| The
Third Tri-National Conference in Defence of Public Education
Final Conference
Report
February 28 - March 2,
1997
Vancouver British Columbia
Recommendations to Organizations | Proposed
Activities | Recommendations to Individuals
More than 60 participants
from Mexico, Canada and the US took part in the Third Tri-National Conference
In Defense of Public Education. The program consisted of presentations
about the current situation of education in each of the three countries
and discussions about common issues arising from NAFTA and other elements
of globalization.
Presentations and documents
from the conference are available on the World Wide Web (at as well as
a one-hour video, containing portions of the presentations by speakers
from each of the three countries. Requests for these materials should be
directed to Larry Kuehn at the B.C. Teachers' Federation.
In the final sessions, participants
met as three country groups to consider future areas of tri-national activity.
Each group then reported to a plenary session. There was a general consensus
on a number of areas of possible activity.
Recommendations from
Participants
1.
Organizational Recommendations
-
Strengthen the Tri-National
Coalition efforts to bring together union and education activists in the
three countries to work in defense of public education.
-
Develop national contact
committees in each of the three countries to plan activities and actions
to build the Coalition. Each participating union or organization should
identify a contact. The contact committees would develop plans for future
conferences and activities.
-
Maintain communication among
Coalition participants, including use of the Internet with a Tri-National
Coalition Web page, e-mail and a Tri-National Coalition listserv.
2.
Proposed Activities
-
Tri-National Coalition. Share
information about topics such as privatization (e.g., the Lehman Brothers
plan), World Bank and IMF impact, research on standardized testing and
the effects of NAFTA on teacher certification.
-
Research and publish information
related to: 1) the conditions of work of teachers, 2) government actions
that affect the quality and access to public education, 3) the union rights
of teachers and other workers, and 4) lack of human rights. Create materials,
such as a leaflet about public education in each of the three countries.
-
Support Mexican colleagues
on Mexican Teacher Day on May 15 (national holiday for teachers; pay increases
are announced on this day). Send letters of support from organizations.
Have representation from the US and Canada at Mexican Teacher Day activities.
Focus on Public Education and Democracy Day in the US and Canada.
-
Hold the Fourth Tri-National
Conference in Defense of Public Education in Mexico (probably in Oaxaca)
during 1997-98. Identify a particular theme as a focus for the conference.
-
Provide participants from
Canada and the US for a panel at a conference on testing and evaluation
in Mexico City, August 4-8, 1997, sponsored by the Mexican Section of the
Tri-National Coalition.
-
Create a fund to support
Coalition activities through contributions from participating organizations.
3.
Recommended Follow-Up Actions for Individual Conference Participants
-
Report to organizations on
the conference and the coalition; tell at least one group/individual about
what has happened/is happening.
-
Provide information about
human rights violations in Mexico and encourage letters of support.
-
Provide information about
exchange opportunities, such as the Global Exchange education tours to
Mexico.
-
Provide information about
specific projects aimed at building links and providing solidarity support,
such as the Oventic School Project in Chiapas.
for more information
contact
Larry Kuehn, Director
Research, Technology
& International Program Division
B.C. Teachers' Federation
550 West Sixth Avenue
Suite 100
Vancouver BC V5Z 4P2
tel: 604-871-2255
fax: 604-871-2294
e-mail: lkuehn@bctf.bc.ca
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