ATL

Overview

ATL has a long and proud tradition of international work, we've supported education unions overseas, campaigned for more and better funding for education globally and worked to raise the awareness among members of the impact of globalisation on the education sector in general and the profession in particular.

This work is more important than ever. Today, almost every action we take brings us into contact with organisations that work internationally whether for trade, knowledge, culture, leisure or services.

Few jobs do not involve the need to build relationships with people from different backgrounds, and this is particularly so of jobs in education. Whether this is as a result of working in a multinational school or college, in partnership with organisations in other countries or with colleagues and students from different ethnic backgrounds, the education sector is at the forefront of globalisation.

ATL believes that we have an important part to play in supporting our members respond to the challenges of globalisation at the same time as realising the opportunities it presents.

ATL's international policy and strategy

With the support of the UK Department for International Development and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), ATL has developing its international work. Our first task was to develop Our global future: ATL's international policy and strategy. Our global future brings greater coherence to our existing international efforts at the same time as identifying new areas of development and growth.

Our global future sets out three goals for our globally focused work:

• 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.

These goals are mutually supportive. They recognise the centrality of ATL's members 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.

It is proposed that over the next three years these goals will inform and direct ATL's international work. You can download a pdf or order a hard copy of Our global future.

You can read more about each of our work in these areas, along with our plans for growth and development below.

Professional development and awareness

ATL believes that it has an important part to play in supporting our members respond to the challenges of globalisation at the same time as realising the opportunities it presents.

This includes supporting our members' professional development to equip them to better prepare their learners for life and work in a globalised economy and multicultural society, as well as understanding the impacts of globalisation on their own lives as education professionals and as citizens.

You can read more about this in the international professional development section.

International projects

ATL has always been an outward looking union, providing both moral and practical support to fellow educators not just throughout the UK but across the world.
 
We recognise that working with teachers and educators elsewhere in the world to protect and promote our rights as educational workers is an effective strategy. It's also an important way of advancing the rights of our students too.

ATL aspires to have a balanced programme of links with educational organisations in the developing world. We are currently committed to, and/or developing partnerships with, education unions in Colombia in Latin America, Cambodia in South East Asia and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa

You can read more about this in the international projects section.

Policy advocacy and activism

ATL is widely recognised for its education policy analysis, development and advocacy work within the UK. As part of the development of our international work we're also committed to increasing our influence on the global dimensions of educational policy and practice.

This includes global educational issues such as the nature and level of UK support for education globally and the importance of policies that support teachers unions and advance the rights of educationalists and their students.

We're already an active member of both the Global Campaign for Education and Education International where much of our international policy influencing and engagement is currently focused.

The global dimension of educational policy and practice also has a variety of practical domestic applications, such as the importance of valuing overseas teaching experience, supporting global learning within the curriculum and the level and quality of government funding and support for global education.

You can read more about this in the international policy advocacy and activism section. 

Getting started with global citizenship

ATL has teamed up with Oxfam to provide new teachers with resources to help them get to grips with teaching education for global citizenship.

Getting started with global citizenship: a guide for new teachers is packed with practical activities suitable for all age ranges and subjects to help incorporate the concept of global citizenship into lessons.

Whether you are currently training to be a teacher or are newly qualified, this guide will get you started in meeting the educational needs of your pupils in a fast-changing, interdependent world. It will help you develop your skills and confidence using participatory, learner-centred teaching methods, assemble a toolkit of activities for the classroom and educate to make a difference.