Ei-iE

Representatives of teacher unions from 24 countries across Africa met in Accra, Ghana during the first week of December to attend the annual EI EFAIDS evaluation and planning workshop.

Unions from Anglophone and Francophone Africa attended a joint meeting – a first for the EI EFAIDS Programme. Sharing the floor on the third day of the meeting, unionists from West, East, Central and Southern Africa exchanged their different experiences of promoting Education for All and HIV and AIDS prevention in schools and communities across the continent.

The unionists were joined by EI staff from the Brussels office and Africa Regional office, as well as by partners from World Health Organisation and the Education Development Center.

Staff from the Ghana AIDS Commission attended the opening session and Dr Sylvia Annie Akwetey, Director of Policy Planning stated the importance of continuous funding, sustained political will and behavioural change at all levels to lower HIV prevalence rates.

The workshop was an opportunity for participants to give valuable feedback on a new edition of the core EFAIDS training manual ‘Leadership in the HIV and AIDS Response: A Toolkit for Teachers’ Unions to Promote Health and Improve Education’ ahead of its publication. It will soon be available to download from the EI website.

The importance of promoting Education for All (EFA) was emphasised, as the workshop sought a balance between the HIV/AIDS education component of the programme, in which most participating affiliates have acquired significant skill and experience, and the Education for All aspect. Participants agreed that unions must take the lead in national EFA coalitions and ensure that teachers have a significant say in education policy debates are crucial aspects in the pursuit of Education for All work.

Unions expressed their commitment to campaigning for EFA, specifically around Global Action Week in the last week of April and World Teachers’ Day on October 5. Educating on HIV and AIDS remained a priority as participants underlined the value of World AIDS Day activities in reaching out to schools and union membership and partnering with other unions and civil society organisations.

Participants were eager to strengthen the capacities of unions to respond to the needs of their members living with HIV. All agreed that inclusion is the answer and that the unions must support and reach out to members affected by HIV and AIDS ensuring they can continue teaching in a supportive environment which is free of stigma and discrimination. Participants agreed unions’ immediate response is crucial as teacher unions are well placed to meet the needs of teachers living with HIV.