Education unions defend & promote academic freedom around the world

Academic freedom is in a dire state globally, according to attendees at the recent International Further and Higher Education and Research Conference (IFHERC). Organised virtually by Education International (EI), the conference also expressed its solidarity with harassed and imprisoned academics worldwide, especially in Myanmar and Hong Kong. On the last day of the conference on 10 February, panellists from different EI regions highlighted the experiences and challenges of higher education staff and institutions in their respective countries and regions.

Corporate voices edge out academics

Annette Dolan, Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI) Deputy General Secretary, underlined the importance of academic freedom for scientific progress, the pursuit of truth, research, collaboration among academics, and quality higher education. The COVID-19 pandemic had clearly demonstrated the importance of safeguarding academic freedom as academics have played a major role in addressing a wide range of responses to the crisis. However, serious violations of academic freedom and institutional autonomy are on the rise.

There is a concern in Ireland, as in many other countries, which researcher Michael Shattock refers to as the rise of the managerial class in higher education institutions, where the academic voice is marginalised, as the voice of corporate culture replaces the collegial academic one in university governance.

Segregation a historical threat to academic freedom

Derryn Moten from the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) explained that attacks on academic freedom are not new. In the US in the 50s and 60s, academics and students were threatened with non-renewal of contracts or removal of their teaching certificates if they expressed pro-integration views. They had to resort to action, like the Alabama sit-ins in February 1960.

Level of academic freedom dependent on government

Suat Yan Lai, of the Malaysian Academic Movement (MOVE), said that academic freedom in the Asia-Pacific region depends on a country's type of government, be it a democracy or an authoritarian regime. In Malaysia, education unions have joined NGOs to push back the declaration of state of emergency made by the government during the COVID-19 outbreak, in reality an attempt to stay in power. MOVE has had the support of colleagues from the NTEU and Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

In Hong Kong, she said, imprisonment is the sanction for those exerting their freedom of speech. The Beijing-imposed National Security Law is vague, outlawing secession, subversion, 'terrorism', and 'collusion with foreign forces', and forbidding people from 'inciting hatred against the central and Hong Kong government'.

Academic freedom in Colombia

Pedro Hernández, President of the Asociación Sindical de Profesores Universitarios (ASPU) in Colombia, one of the most dangerous countries for academics, mentioned how the report by the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, acknowledged the special role played by academics and academic institutions in democratic society. Without academic freedom, societies lose one of the essential elements of democratic self-governance.

For him, academic freedom means freedom of speech, freedom of critical research, critical thinking. And 'members of academic institutions must be protected from military bullets'. He insisted that, in Latin America, in the higher education sector, there is another pandemic, linked to the COVID-19 one: precarious conditions for academics. 'We need more respect for higher education institutions for more democracy,' he stressed. He also warned about the increasing power of transnational organisations providing education services. This situation leads to issues such as surveillance of classrooms and a drastic reduction in the number of teachers, he said.

Union action able to safeguard academic freedom in Ghana

In Ghana, there is academic freedom and freedom of association, and students can study whatever they want to study, stressed Charles Ofosu Marfo, President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG). However, the Government tried to pass legislation that would have allowed it to interfere in universities' operations. Through strike and diverse actions, UTAG was able to force the Government to respect academic freedom and abandon the bill.

This respect for academic freedom and basic human and trade union rights does not exist in Eastern Africa, in countries like Sudan, Uganda, and Cameroon, he added, where it is safer to be cautious and not oppose the government views in order to avoid harassment and trouble.

'With the COVID-19 pandemic, we experience many challenges to teaching, in Ghana and throughout Africa,' he insisted. 'With no proper equipment, unstable electricity and Internet connection, we cannot provide quality education online.'

Solidarity with Myanmar & HK

In her concluding remarks, EI Deputy General Secretary, Haldis Holst, mentioned the 'thought-provoking' research by Anna Hogan and Ben Williamson, Pandemic Privatisation in Higher Education: Edtech & University Reform. 'We need to decide on how we, as the educators, should move forward to ensure that edtech is led by our profession,' she said.

Holst further said that 'recent cases in Hong Kong and Myanmar show that repressive regimes won’t let go of a chance to accuse academics and teachers to ‘influence’ their students’ minds with liberal/progressive ideas'. Also, in Turkey, institutional nominations have been bypassed by direct appointments and/or dismissals directly from the President.

Holst adjourned the meeting by calling for support for democracy in Myanmar and Hong Kong. In support, participants turned on their cameras and held up three fingers – a sign of solidarity in the protests in Myanmar. ◆

Education International

Watch the presentation of the full EI report at nteu.info/ei2021