Alliance of Concerned Teachers

Alliance of Concerned Teachers
Name	Alliance of Concerned Teachers
Native name	Alliance of Concerned Teachers
Type	Teachers' organization
Founded	1980s
Headquarters	Philippines
Region served	Philippines

Alliance of Concerned Teachers The Alliance of Concerned Teachers is a Philippine nationwide teachers' organization involved in labor, social, and political activism. It engages with Philippine institutions such as the House of Representatives of the Philippines, the Supreme Court of the Philippines, and the Department of Education (Philippines) while interacting with international bodies including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the International Labour Organization. The group has been active in campaigns alongside trade unions, civil society groups, and student organizations.

History

Founded in the 1980s amid the aftermath of the Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos era and the People Power Revolution, the organization emerged from networks of educators linked to progressive movements in Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao City. Early founders and allied activists included teachers who had ties to organizations that worked with groups such as the Kilusan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, Bayan Muna, and sectors connected to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The organization expanded during the administrations of Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, Rodrigo Duterte, and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., adapting strategies to contend with policies from agencies like the Commission on Higher Education and laws such as the Education Act of 1982 and subsequent legislative measures debated in the Senate of the Philippines. Its history intersects with Philippine labor disputes, student protests at institutions such as the University of the Philippines, and human rights cases brought before institutions including the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.

Organization and Structure

The group's internal structure includes regional chapters across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao with local councils coordinating actions in provinces like Laguna, Bulacan, Pampanga, Iloilo, and Zamboanga del Norte. Leadership roles mirror those in civil society federations and trade unions, with elected convenors, secretaries, treasurers, and sectoral coordinators. It organizes through networks linked to organizations such as the Federation of Free Workers, the Kilusang Mayo Uno, and sectoral formations in city governments like Quezon City and provincial boards. Administrative functions interface with legal advocates who have litigated in venues like the Philippine Court of Appeals and the International Criminal Court for human rights matters involving educators.

Campaigns and Advocacy

The organization has mounted campaigns on teacher welfare, salary standardization tied to bills debated in the Philippine Congress, classroom resourcing referencing allocations from the Department of Budget and Management (Philippines), and opposition to policies associated with privatization efforts involving entities such as the Asian Development Bank and multilateral agencies. It has participated in protests and coalitions alongside groups like Gabriela, Anakbayan, Alyansa ng mga Bayaning Kabataan, and labor federations during national demonstrations at sites including Mendiola, Liwasang Bonifacio, and in dialogues with the Office of the President of the Philippines. Campaigns have included calls for curricular changes debated in the K to 12 Basic Education Program discussions and critiques of testing practices linked to agencies such as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Legal Challenges and Government Relations

The organization has faced legal actions including proscription attempts, surveillance complaints, and charges brought under statutes enforced by agencies like the Philippine National Police and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. It has sought remedies through the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, and engaged defense counsel who have appeared before bodies such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and international human rights mechanisms including the United Nations Human Rights Council. Relationships with local government units, mayors, governors, and legislators have varied across administrations, affecting access to schools administered by the Department of Education (Philippines) and interactions with education policy makers in forums like the Philippine Educational Research Association.

Membership and Activities

Membership draws from public school teachers, non-formal educators, student teachers from universities such as the University of the Philippines Diliman, Ateneo de Manila University, and De La Salle University, and retired educators connected to alumni networks at institutions like the Philippine Normal University. Activities include collective bargaining support, literacy programs conducted in barangays like those in Manila, disaster response coordination with agencies like the Philippine Red Cross, and participation in academic conferences at venues such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The organization runs training workshops involving resource persons from think tanks, legal aid clinics, and labor schools, and coordinates pickets, symposia, and solidarity missions with peasant groups like Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.

International Affiliations and Partnerships

Internationally, the organization has links with global teacher federations and solidarity networks including the Education International, the International Trade Union Confederation, and partnerships with non-governmental organizations active in the Southeast Asian region such as groups from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It has engaged with diplomatic missions, international aid organizations like the United Nations Children's Fund, and participated in cross-border forums alongside organizations from Australia, Japan, United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and South Korea to discuss labor rights, pedagogical exchange, and advocacy strategies.

Category:Teachers' organizations in the Philippines