1990 World Summit for Children as
well as in recording setbacks. This year’s edition documents the devastating
impact of HIV/AIDS on children. As the world welcomes the 6 billionth member
of our human family, the 1999 edition of UNICEF’s report examines the widely
divergent prospects that await children on the eve of the millenium. A
10-page article on the AIDS emergency states that “the silent, voracious
epidemic is wiping out the historic gains of the public health and
economic development efforts of the last 20 years.” More information at
http://www.unicef.org
| HUMAN
& TRADE UNION RIGHTS |
| EI participates in the official
launching of the International Year for the Culture of Peace
The International Year for the Culture of Peace proclaimed by the United
Nations for the year 2000 – on the initiative of UNESCO – was launched
on 14 September in Paris and New York. At UNESCO Headquarters, a video
message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was shown and speeches were
delivered by the founder of the Emmaüs movement Abbé Pierre,
the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Najma Heptulla, and Education
International General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen as well as Nobel Prize
laureates –Shimon Peres, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Adolfo Perez Esquivel
– who were contributors to the drafting of Manifesto 2000 for a Culture
of Peace and Non-Violence. UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor closed
the ceremony hailing the adoption, by the 53rd session of the UN General
Assembly, of a Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace
as “a major event of the end of this century.” The Paris launch also included
the participation of numerous artists such as Montserrat Caballe, Georges
Moustaki, the rap group Prime Essence, the International Philarmonic Orchestra
and the UNESCO Choir.
In his address, EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen declared: “...we
educators, like parents, like journalists and others, share the responsibility
for conveying the culture of war from one generation to the next, for keeping
prejudices alive or for too obediently following the instructions of misguided
authorities. [...] A culture of peace can only flourish when it is part
of daily life. We are asking our members to start right in their classrooms
by applying some basic universal rules. They are not new. They are the
basic rules of living together in any community and are central to the
Manifesto 2000. Students should respect themselves and each other. Listen
to each other. Care for the classroom and school environment. Act in solidarity.”
The General Secretary renewed EI’s commitment to campaign, with various
partners, for Education for All and an end to child labour, for debt relief
to release public funds for education, and “for an end to poverty and social
exclusion, which we believe is vital to the achievement of a culture of
peace.”
A global media campaign was also launched with television advertisements
featuring Nobel Peace Prize laureates Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Yitzhak
Rabin and Shimon Peres, Yasser Arafat, Mikhail Gorbachev, Nelson Mandela,
Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama as well as radio announcements and adverts
in the printed media. The objective of the Manifesto is to collect 100
million signatures – before the UN General Assembly of the Millenium, in
September 2000 – which will act as personal commitments to the culture
of peace on a daily basis. Education International will soon send member
organisations a kit providing up-to-date information on human rights issues
and peace initiatives from an education perspective. |
EI supports members facing
repressive government action
During October, Education International member organisations in Swaziland,
Nepal and the Dominican Republic, amongst others, have been the subject
of very repressive government actions.
-
On the morning of 4 October 1999 all the Executive members of the Swaziland
National Association of Teachers (SNTA) were detained at the Lobamba Police
Station. Their arbitrary detention followed a peaceful demonstration to
protest against a unilaterally imposed system of continuous assessment
within schools. Though they have now been released EI strongly condemns
the use of such threatening tactics against legitimate trade union actions.
-
In Nepal the situation is very serious. EI has launched an urgent action
appeal following the murder of at least 30 teachers over the past three
months. Others have been attacked, some by the police and still others
have been imprisoned falsely accused of belonging to a Maoist movement.
Most recently Mr. Bishnu Pukur Shrestha, former Adviser and ex-General
Secretary of the Nepal National Teachers' Association (NNTA) was kidnapped.
The EI Asia/Pacific Regional Committee called on the government to provide
security and safety to teachers, their families and all citizens, and to
uphold human rights.
-
Professor José Porfirio Toribio, a member of the Asociación
Dominicana de Profesores (Dominican Republic), an EI affiliate, was shot,
possibly by the police, on 11 October 1999, the night before the start
of an indefinite general strike. EI has requested that the authorities
undertake an urgent, thorough and public investigation to bring those responsible
to justice.
Meet our 50.000th wired visitor...
57.000 internauts have visited EI’s web site http://www.ei-ie.org
since 1997, with a current average of 125 ‘hits’ a day. Chances are our
50,000th visitor -who logged in at the end of July- was an English-speaking
(male or female?) education trade unionist from North America. One third
of users work in EI affiliates’ offices, another third for unions, NGOs
or UN agencies while a final third (mostly teachers and students) enter
our electronic pages from a personal e-mail address. More than 450 persons
have registered (from our homepage) on a mailing list to be alerted about
major news updates as they are posted. On-line access to our 1998 Congress
documents (agenda, resolutions, Progress Report) a few weeks before the
event was a successful initiative will be repeated. Executive Board members
also get a password to read or download meeting documents directly from
EI’s Internet site.
Our webmaster intends to further upgrade the content and presentation
of EI’s web pages, but within technological parameters which must remain
user-friendly and universally accessible. The next major challenge is to
provide in ‘real time’ general news from the education sector worldwide,
which should satisfy our members who followed, almost on a daily basis,
occasional dossiers such as the trials of Ethiopian Teachers’ Association
President Taye Woldesmiate, or EI’s interventions in Kosovo. Tell your
colleagues about EI’s web site, your web site. Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
Contact the webmaster@ei-ie.org
-
Education International and the Collective Consultation of UNESCO NGOs
organised a Round Table in Paris on Literacy, an instrument to break the
cycle of exclusion – myth or reality? during UNESCO’s Open Day Events marking
International Literacy Day celebrated each year on 8 September. For more
information from UNESCO: literacy@unesco.org
and http://www.education.unesco.org
-
The Planetary Society invites young people from 9 to 16 years old to be
part of a worldwide science project linked to the NASA Mars Surveyor 2001
mission. To learn more about the Red Rover Goes to Mars project and other
educational opportunities, contact Kathleen Garner at tps.kg@planetary.org
or visit their English and Spanish site: http://www.planetary.org
-
For approximately 400 years (1400-1800), tens of millions of Africans were
shipped across the Atlantic to a life of bondage as part of a triangular
trade system between Europe, Africa and the Americas or the Caribbean.
Although slavery has officially been abolished, its legacy includes racist
attitudes, discrimination and poor standards of living. Modern forms of
slavery, such as child labour, affect an estimated 200 million people in
the world today. So the story is far from over and, by learning about the
past,
young people can prepare a better future together in a world free of enslavement,
injustice, discrimination and prejudice. More details at: http://education.unesco.org/asp
or by fax at: +33 1 45 68 56 39.
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Education International (EI), Public Services International (PSI), and
the International Transport Federation (ITF) took part in a consultation
on privatisation and public sector issues at the World Bank Headquarters
in Washington D.C. (USA) on 14-15 September 1999. Deputy General Secretary
Élie Jouen represented EI.
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The third edition of World Data on Education, a CD-ROM published by the
IBE in July 1999, contains the profiles of 144 national education systems
with hyperlinks to web pages giving access to additional resources. To
obtain a copy free of charge, please send your request to: World Data on
Education, P.O. Box 199, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland or by e-mail through
http://www.ibe.unesco.org
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Representatives from EI affilates in Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Germany, Korea, Mexico, Norway, United Kingdom and United States of America
met 12-17 September 1999 in Stockholm (Sweden) to participate in the first
‘country seminar’ organised by EI for OECD countries teachers’ unions (see
Monitor Vol 6 No 4). The 11 participants studied developments in Sweden
concerning education and trade union policies. Swedish members Lärarförbundet
and Lärarnas Riksförbund (LR) hosted the visitors.
EI Officers’ first choice
for the Third World Congress venue: Kathmandu, Nepal
The 27-28 September 1999 meeting of EI Officers (the President, Vice-Presidents
and General Secretary) held in Washington D.C. (USA) covered several items
reported in this Monitor -country reports, EI campaigns, secretariat operations,
conferences and meetings- and addressed other issues such as financial
matters, recruitment of new membership in Higher Education and from Eastern
& Central Europe, the agenda of the next Executive Board meeting and
the Third EI World Congress.
The Officers unanimously agreed on Kathmandu (Nepal) as a first choice
venue for our next World Congress planned to be held on 25-29 July 2001,
provided that satisfactory arrangements can be made in the Nepalese capital
city. It was felt that holding the EI Congress in Nepal, one of the poorest
countries in the world, might have a greater positive social impact. However
Chang Mai (Thailand) remains a possible alternative if necessary. A meeting
had been arranged on the 28th between EI’s Officers and the World Bank
Education Sector Board to identify common priorities and areas of work
for future collaboration. The Officers will meet again on 24 January 2000,
prior to the Fourteenth Executive Board scheduled on 25-27 January 2000.