THE ASEAN COUNCIL OF TEACHERS
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Since ASEAN was founded as an organization of the five South East Asia countries, leaders of teachers’ association in ASEAN countries thought over the possibility of forming an organization with a view to enable them to foster concepts and aims of ASEAN, especially on the field of education and culture. It aims at further promoting closer relationship between teachers in ASEAN countries.
On the initiative of World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP), a seminar participated by the representatives of teachers’ association of ASEAN member countries was held in Kuala Lumpur, from 6th to 10th December 1976. The theme for seminar was “Role of Teachers Organizations in FIVE ASEAN Countries in Promoting the Philosophy and Concept as well as the aims and Objectives of ASEAN”.
The topics discussed in the seminar were as follows:
1) The Philosophy and Concept of ASEAN.
2) ASEAN Today – an assessment.
3) ASEAN and the ESCAP Region.
4) ASEAN and Global Community With Special Emphasis on the United Nations.
5) The Role of Teachers’ Organizations in Promoting the Philosophy and Concept of ASEAN.
In WCOTP ASEAN Regional Conference held in Baguio City, Philippines on 5 May 1977, a meeting was held with the representative of teachers’ associations from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. A discussion of the possibility of founding one forum of teachers’ association of ASEAN was set up.
In the essence of the discussion, all participants came to an agreement to form the association and decided to have a further discussion in a meeting to be held in Jakarta while the members were attending WCOTP World Assembly of Delegates.
On 31 July 1978 the chairman of the delegates of teachers’ associations of ASEAN member countries, attending the 1978 WCOTP World Assembly of Delegates, held a special and separate meeting in Jakarta. The thirteen teachers’ associations of ASEAN countries had found a common need for having one real and formal teachers’ association of ASEAN countries.
The meeting decided that the association was aimed at realizing and fostering the philosophy, the concept and aims of ASEAN. It was also decided that then nest meeting was held in Singapore in November 1978. The program were to decide the name of the association, to discuss the structure of the organization, the aims and the executive committee, and to work out activities of the association, and so forth.
Further to the meeting held in Jakarta, an ASEAN teachers’ association meeting was held in Singapore on 23 November 1978. The principal decisions are as follows:
1) Name of the teachers’ association of the five ASEAN countries is ASEAN Council of Teachers (ACT).
2) ACT should be a flexible and loose federation of teachers’ organization in the ASEAN countries.
3) The aims of ACT are set as
a. To cooperate with the members in realizing the philosophy and aims of ASEAN as well the spirit and culture of the nations in this region.
b. To foster and cooperate with ASEAN countries in the common projects and programs and sharing mutual interests in the fields of teaching, education, science and culture.
c. To foster the development of educational activities directed towards the achievement of aims and aspiration of ASEAN.
4) The ACT secretariat shall be administered * by turns by each of the five ASEAN countries. The teachers’ associations of each country shall be responsible to serve for one year.
5) At the beginning stage, in the organizing development, ACT shall conduct activities such as goodwill tours, sports, conventions, meetings, seminars and cultural festivals.
6) The activities mentioned above are not only to be participated by the leaders of each organization bust all teachers in ASEAN countries as well.
7) The teachers associations participating in the activities mentioned in point (5) shall bear the participants’ expense.
8) A local association of teachers shall be responsible for raising fund to finance the association and may contact foundation, local as well as international agency, provided it has binding agreements.
9) ACT meetings are held whenever needed. They can be held on the occasion where activities organized my international institutions are attended by teachers’ association of ASEAN.
10) Singapore Teachers’ Union was designated as chairman and responsible for the office of ACT Secretariat for the 1978/1979 term office.
11) The principal ACT activity in this term was to hold the first Convention in Bangkok for the four days in 1979. KHURUSAPHA, the Teachers Council of Thailand was the host and organizing committee.
In the World Congress of International Federation Free Teachers Union (IFFTU) held in Manila, 15th to the 22nd December 1978, the delegates of teachers associations of the five ASEAN countries had an opportunity to hold a meeting on 20th December 1978. This ASEAN delegates discussed again the decision in Singapore on 23rd November 1978 and further programs of ACT. The participants emphasized the necessity of publishing aims and activities held by ACT. The first effort made was that Convention held for four days in Bangkok.
Negara Brunei Darussalam became the sixth member in December 1985.
Since the first Convention of 1979, the key words representing ACT’s concern are Solidarity, Awareness, Development, Cooperation, Change, and Value Education, as can be seen in the themes chosen through the years.
OBJECTIVES
To collaborate in the work of advancing mutual knowledge and understanding related to ASEAN philosophy and activities as well as to the ASEAN people’s spirit and culture:
To promote and collaborate within the ASEAN countries joint projects and program of mutual benefit concerning teachers, education, science and culture: and
To assist members in the development of educational activities which focus on promoting the aims and ideals of ASEAN.
Conventions and Theme(s)
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Year
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1996
1999
2000
2002
2004
2005
*2009
*2009
2010
*2012
*2012
2013
2014
Venue
Bangkok, Thailand
Manila, Philippines
Jakarta, Indonesia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore
Bangkok, Thailand
Bandar, Brunei
Manila, Philippines
Jakarta, Indonesia
Penang, Malaysia
Singapore
Chiangmai, Thailand
Bali, Indonesia
Manila, Philippines
Bandar, Brunei
Sarawak, Malaysia
Singapore
Chiangmai, Thailand
Hanoi, Vietnam
Brunei Darussalam
Langkawi, Malaysia
Jakarta, Indonesia
Singapore
Thailand
Hanoi, Vietnam
Philippines
Brunei
Bali, Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Themes
Towards Solidarity Among ASEAN Teachers Organizations
Educational and social awareness for Solidarity Among ASEAN Teachers organizations
The Role of Teachers As Agents of Development
Towards Cooperation in Education in ASEAN
Education and Social Change
Teaching Profession in the Next Decade: ASEAN Contexts
Education for Nation Building
Education for Peace and ASEAN Cooperation
Values Education for National Resiliencies of ASEAN Countries
Towards Excellence in Schools
Towards the 21st Century : The Challenges Ahead
Then Implementation of the Policy on Environmental Education
Globalisation and Its Impact on Development
ASEAN Education Towards a Common Destiny
Meeting the Needs of Development, Conserving then Value of culture
Social Justice and Peace Through Education
Today’s Education for Tomorrow’s World
Education for Sustainable Development
ASEAN Education in the 21st Century: Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions
Empowering Teachers Through Information and Communication Technology
LACT-
Co-
ASEAN Educators Uniting for Quality Education
Sustainable Environment Education for Quality of Life
Response to the Economic Crisis for the Sustainable Development of Education
ASEAN Educators: Rising Above Challenging Times
Enhancing Quality Education Towards the Realization of ASEAN Community 2014
ASEAN Community 2015: Teacher Professionalism for Quality Education and Humanity
Enhancing Quality Education Through Culturalization Within The ASEAN Community
Professional Development of Teachers in ASEAN for Quality Education
