While acknowledging that teachers had already been offered training to help them develop the skills needed to deliver online classes before the COVID-19 crisis had begun, educators should be better trained in the area according to an education trade union in Cameroon. Authorities should ensure that teachers are well-equipped to...
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Members of Senegal’s teaching unions fear the rapid aggravation of the coronavirus crisis in their country and are taking action to ensure teacher and pupil safety, as well as educational continuity.
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Although they believe the XGEST platform distance learning initiative launched by the Ministry of Education is worth trying out during the COVID-19 initiative, teachers, through their representative organisation, the Syndicat de l'Éducation Nationale say that they have strong reservations as to whether all students can access it. They therefore insist...
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Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, the South African Democratic Teachers' Union is doing its utmost to reach out to union members, ensure teachers’ and students’ safety from the virus, and improve access to remote teaching and learning.
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Two education unions in Kenya have called for a complete lockdown of the country to ensure the safety of educators and students. The proposal is just one of those submitted by the unions for the effective and successful management of the health, education, and economic crisis caused by the spread...
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An education union in Liberia has donated valuable equipment to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Although the Beninese public authorities have declared the closure of the country’s schools, pupils and teachers must nevertheless resume classes on 14 April. The public authorities have also taken the decision to recruit teaching staff through interim agencies, to which education unions strongly oppose.
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To prevent the arrival and spread of COVID-19 in Burundi, teacher unionists are raising awareness among the general population about the measures implemented by the government, while also asking that the government take a number of new steps to stem the crisis.
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While all schools in Somalia have been closed, the Somali National Union of Teachers is actively working to ensure that teachers, particularly those working in private educational settings, will continue to receive their salaries.
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Japan Teachers’ Union has voiced concern over students’ wellbeing during the school closures brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Temporary educators also face serious problems as classes are suspended. The union is working with the national Ministry of Education and Parliament to find solutions.
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Teachers and educators in Ghana are urging President Akufo-Addo to extend the four-week shutdown of basic and second-cycle schools to final-year students. This is intended to minimise the spread of COVID-19.
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Education unions in Francophone Africa are dismayed at the lack of consultation in government decisions to close all education establishments to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unions representing teachers and education support personnel report that they had not been consulted on the best ways to ensure quality...
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The South African Democratic Teachers' Union has kicked off celebrations for its 30th anniversary in the Northern Cape by launching its "I am a school fan" campaign in the province. The campaign aims to address the escalating violence in schools.
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The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) has staged a protest urging the government to sign a Copyright Amendment Bill that will improve access to quality education materials.
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The Education International African Regional Committee met in Accra on 10-13 February to review progress and set the political course for the following period.
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On 3 February, a stampede in the Kakamega Primary School in Kenya's western region left 14 students dead and 40 severely injured. Kenyan education unions have reacted angrily to the factors that led to the tragedy. The unions condemned the lack of implementation of existing safety standards, and addressed the...
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Teachers’ representative organisations in Cameroon are united in demanding security in schools in a country “badly shaken by an unprecedented and wave of intolerable violence” at the beginning of the year.
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At a recent meeting, the Committee of the Education International’s Arab Countries Cross Regional Structure reaffirmed their commitment to fight education privatisation and defend democracy in the region. Committee members reported on the challenges faced in their national settings, discussed recent union activities, and strategised for future action and campaigns.
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