Asia-Pacific
EI/COPE Women Network regional capacity-building workshop
The capacity building workshop of the regional women’s network, held from 8-10 August in Nadi, Fiji, provided EI affiliate representatives an opportunity to build their capacity as women leaders, to be bold in confronting regional challenges, and continue to achieve progress towards realising gender equality and making a difference by accomplishing “Planet 50-50 by 2030”. The workshop was organised by EI and the Council of Pacific Education (COPE).
The workshop aimed to increase the awareness of gender equality, augment political awareness, and make more effective women’s networks. It also sought to improve their ability to participate in decision making and leadership in their respective unions. They also learned how to organise capacity building activities to help them strengthen independent and democratic teacher unions.
Amongst the workshop recommendations were continued support from EI and COPE to assist in the creation of women’s networks and more training sessions for women leaders in the Pacific region.
Meeting on the commercialisation and privatisation of education across the Pacific
Leaders of EI’s member organisations in the Pacific met on 6-7 August, in Nadi, Fiji, to consider the commercialisation and privatisation of education across the Pacific.
Union leaders from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and the Staff Union of the University of the South Pacific shared their national experiences and developed a deeper understanding of EI’s Global Response.
A research project aimed at mapping the trends of privatisation will be commissioned to inform the development of national campaign plans necessary to confront the threats posed by commercialisation and privatisation in education in the Pacific’s countries.
Inception meeting of the EI/AIPTF/TESTF Child Labour Project in India
The meeting, held from 8-9 January in Chennai, India, is part of the project on fighting child labour to be implemented in the Tamil Nadu State between January 2018 and June 2019.
The meeting aimed to share the EI proposal as approved by the Stop Child Labour coalition and discuss the implementation of the project; and prepare an action plan, listing activities, the timeline and the reporting activities.
Though covering only two small villages, the project involves identifying child labour, mirroring EI’s vision and mission described in the resolution against child labour.
The EI Secretariat and regional office will provide the implementing organisation with the necessary technical and capacity building support.
Capacity building workshop on the Education 2030 Agenda in Malaysia
A capacity building workshop on the Education 2030 Agenda was organised by the EI Asia-Pacific regional office (EIAP) for top leaders of EI affiliates in Malaysia: Malaysian Academic Movement (MOVE), Malaysian Association for Education (MAE), National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) and Sarawak Teachers' Union (STU).Issues discussed during the workshop included: the Education 2030 Agenda, together with global and regional updates; analysing of the Malaysian Education Blueprint in view of SDG4 goals; and the role of teacher unions in implementing, reviewing, and monitoring the Education 2030 Agenda.
The participants emphasised that unions need to play a proactive role in not only pressurising the government to implement the Education 2030 Agenda, but also actively monitoring and reviewing progress made.