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internationalCape of GOOD HOPECAPE Town in South Africa was thestriking location for the sixth worldcongress of Education International(EI) — the global union bodyrepresenting 30 million teachers andother education employees from earlychildhood to higher education.Almost 1,700 delegates andobservers from 154 countriesattended the four-yearly event. Manyresolutions and reports were consideredand debated. These articles area small sample.The conference’s major policydevelopment was EI’s first ever globalvision: Building the Future throughQuality Education.It was endorsed unanimouslywhich, given the incredibly diverseconstituency, was a significantachievement.Above, L-R: EI president Susan Hopgood, South African deputy president Kgalema Petrus Motlanthe and EI secretarygeneral Fred van Leeuwen. Below: Australia’s delegation.PHOTOS: BEA UHARTThe global education union body now has a unifiedvision, a new platform for support staff — and a Victorianteacher at its head. Mary Bluett reports from theEducation International Congress.EI represents undeveloped,developing and advanced nations.They start from very different basesbut all aspire to the same goal: qualityeducation for all where every studentis given the opportunity to achieve hisor her potential.In the policy’s own words, it“challenges explicitly the narrow,instrumentalist view of education assolely teaching students to becomeskilled employees.“Instead, it argues for a perspectiveon education that serves boththe values of the society at localand global levels, as well as cultural,democratic, social, economic andenvironmental needs.“It recognises that education isa human right and a public good inits own right, enabling people at allstages in their lives to achieve theirmaximum potential and to betterunderstand themselves and their roleand relationships.”The comprehensive policy isnot just a strong statement of theimportance of quality public educationand access guarantees for all; it is acampaign tool to achieve those goals.Its themes include equality andinclusive education, a focus on quality,technology, stronger unions asessential partners in civil society, andthe importance of education for livingand for life.four years. Hopgood was appointedpresident by the EI executive last yearto replace Thulas N’Xesi from SouthAfrica following his election to parliament.Her unopposed election now isa resounding vote of confidence by allcountries and is well deserved.In her address to conference,Hopgood urged delegates to continueto campaign for greater governmentinvestment in public education.“We must grow our campaignsagainst short-sighted and selfdefeatingausterity measures cuttinggrowth and causing deeper recession.“Students have only one chancein education. Cutting their fundingtoday robs them of their futures.Quality public education for all is thepromise one generation must maketo the next.“We must find inspiration, motivationand strength in our fundamentalbelief in the transformative powerof education — the key to a betterworld.”A former secondary teacher, Susanis an AEU Victorian member. She joinsformer AEU federal presidentSharan Burrow, general secretary ofthe International Trade Union Councilin Brussels, on the world stage.It is a cause for celebration thatthe international trade union andteacher movements now have AEUwomen as their leaders. ◆President HopgoodA major highlight was the electionof AEU federal secretary SusanHopgood as EI president for the nextMore information on Congress includingthe text of resolutions can be found onthe EI website at www.ei-ie.org.14 aeu news | august 2011
internationalClimate of changeA landmark resolution highlights the keyrole educators play in addressing globalwarming, writes Meredith Peace.AN INSPIRATIONAL speech by Greenpeace executive director and former ANCactivist Kumi Naidoo set the stage for EI’s resolution mobilising educationunions on climate change.Naidoo addressed the climate crisis andthe importance of challenging the threatto education services “peacefully,principally and courageously”.He argued that theausterity measuresimplemented bygovernments aroundthe world in responseto the financial crisiswere a “perfect storm andturning point” for activistsfighting to overcome theclimate, financial, food, fuel andpoverty crises that devastate millions of people.The climate resolution — EI’s first — recognised that global union federationshave an important role in shaping opinion and policy on one of the mostserious challenges of the 21st century.Any move to a low-carbon economy will require new patterns of production,consumption and employment, and workers must be centrally involved in thisprocess. Education unions are well placed to help bring about the structuralchanges needed.Importantly, the resolution also recognised the important role educationcan play by leading the debate on climate change and ensuring it is foundedon sound, scientifically based information; to persuade education institutionsto reduce their emissions; and to give students the skills and knowledge toparticipate in the debate in their own communities.The wide-ranging resolution encouraged unions to:• Promote environmentally friendly workplace policies and practices• Include sustainable development clauses in enterprise agreements• Include climate change in curricula• Raise awareness of indigenous ecosystems as a way of educating futuregenerations about sustainable development, bio-diversity and climatechange• Lobby for investment in research into climate change and sustainabledevelopment.The resolution was overwhelmingly endorsed by Congress and will hopefullyresult in education unionists around the world mobilising to ensure theirstudents understand this issue and its implications for their future.The AEU is well placed to participate; we already have branch policy in placeand are campaigning on climate change through the ACTU. ◆ES members getglobal voiceEqual education march in South AfricaTraining the way outof global crashTWO Congress resolutions on vocational education and training recognisedthe strong contribution that the public VET sector makes towards stabilisingeconomies hit by the global financial and social crisis.Delegates overwhelmingly agreed on the need for more learning and training,for better qualifications and for successful completion so people could beprotected against unemployment.EI will set up a regional taskforce for VET in every EI region.I attended a VET forum with speakers from countries including Canada,France, Malaysia and Nigeria. The issues discussed reflected many of ourconcerns for TAFE in Victoria, including quality provision, diminishing controlover curricula, the narrowing of courses and delivery, commercialisation and thesustained attacks on public VET provision.It was a fantastic opportunity to listen to people from across the world and totalk with passionate VET union representatives. But it was cold comfort that weall seem to face the same frustrating problems of inadequate funding, regulationand professional training. ◆— Gillian Robertson deputy secretaryAEU education support members now have a voice on the world stage to raisetheir concerns with the support of the whole education sector after congressadopted its first resolution on the status of ES staff.Carried unanimously, it gives a powerful voice to the concerns of ES membersthrough the 30 million teachers and other personnel working in educationaround the world from early childhood to university.The resolution affirmed the vital role of ES employees, including their legitimatevoice in union debates on the challenges facing the education sector.It recognised that ES employees include a broad range of professional,administrative, technical and general staff who support teaching and learning incooperation with teachers.Significantly, it acknowledged that while ES members share the samechallenges as teachers in bargaining, they also face a lack of respect andrecognition and poor pay and working conditions.It noted with concern the growing exploitation of ES employees throughcasual, part-time or limited term employment without job security.ES staff best contribute to the health, education and safety of studentswhen they are part of a single workforce employed by one employer, theresolution said. ◆— Brian Henderson branch secretarywww.aeuvic.asn.au 15
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