Numerous Francophone education unions have pushed for the realisation of the sustainable development goal on education, and discussed ways to improve basic education in their countries, and in particular in Madagascar.
This call was made at the 15th meeting of the Comité Syndical Francophone pour l’Education et la Formation(Francophone Trade Union Committee for Education and Training - CSFEF) in Antananarivo, Madagascar, from 14-16 November. It was attended by about 100 representatives of education unions from 30 countries, including the only Education International (EI) member organisation Madagascar, the Fédération Chrétienne des Enseignants et Employés de l’Education (FEKRIMPAMA. Representatives from five other Madagascan unions (CERVEAU, SECES, SEMPAMA, SPATUT and STEM) also attended the conference, where the theme was “Quality education and training for all. The necessary conditions for shared growth and responsible development in all French-speaking countries, and in particular in Madagascar : the teacher trade union movement’s perspectives and proposals”.
SDG 4
The conditions for the achievement of the sustainable development goal (SDG) on education, including funding and contribution by the trade union movement, were debated during two round tables, with the participation of representatives from UNICEF and the Africa Network Campaign on Education For All.
At the meeting, the CSFEF set itself several priorities for the next two years, including : undertaking actions to ensure that the states and governments belonging to the Francophonie are truly committed to achieving the SDG4 ; fighting the commodification of education ; strengthening the capacities of the Francophonie’s education unions in terms of representativeness ; and developing unitary actions, citizens’ control of public action, communication, unionisation, and social dialogue.
Education crisis in Madagascar
“This meeting highlighted the particularly precarious conditions faced by teachers in Madagascar,” EI representative Duncan Smith stressed. The results of a study led by the Programme for analysis of education systems (PASEC) of the Conference of Education ministers of Francophonie states and governments (CONFEMEN) in 10 Francophone sub-Saharan African countries in 2014, and in Madagascar in 2015, were presented. These showed that the language and mathematical skills of Madagascar's children when they finish primary education were among the continent’s lowest.
Video about education in Madagascar:
New Board
A new CSFEF Board was also elected for a two-year period (2016-2018):
· President: Jean-Hervé Cohen (SNES-FSU/France)
· Secretary General: Luc Allaire (CSQ/Quebec)
· Delegate Canada and treasurer: Brigitte Bergeron (CTF-FCE/Canada)
· Vice-President North and Delegate France 1: Joël Olive (UNSA-Education/France)
· Vice-President South and Delegate West Africa: Awa Wade (UDEN/Senegal)
· Delegate Central Africa: Augustin Tumba Nzunji (FENECO/Democratic Republic of Congo)
· Delegate East Africa: Jugduth Seegum (GTU/Mauritius)
· Delegate North Africa: Slim Ghriss (SGEB/Tunisia)
· Swiss Delegate: Josy Stolz (SER/Switzerland)
· Delegate France 2: Michelle Olivier (SNUipp-FSU/France)
· Delegate Eastern Europe: Adrian Voica (FSLE/Romania)
· Delegate Quebec: Louise Chabot (CSQ/Quebec)