Teachers speak out for decent work
Education International is joining with trade unions in 115 countries in strong support of October 7, the World Day for Decent Work, and the campaign launched by the International Trade Union Federation to demand change in the world economy.
As the financial crisis threatens the livelihoods of millions upon millions of people worldwide, teachers are among those fighting for decent wages and working conditions, said Fred van Leeuwen, General Secretary of EI. “Millions of teachers live below the poverty line and must struggle to feed their own children, even as they do their best to teach other peoples’ children. Low pay, high stress, scarce textbooks and supplies, too many students in overcrowded classrooms – these are all common realities for teachers around the world,” van Leeuwen said.
He noted that when public education systems are chronically under-funded, schools are ill-equipped to offer decent teaching and learning conditions. Obviously the quality of education suffers. “It’s virtually impossible to do a good job in such bad conditions,” he said.
The campaign for decent work aims to help end poverty and inequality, and education is essential to meeting that aim. But when parents don’t have decent work, the cycle of poverty continues down the generations with devastating consequences for children. Too often, teachers witness the tragedy of lost opportunities, as pupils are forced out of school and into child labour simply because their parents lack decent work.
Decent work also means respect for workers’ rights. In some countries, teachers can fully exercise their rights, both at school and in the wider society. But in countries such as Afghanistan, Burma, Colombia, Ethiopia, Thailand and Zimbabwe, their human and trade union rights are increasingly under attack through targeted threats, illegal detention, torture, rape, and even assassination. The severity of these attacks is worsening, according to recent research by UNESCO. “The world is facing a serious teacher shortage. Unless we can provide decent salaries and safe schools with adequate classroom conditions, we will not be able to recruit the 18 million trained professionals that are needed in the next decade,” van Leeuwen warned. “The need for decent work in the education sector has never been more urgent.”
For more information, visit the World Day for Decent Work website: www.wddw.org.
