The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform recently published a National Action Plan setting out the measures that have already been undertaken to prevent trafficking, protect victims and prosecute offenders. It identifies areas which require further action and sets out the structures which, when fully in place, will allow Ireland to ratify the international instruments dealing with trafficking in human beings.

In October 2008, a campaign was undertaken to raise the awareness of the public and professionals to the crime of human trafficking. The campaign is based on the ‘blue blindfold’ concept, which has as its message “Don’t Close your Eyes to Human Trafficking”. The campaign includes media advertisements, the issue of posters and leaflets to a large range of organisations including An Garda Síochána, Hospitals, Health Centres, libraries, airports and ports, Governmental Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), etc. A website was also set up which gives details on what is human trafficking, the difference between human trafficking and smuggling, the policing of human trafficking, international co-operation and other newsworthy events. The website can be accessed at http://www.blueblindfold.gov.ie.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the Department has recently produced an article on human trafficking, Human Trafficking from the perspective of the Child, available here.

As part of the Department’s ongoing effort to raise awareness of human trafficking, they are keen to explore the possibility of increasing awareness among IFUT members who may encounter suspected victims of human trafficking, especially children. To pursue this further, members are invited to contact:

Gerardine Coyle
Anti-Human Trafficking Unit
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Pinebrook House
72-74 Harcourt Street
Dublin 2
Tel: (01) 602 8233
E-mail: GMCoyle@justice.ie

The IFUT Press Release is available here.

“It is immensely frustrating that neither the HEA nor the Minister for Education seem to have any idea of the extra time and commitment needed from higher education staff to try to assist overseas students and to ensure they get the full benefit from their time in Ireland.

“The fact that Irish universities, with 50% pro-rata funding compared to their counterparts in the UK, can attract such a number and diversity of overseas students is remarkable. However, the question must be asked: ‘How are these fully fee paying students not to be short-changed by a higher education system starved of funds, staff and resources?’”, Mr Jennings said.

The IFUT Press Release is available in full here.

Mr Robinson warned that the drift in western countries towards commercialised universities and dubious quality providers must be resisted if universities are to preserve their function as reservoirs of research and innovation.

Danish speaker, Jens Vraa-Jensen, of Education International (EI), warned that universities cannot be managed according to market principles and at the same time fulfil their basic mission.

Mr Vraa-Jensen said: “The basic raison d’être for any private enterprise is to create profit for its owners. The purpose of a university is not profit but to spend money in the most appropriate way on teaching students and conducting research to develop the intellectual capacity of future generations and provide the society with new knowledge for future development and welfare”.

Mike Jennings, IFUT General Secretary, said: “Irish universities must not become the pawns of market forces and private speculators, who view education as just another source of profit and their students like customers in a supermarket”.

The IFUT Press Release is available in full here.

Biographical notes of the speakers and outlines of the themes of their talks are available on our seminar page.

The Toolkit is an important new initiative of ILO Sectoral Activities and is strongly supported by Education International. The Toolkit is expected to be published early in 2010 for use by Education Ministries and other public employers of teachers, as well as private employers, and by education unions around the world.

The seminar will hear keynote contributions from David Robinson and Jens Vraa-Jensen, two of the foremost world authorities on the topic of the threat posed to universities and academic freedom by marketisation, commercialisation and privatisation.

The seminar will start at 14:30. The full schedule and biographical notes of the speakers and outlines of the themes of their talks are available on our seminar page.

This year, Education International (EI), the International Labour Organisation (ILO), UNESCO, UNDP and UNICEF have issued a joint statement calling upon governments, communities, national and international institutions everywhere to act decisively to achieve Education for All. In addition, they are seeking mechanisms that protect teachers and ensure that education investments match demand at all levels of education.

“There is an acute shortage of qualified and trained teachers, especially in the developing world where enrolments at all levels are increasing. It is estimated that 2.4 million teachers (1.2 million new teacher posts) will be needed between 2007 and 2015 in sub-Saharan Africa alone to achieve Universal Primary Education. Lack of training, professional development and growing recruitment on a contract basis weaken education quality. But the profession is also gravely affected by poverty, the HIV and AIDS pandemic, natural disasters, conflict and violence against teachers in school”, according to the statement.

The Education International Press Release is available here. The UNESCO Press Release is available here.

The Joint Statement is available here.

The Press Release and Joint Statement are available in other languages on the EI Website, the UNESCO World Teachers’ Day Webpage, the World Teachers’ Day Website and the IFUT World Teachers’ Day 2009 page.