education and learning
News and articles about work, policy and workers' and students' struggles in education around the world.
Ivory Coast: primary school teachers continue strike
The strike, which originally began in November and was suspended in January, came back into effect on the 14th of June.
The basic demand of the teachers is an increase in the allowance that they are paid towards accomodation. The planned budget for this year gives teachers 30000 CFA Francs (£29:50) a year. Average monthly wages in Ivory Coast are estimated at CFA 26200, although due to civil problems all figures are unreliable.
Danny Glover - lifelong activist
Lethal Weapon actor Danny Glover has a long history of radicalism, from the opposition to the Vietnam war, through to the Panthers, the Iraq war and anti-racism today.
Born in San Francisco to two postal workers and NAACP activists, Danny Glover went on to study at San Francisco State University where he participated in the longest student strike in US history.
Peru: Teachers strike against exams
Teachers in Peru launched a one-day strike to protest against legislation currently being debated in Parliament.
The government is proposing to reform the education system by forcing teachers to take regular competency exams. A teacher failing the exam three times could then be fired. Unions have strongly protested, claiming that the new law will allow arbitrary sackings.
South African unions call off massive strike
Unions have agreed to a government pay offer just 0.5% above inflation, describing it as "fantastic."
Nearly four weeks ago, with inflation running at around 7% and following several years of declining real wages, an indefinite strike began across the South African public sector involving hundreds of thousands of workers (libcom.org coverage 1 [url=http://libcom.org/news/south-africa-zacf-statement-support-publ
Academics reject government anti-extremists plan
Lecturers have voted unanimously to boycott government plans to tackle 'extremism' on college campuses.
They had been asked to monitor and report suspicious behaviour amongst Muslim students but at the University and Colleges Union annual conference in Bournemouth, delegates rejected the move, saying it amounted to spying on students.
Dividing and conquering the working class with drug testing: Hawaii teachers, coercion and a failure of working class solidarity
This is a piece written by an anonymous teacher in Hawaii in response to the teachers' union accepting a contract with mandatory drug testing in exchange for a raise.
In a historic blow to workers’ rights, and working class solidarity in Hawaii, the members of the Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) have been coerced into voting to relinquish basic rights to gain a needed pay raise. The contract they agreed to provides for 4% raises over each of the next two years, with other supplements amounting to an 11% pay raise over two years.
Senegal: seven teachers injured by police
The teachers were on the way home from a general meeting that had been held in the state capital Ziguinchor when they were attacked by police.
The teachers who are currently involved in a dispute over pay and conditions had asked for authorisation for a march. This request was denied by the state governor. The teachers met in the town and held a general assembly (AG) they agreed on a protest motion that was to be passed to the governor but he refused to enter into any contact with them.
Israel: nine students arrested outside the Knesset.
The students were arrested for assaulting police officers.
A total of four officers were lightly wounded by stones during a large demonstration in Jerusalem on Monday. Roughly 1000 students headed for the parliament building and tried to gain entry, it was at this point that fighting broke out between police and demonstrators.
Updates on student struggle in Israel
A week following the previously reported protest, another student protest took a more incendiary turn, blocking streets, burning tires and attempt to block the highway, the latter successful for a longer period of time, though faced with tougher repression.
The protest disbanded in response to leaders' call, marking an increase in violence but a decrease in independence by student militants.
Israel: teachers strike over pay and conditions
Teachers in Haifa and Tel Aviv have voted to take strike action after the collapse of negotiations over pay and conditions.
Teachers plan to launch a full strike today, classes on Sunday were cancelled except for those students preparing for exams.
