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Helping teachers to embrace their universal rights in and outside of the classroom was the focus of hands-on training sessions held in Zimbabwe last month to foster a strong culture of rights.

The training for each of the ten Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association provincial branches in April was conducted in the framework of the Teachers Advancing a Rights Culture Initiative.

A total of 293 teachers were trained, during two separate intensive two-day training workshops, each targeting teachers from selected schools. All teachers’ groups were included, including young teachers, female teachers and teachers with disabilities.

At the outset, the workshops were aimed at:

• Enhancing awareness and knowledge about trade union rights among teachers
• Increasing teachers’ capacity to articulate issues pertaining to the teachers’ work environment
• Promoting the integration of gender equality and equity issues in the workplace, trade union organisation and society
• Sharing knowledge of national labour laws governing relations in both the public and private sectors in Zimbabwe
• Raising awareness about international labour standards to regulate working conditions in Zimbabwe

The workshops were so successful that some participants recommended that more such workshops be held. They also suggested that future workshops be expanded to cover topics such as remuneration, collective bargaining, and other national issues.

Fostering a rights culture

The training sessions were conducted under the Teachers Advancing a Rights Culture (TARC) initiative. TARC was spearheaded by the American Federation of Teachers and by Education International and, since its 2012 launch, it has expanded in Zimbabwe, Egypt, Georgia, and Honduras, where many teachers have benefited from the project.

The project builds on the important roles teachers play in their communities, and harnesses the organisational power of teacher unions to foster respect for human and workers’ rights around the globe. It acknowledges that two pillars of any democracy are a strong public education system and an independent trade union movement.

In particular countries, TARC partners conduct training, host community events, and develop innovative curricula. By working collaboratively with allies in the local community, the effectiveness of the projects in promoting human and workers’ rights is increased.

To learn more about the TARC project on the online platform dedicated to it, please click here