The Committee for Public Education (CFPE) invites World Socialist Web Site readers in Australia and internationally—especially teachers, school staff, academics, kindergarten and childcare workers, parents and students—to attend our online meeting, “The COVID-19 pandemic. The political issues confronting educators.”
It will be held this Sunday, April 5, at 12 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time. (Participants should be mindful that Australian daylight savings time ends the previous night.) The meeting link is here: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/368799509.
The meeting will hear a report from the CFPE’s national convenor, Sue Phillips. She will provide a political analysis of the pandemic crisis and its impact on the education sector, including the exposure of teachers and students to dangerous conditions as state and federal governments refuse to close the schools.
In the face of the malign neglect of the government and entire ruling elite, the CFPE has called for the urgent formation of independent Action Committees at every school and university to organise for the protection of the health and wellbeing of educators and students.
The meeting will also include greetings from Norissa Santa Cruz, the Socialist Equality Party’s vice-presidential candidate in the United States. Now emerging as the global epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, the US saw over the last two years several important strike movements by public school teachers in different states.
We encourage the widest participation in our online meeting, and invite educators to attend and discuss the situation in your school or institution.
To participate, download the GoToMeeting app now, then on the day of the meeting click here.
Alternatively, you can participate by calling +61 2 9087 3604, you will need the access code:368-799-509.
Teachers and education workers can contact the CFPE via email or via our Facebook page. The CFPE Twitter account is @CFPE_Australia.
For further reading, see:
South Australian teacher speaks out against governments keeping schools open
[3 April 2020]
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/28/teac-m28.html
[28 March 2020]
Australian school system in chaos after coronavirus semi-closures
[27 March 2020]
Close Australian schools to stave off coronavirus! Form action committees of teachers and school staff!
[18 March 2020]