Latin America
GR research launch in Argentina
On 28th September 2018, the Global Response’s research into to the growing commercialisation and privatisation of education in Argentina was released in Buenos Aires. “La privatización educativa en Argentina” provides an overview of the processes driving the privatisation of education and their impact on quality and equity in Argentina’s public education system. The research project is a joint endeavour between a team of academics and researchers including Argentinian researchers Myriam Feldfeber and Adriana Puiggros and Cambridge University based, Susan Robertson and Matias Nestore. EI’s member organisation Confederación de Trabajadores de la Educación de la República Argentina(CTERA) organised 2 days of activities including a public launch, a media conference and a parliamentary briefing.
1st trade union strengthening programme meeting in Dominican Republic
Participants exchanged experiences from different regions of the country, and between FAPROUASD and CONADU, and tackled issues such as the privatisation and mercantilisation of higher education, casualisation of academic work; and the need for union training;
EI helped organise this event, providing tools and information the unions need to address challenges arising as part of the neoliberal and so-called “post-truth” era.
GR research seminar in Uruguay
The results of the research “Uruguay's Public education in the neoliberal globalisation labyrinth” was presented on 8th October 2018 in Montevideo by Susan Robertson, University of Cambridge (UK). National level findings were placed in a global perspective.
The development of privatisation in and of education at a global and national level, what has been done to understand how it works, and what can the unions do to help stop it were discussed by participants to the seminar.
The situations in Argentina and Brazil were discussed. They showed the regional dimension of the privatisation and commercialisation problem. EI presented information to raise awareness at national level about this problem and promote the implementation of the Global Response campaign and further work in the framework of it, to increase joint efforts to fight against privatisation and commercialisation in and of education.
Central America and Caribbean Sub regional Women’s Network meeting in El Salvador
The Central America and the Caribbean Subregional Women’s Network met in San Salvador, El Salvador, from 10-12 October 2018 to discuss sexual and reproductive rights and the need for unions with clear progressive gender equality policies.
Education unions’ representatives from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras and Panamá, as well as guests from Brazil and Argentina, deplored gender discrepancies in trade union leadership, despite the fact that 80% or more of teachers are women.
They also focused on gender-associated roles in family life that make it difficult for women to participate in union work, gender violence in the country and the region. They stressed the need for a gender equality policy within unions, acknowledging that while some unions have a gender equality tradition, without a union policy on gender equality this can be reversed at any time.
First International pedagogical meeting in Perú
The context of public education, as well as the behaviour of the low-cost schools industry, were analysed in Lima, Perú, on 18 October, during the 1st International pedagogical meeting in the country.
The main topics debated were: the current context of the union movement in Perú; the state of Peruvian education; the Peruvian Government’s silent implementation of the privatisation of education; low-cost schools from a quality perspective, eviewing the research done in 2018 in the country; and the Latin American Pedagogical Movement as a political and organisational tool.
South America Subregional Women’s Network meeting in Argentina
From 30 October-1st November, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the South America Subregional Women’s Network meeting gathered women trade union leaders from Argentina, Brasil, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to reflect on sexual and reproductive rights and the need for unions to have a clear, progressive gender equality policy.
EILA Regional Committee and Council of Presidents and/or General Secretaries meeting in Costa Rica
From 12-13 November 2018, in San José, Costa Rica, top representatives of 18 affiliated organisations from 14 Latin American countries took stock of the main socio-political events in the region over the last year. They also reflected on the impact these events have had on their organisations and the teacher union movement, as well as the positions taken to face these events.
They analysed the political and educational context and challenges for the region, and for each country.
Latin American Pedagogical Movement meeting
Representatives of 18 affiliates organisations from 14 countries analysed progress made and challenges for the Latin American Pedagogical Movement, from 14-15 November in San José, Costa Rica.
Anti-union strategies from governments and entrepreneurs and the progression of privatisation and commercialisation of education throughout Latin America were also key themes for debates.
EILA is providing research and monitoring information about the activities of international economic organisations such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank in the region.