ATL

ATL's global future

ATL has agreed the union's first international policy and strategy.

ATL has a long and proud tradition of international work including supporting education unions overseas, campaigning for more and better funding for education globally and raising the awareness among members of the impact of globalisation, especially on education and this policy will build on that tradition with a more strategic approach to our role globally.

"Recognising that we are all members of a world community and that we have responsibilities to each other is not romantic rhetoric but modern economic and social reality," said ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted.

"Educators occupy a unique position of influence in this world: they are central to ensuring that learners have the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to engage effectively in a globalised economy and multicultural society; and as a workforce they are themselves increasingly mobile, making a vital contribution to the international knowledge economy.

"ATL recognises that representing the interests of our members means helping them to maximise their individual and collective influence, including on the global dimension of their work and of education internationally."

Our global future sets out three goals: 

• supporting the professional development and global awareness of our members

• working with education unions overseas to achieve their goals and ours

• contributing to the global dimensions of educational policy and supporting member engagement and activism on global issues.

"ATL's members are central to the future of our international work. By supporting their development and activism at the same time as leveraging ATL's unique international opportunities as an education union we believe that we can make a strong, positive contribution to educational issues internationally," said ATL president Lesley Ward.

"Our global future integrates international considerations into areas of work that are fundamental to the union, namely our support for professional development, our support for the rights of educational professionals and our work to give them a voice in policy and decision making.

"All of these areas have a global dimension which Our global future makes explicit. In doing so it also makes the case for the importance of this work and the contribution that it can make to ATL and of course to the wider world," concluded Lesley.

You can read more about ATL's international strategy and activities or download a pdf or order a hard copy of Our global future.