EI is joining the Commonwealth Secretariat in hosting the Third Commonwealth Teacher Research symposium which will be held in Maputo, Mozambique, from 19-21 Feb 2008.
The symposium creates a platform for researchers, educationists, representatives of teacher trade unions, government officials and other stakeholders, within the Commonwealth, to share findings from recent studies on education and related issues. The symposium is being organized by the Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with Education International.
EI works very closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the ILO and other stakeholders in promoting the implementation of the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol. The Protocol, which seeks to balance the rights of teachers to migrate internationally against the need to protect the integrity of national education systems, was adopted by Education Ministers in Linchonshire, the United Kingdom, on 1 Sep 2004.
The Commonwealth Teachers' Group (CTG), comprising EI's member organisations in the Commonwealth, has played a significant role in ensuring that the educators' views are taken into account when developing education policy within the Commonwealth.
The theme for this year's symposium is, "Gender, HIV/AIDS and the Status of Teachers". In that respect, this year's symposium will enable the participants to discuss recent studies on gender, HIV and AIDS issues and the status of teachers and that of the teaching profession. The symposium will also discuss strategies for using research to improve education policies and programmes.
EI and its participating affiliates will use the symposium to present some of their latest work and studies on education and on teachers in particular. Topical among these will be EI's recent study on "Teacher Supply, Recruitment and Retention in six Anglophone Sub-Saharan African Countries" and EI's "Education For ALL, HIV/AIDS Prevention" (EFAIDS) Programme.
EI will be represented by:
- Dennis Sinyolo, EI's Education and Employment Coordinator;
- Lulama Nare, Head of Gender Department, South Africa Democratic Teacher's Union (SADTU), South Africa;
- Helena Awurusa, EFAIDS Coordinator, Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Ghana;
- Lucy Barimbui, EFAIDS Coordinator, Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya;
- and by representatives of the Organizaçao Nacional dos Professores (ONP), Mozambique.
The CTG will be represented by Samidha Garg (International Programmes Officer, NUT United Kingdom).