Ei-iE

EI initiated on March 16, 2013 the first of its 4 forums with education unions in Egypt . Over 90 activists from independent organizations of teachers, university, and educational workers met in Cairo, Egypt to discuss challenges facing workers in the education sector and how to strengthen democratic unions. They also pursued possibilities to help unify the various new independent unions of teachers and educational workers formed after the 2012 revolution and changes that took place in Egypt.

The program was organized by EI’s Egyptian affiliate, the Independent Teachers Union of Egypt (ISTT), with support from EI and ITUC and was primarily designed to  provide the time and place for Egyptian education activists from the greater Cairo region to discuss how to build greater unity between the various independent groups in the education sector, to introduce the basics of teacher unionism and to develop strategies for better union  structures. The forum included representatives from the ISTT, the committees of the Federation of Teachers in Egypt, a new university union and the unions of Education workers.

The programme of theme workshops and small group discussions was preceded by a plenary panel discussion regarding education in Egypt, the rationale for independent unions in the education sector and a presentation from NASUWT, UK, entitled, "Education, Development and Democracy." A number of other EI representatives and international affiliates (such as CAUT, Canada) contributed to the forum in the various themes (higher education, young workers, women teachers in unions, education employees. The forum was also adrressed by Taher Zhaker, chair of the new EI Standing Committee for the Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure, who gave a presentation on the "ABC of Democratic Teacher Unionism."

The Cairo forum was the first of a series of four similar meetings to be held in major population centers around Egypt scheduled for April. These meetings will reach up to 500 Egyptian union activists in the education sector. The project is funded by a grant to EI from the ITUC. Following the forum series, EI will continue to support and coordinate further cooperation of other EI affiliates working in Egypt, providing prohrammes such as trainings on strategic planning and organizing for the education unions.