Mauritius, the idyllic island renowned for its splendid beaches and tourist attractions, was the venue for an education indaba early last month when the executive board of the Pan African Federation of Teachers’ Trade Unions (Pafettu) met.
On the agenda, among other issues, was improving the quality of teaching and the status of educators.
National Association of Professional Teachers of South Africa (Naptosa) president EM Biyela was confirmed as a member of the Pafettu executive board and will act as the federation’s regional co-ordinator in Southern Africa. Pafettu also wants Biyela to serve on the world board of the World Confederation of Teachers.
The meeting was characterised by efforts to co-ordinate the activities of Pafettu so as to make it a more effective organisation delivering quality service to all member unions and to the individual teacher. Applications for membership were received from unions in Benin, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The Naptosa delegation also attended the conference’s closing ceremony on “Reforms in the Education Sector”, organised by the National Trade Union Confederation of Mauritius in collaboration with Pafettu.
Biyela emphasised the importance of service delivery and recruitment. He also touched on the guiding principles contained in the 1966 Unesco document, The Status of Teachers.
The delegation met with leaders from the National Trade Union Federation and visited the offices of the Organisation of Artisans Unity in Port Louis.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, October 2001.