13 days ago we had Ellen Gould of the Council of Canadians speak in Seattle about the GATS 2000 proposals regarding int'l trade in services. Her talk would scare the p**s out of any public sector worker/union that heard it. It's open season on the civil service, folks. Everything from professional accreditation [teachers, physicians-but not laywers] to who reads your tax forms would become open to bidding on the part of any company on the globe that had access to the contractor provisions-which must be provided by every member government of the WTO. Medical records--think Iceland--would be pried open under GATS rules for extensive commodification by insurance industries, hospital administrators etc. Ms Gould's paper will be available shortly--hopefully on the Web--'till then take a look at http://www.wto.org/wto/services/services.htm ian > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Bill Rosenberg > Sent: Saturday, September 25, 1999 6:57 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [PEN-L:11699] Re: WTO meetings > > > A discussion paper on the effect of such agreements on tertiary > education (focusing on New Zealand) is available at > > http://www.aus.ac.nz/papers/brpaper.htm > > Bill Rosenberg > > > Date: Sat, 25 Sep 1999 15:03:26 -0500 > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: [PEN-L:11690] WTO meetings > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Priority: normal > > > In parallel with the recent thread on the IMF, WB and other > > international agenies advancing US imperialism, the following > > appeared in the Can Assn of Univ Teachers Newspaper, "The > > Bulletin" in the latest edition. > > > > New Trade Rules Target Education > > > > CAUT Bulletin, > > September 1999 > > > > Education unions and associations are warning that new rules being > > considered by the World Trade Organization will lead to the further > > subordination of post -secondary education to the dictates of > > private corporations. > > Critics are pointing to a document prepared by the WTO in the run- > > up to next year's millennium round of negotiations which identifies > > post- secondary education as a potentially lucrative new market > > ripe for exploitation. > > Citing with praise the growth of branch campuses, "virtual edu > > cation" and the international marketing of curricula and academic > > programs, the WTO paper notes that trade in post-secondary > > education services has exploded in recent years. In 1996 alone, US > > exports of higher education services reached $7 billion, making it > > the country's fifth largest service sector export. > > Nevertheless, the WTO argues that the continued growth of this > > market is being hampered by a number of so-called barriers to trade > > in the sector. Private companies seeking to establish a commercial > > presence abroad may be restricted by limitations in many countries > > on the operation of private universities and colleges. Where > > private institutions are permitted, the WTO maintains they may > > still face other barriers. In some nations, students enrolled in > > private universities and colleges may not qualify for financial > > assistance or even, according to the WTO, subsidized bus passes. > > The paper asserts that these regulations not only constitute re > > strictive trade practices, but also prevent "innovation" within > > uni versities and colleges. The WTO praises a number of nations for > > moving toward "greater market responsiveness" and "corporatization" > > of public universities which "increase competition and encourage > > investor and corporate participation in the education sector." > > "There is a lot of pressure mounting to open up post-secondary > > education in Canada and other countries to increased privatization > > and commercialization," said CAUT executive director Jim Turk. "That > > clashes head-on with those of us committed to quality > > publicly-funded education." > > Education International, representing 294 educational unions and > > associations worldwide, is also expressing concern about the WTO > > initiative."Given the existence of huge disparities between > > countries, is the idea of placing national education systems in a > > competitive situation not tantamount to selling out the education > > system in the weakest countries to a handful bf large transnational > > corporations?" El asked in response to the WTO discussion paper. > > El notes that the import of higher education services by South-East > > > > Asia gives some idea of the harmful consequences which trade > > liberalization will have: "increased dependence on foreign > > educational resources, acculturation caused by the use of a foreign > > language for teaching, a tendency to the standardization of > > education, and a curtailment of sovereignty." > > WTO members, including Canada, are to meet in Seattle in > > November. > > > > > > >
