The NUT is committed to supporting people around the world in their struggle to achieve decent education, employment, freedom from persecution and discrimination and the right to a say in how they are governed. These development issues are an integral and historic part of the trade union movement’s commitment to global solidarity.

Our development work is divided into four areas:

1. The NUT lobbies and campaigns for broad development issues like more and better aid for developing countries or the cancellation of debt. Much of this work is done in partnership with other organisations such as international trade union bodies or non-governmental organisations.

2. The NUT supports teachers’ unions across the developing world on capacity building and sharing skills.

3. The NUT supports its members to do more on international development and combating global poverty, especially through raising their awareness and professional development activities.

4. The NUT provides solidarity and humanitarian support by developing links with teacher trade unions from developing countries.

A Post MDG Future

What should come after the Millenium Development Goals post-2015? With some help from a group of students at LSE, Rosalind Stainton, international policy officer for Unicef, kicks off the discussion. Please click here to join in and post your comments.

ICT Skills for Women Teachers Sierra Leone - Perfect Partnership

In 2007 the NUT was successful in securing funding from the TUC International Development Learning Fund for an ICT Skills for Women Teachers project in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The funding enabled a pilot programme to be developed and implemented, working in partnership with the Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU), for four ICT skills courses, each accommodating twenty female teachers.

Following the success of this pilot project, the NUT plans to submit further bids to facilitate similar programmes in two other African countries.

Prevention of HIV & AIDS in Rwanda through Education (PHARE)

The NUT supports PHARE’s programme which seeks to prevent HIV and AIDS infections amongst vulnerable groups in the eastern and southern provinces of Rwanda with a focus on secondary schools and local community groups.

VSO Valuing Teachers Campaign and Volunteer Opportunities

The NUT supports VSO’s campaign which researches what teachers feel about their profession: what motivates them and what helps them perform well. The aim is to inform policy-making and implementation at national and international levels. VSO is currently looking for experienced educationalists to help with this work for 1-2 years in countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean.

http://www.vsointernational.org/volunteer/find-out-more.asp

http://www.vsointernational.org/what-we-do/advocacy/campaigns/valuing-teachers.asp

Tom Hurndall Education Fund (GAZA)

The Tom Hurndall Education Fund was established in 2006 in memory of Tom, the son of an NUT member, who was killed protecting children in Gaza. Tom Hurndall was committed to justice for children. The education fund established in his memory aims to support the education and development of disabled children in Gaza.

The NUT’s International Development: It’s Union Work course runs every year and is open to NUT members. The course aims to:

• provide members with ideas of how to get involved at local level in promoting international development;
• raise awareness of international development issues;
• discuss the distinct role that teacher unions can play in international development and poverty reduction; and
• provide practical examples of activities that can be carried out by members locally.

For more information please click here.

‘Internationalising Learning’ Continuing Professional Development Programme

This high quality NUT teacher2teacher programme is free to all teachers and school leaders who want:

• more confidence to teach about international issues;
• embedding of the global dimension within and across the curriculum;
  
• enhanced learning opportunities for pupils/students on international issues; and
• support for schools in achieving ‘international status’ and strengthening School Development Plans/Self-Evaluation forms.

For more information about the course click here.