The Commonwealth Teachers' Group NEWSLETTER

Commonwealth Teachers’
Group Survey and Report
Teachers’ Forum statement used to positive effect
EI affiliated teacher organisations in Commonwealth
countries were surveyed following the 17th
Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers
(17CCEM) held in Kuala Lumpar in 2009. The survey
investigated practical implications of attending the
conference, such as funding and support. The survey
also gathered views on the impact of the Teachers’
Forum statement on negotiations in individual
Commonwealth countries.
All EI affiliated teacher organisations in
Commonwealth countries had been invited to attend
the Teachers’ Forum at 17CCEM; almost a third of
those that responded to the survey had attended.
The survey found that, for organisations in less
wealthy countries and for smaller organisations,
funding for travel and accommodation was a barrier
to their attendance. A few respondents indicated
that in their country there were specific political
barriers which prevented them from attending. In
response to a request for respondents to cite
influential factors in a decision to attend 18CCEM the
overwhelming factors cited were government
support and funding.
The survey also investigated the impact of the
Teachers’ Forum statement from 17CCEM. It was
encouraging to establish that the majority of
respondents had used the Statement as part of their
work, for example, in negotiations with governments.
The range of uses, which respondent CTG
organisations had been able to make of the
Statement, included: strengthening their position in
industrial bargaining; in professional dialogue; in
support of Millennium Development Goals; and in
support of gender equality. In one country the
Statement had ‘strengthened (our) position on issues
such as teachers’ professionalism’.
CTG Co-ordinating Committee members Susan Hopgood, Dr Calvin Fraser, Samidha Garg, Christine Blower, Dr Adolph
Cameron, Ramesh Joshi at 17CCEM.
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