Focus on education and human rights

THE United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) a specialised agency of the United Nations, was established on November 16, 1945. Its constitution was adopted and signed on this day in London. The constitution however, came into force on November 4, 1946, after ratification by twenty countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, India, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Unesco is the heir of the League of Nations' International Commission on Intellectual Cooperation. It has 193 member states and 6 associate members. The organisation is based in Paris, with over 50 field offices and many specialised institutes and centres throughout the world. Most of the field offices are "cluster" offices covering three or more countries; there are also national and regional offices.
The purpose of the organisation is "to contribute to peace and security by promoting collaboration among the nations through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations."
Unesco pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communication and information. Projects sponsored by Unesco include literacy and technical and teacher-training programs; international science programs; the promotion of independent media and freedom of the press; regional and cultural history projects, the promotion of cultural diversity; international cooperation agreements to secure the world cultural and natural heritage (World Heritage Sites) and to preserve human rights; and attempts to bridge the world-wide digital divide.

Global shortage of teachers
Unesco estimates that 18 million more teachers are needed worldwide if universal primary education is to be achieved by 2015. This shortage of qualified teachers is considered one of the biggest obstacles to achieving the Education for All (EFA) goals. Teachers' low wages are at the root of the global shortage. Around the world, teachers are crying out for the resources they need to meet the needs of their students, their families and their communities. Millions are living below the poverty line, struggling to feed their own children as they strive to educate others people's children.
That's why teachers' unions around the world are demanding living wages and decent working conditions, including adequate learning resources and reasonable class sizes, in order to recruit the best and the brightest young people into this vitally important profession. Active recruitment and retention strategies are an essential part of the solution, but the task of training millions more new teachers remains a challenge.

Increase in attacks on teachers
According to Unesco, there has been a dramatic and disturbing increase in attacks against teachers over the past three years. Unesco journalist and researcher Brendan O'Malley's report, entitled "Education Under Attack," provides the first global study on political and military violence against teachers, education unions, schools, government officials and institutions.
It documents atrocities like targeted assassinations, illegal detention and torture, rape, recruitment of child soldiers, occupation and destruction of school buildings, and threats of the above. "The motive is to deter the education systems from functioning." O'Malley said his research showed that the most dangerous countries for teachers include Afghanistan, Colombia, Iraq, Nepal, the Palestinian Territory, Thailand and Zimbabwe. The number of attacks rose six-fold between 2003 and 2005.
Clearly, this violence is having a devastating impact on efforts to achieve EFA. About 40% of the 77 million children who are not in school live in conflict areas. In Iraq, only 30% of children were in school last year, compared to 75% the previous year. In Afghanistan, as many as 300,000 children, especially girls, are not in school due to threats, arson of schools, and killings. "The psychological impact of this gruesome violence is immeasurable," O'Malley said, referring to the 2006 rape and murder of a Baghdad teacher whose body was hung outside the school for five days, or the Thai teachers who were shot in their classrooms or in the school library. "What is the long term impact on students?"
He urged the international community to take action in response. All countries that are committed to the Millennium Development Goals should work to end impunity for these attacks. Imposing conditionality in aid and trade deals could provide another form of leverage. Widening the application and use of human rights instruments could also be beneficial. And keeping up vigorous international solidarity campaigns can make a life-and-death difference for teachers at risk.
Unesco and Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the 58 members of the Executive Board of Unesco, and its present vice- president.
Bangladesh became a member of Unesco in October, 1972 in pursuance of Article VII of the Unesco Constitution. The Bangladesh National Commission for Unesco is headed by the education minister, and has 69 members. Its activities, however, are not upto the mark. There is enough scope left for further expansion of its functions, especially in rendering assistance in drawing-up training programs for the teachers in their related fields before bringing any change in the syllabus, in the development of curricula, bringing out regular periodicals etc, and facilitating various programs in conformity with the provisions of Unesco Constitution for the improvement of education, culture, science and technology. After all, the assistance of Unesco, and the lessons and experiences of its national commissions in different countries, can contribute significantly to the development and appropriate management of human resources in Bangladesh, especially in the light of the unprecedented progress in the field of science and technology including Information Technology.

Prof. Quazi Faruque Ahmed is President, Bangladesh College Teachers' Association (BCTA), and Chief Coordinator National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE).
E-mail: [email protected]