The mission on child labour organised in Mali from 15-19 February assessed the project, “Out of Work and Into School”. This has run successfully in six villages, where, in every school, the Syndicat National de l'Education et de la Culture trains the headmaster and a few teachers to become focal points, using the EI manual to learn how to talk about child labour and engage with parents. Sixty-eight children have already returned to school, and students’ learning results have improved. Education International was represented by its consultant Samuel Grumiau.
Education International organised an urgent mission to Liberia from 22-28 February, in support of the National Teachers’ Association of Liberia (NTAL). The mission, including EI Project Coordinator for the Global Response to the Privatisation and Commercialisation in and of Education, Angelo Gavrielatos, and EI Coordinator Jefferson Berriel-Pessi, aimed to develop a response to the Liberian Government’s unprecedented decision to outsource its entire public basic and primary education system. Education International wrote to the Liberian President in support of their colleagues’ action and initiated an urgent call for solidarity action across the entire membership.
The ITUC-Africa organised its 6th Leadership School (New Year School), in Lomé, Togo, from 22-25 February, under the theme, “Industrial development and employment in Africa: challenges and opportunities for trade unions in the face of climate change”. Participants addressed the current burning issues of climate change and job opportunities in the region. Education International was represented by the EI regional Africa (EIRAF) office’s Chief Coordinator Assibi Napoe.
The Bureau of the ITUC-Africa’s Executive Board and the Youth Committee were elected during the ITUC-Africa Trade Union Council meeting, held in Lomé, Togo, from 26-27 February.
The EIRAF office facilitated a capacity building workshop on trade union unity for 46 leaders of the four EI affiliates in Burkina Faso from 3-5 March. Education International was represented by the EIRAF Chief regional coordinator Assibi Napoe.
From 21-31 March, representatives of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF), assisted by the EIRAF, were in Lomé, Togo, and in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, for strategic planning workshops with the union’s national partners. The CTF provided information on its three focus areas, i.e. teachers’ action on teaching, in support of education organisations and on gender equality.