Tsunami Education Action Week

By Angelo Gavrielatos

Recognising the devastation the December 26 tsunami has wreaked on hundreds of thousands of people, and in particular children and their education, a range of complementary events are planned for Tsunami Education Action Week, February 14-18.

The events are planned with the specific purpose of facilitating the humanitarian desire to contribute towards the rebuilding of schools and other educational facilities in tsunami affected areas.

During Tsunami Education Action Week schools and TAFE colleges are asked to support a program of activities which include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Teachers are called on to donate a half day's pay

While Federation acknowledges there has already been an overwhelming response from teachers in fundraising efforts for emergency relief, the union's call on teachers to donate a half day's pay is designed to assist in the longer term rebuilding of education in tsunami affected areas. Following a unanimous decision of delegates to the Annual Conference of the Australian Education Union teachers in other states have also been asked to donate half a day's pay.

The option of direct payroll deduction and transfer of teacher donations to UNICEF, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA and OXFAM is available. Information is available at all worksites.

Student fundraising

Students, together with parents and caregivers, are encouraged to engage in fundraising activities for UNICEF.

Advice, including banking details, has been forwarded to schools and colleges by the DET.

Fuller understanding of the impact of the tsunami

Schools and TAFE colleges are encouraged to organise education activities around helping students understand the impact of the tsunami disaster, including the impact on students and their education, in the affected areas.

Links to a range of support materials have been sent to schools.

In addition to these activities, Federation, with the Australian Education Union and all of the state and territory unions, will ask its own employees to donate a half day's pay and will match the amount contributed. Monies raised will be donated to the APHEDA Tsunami Fund. Further, the AEU will directly contribute $30,000 to the Education International Tsunami Fund. (Education International is the peak international union organisation of educators).

In the interest of maximising the contribution we collectively can make in response to this humanitarian disaster, the Federation will continue to pursue the greatest level of cooperation with the DET and all public education stakeholders.

Angelo Gavrielatos is the Senior Vice President.

Unionists come to aid of victims

Why support Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA?

For further information

February 2005 contents