By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The effects of HIV/AIDS on the teaching profession world-wide is one of the main topics on the agenda of the World Confederation of Teachers gathering, which starts tomorrow in Spain. Namibia’s teaching fraternity will be officially represented at the 6-day congress by two executive members of the Teachers Union of Namibia (TUN) – its president Gert Jansen and his deputy, Schanville Mackrill. “We are delighted to have been invited to the conference as a de facto non-political and independent registered Namibian teachers’ union. My colleague and I are looking forward to making sensible and constructive inputs on all education matters, including our own education setup to the conference,” said Jansen yesterday. Delegates from around the world will attend the four-yearly congress, taking place in Seville, Spain until next Sunday. According to the agenda, a number of seminars will be held throughout the week specifically focusing on education in Africa, discussions on guidelines for the eradication of poverty, the effects of HIV/AIDS on the teaching profession and democracy world-wide as part of the World Confederation of Teachers plans for the next five years. The African continent will be represented by representatives from South Africa, Namibia, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and a number of French-speaking west-African countries. The last world conference to which TUN was also invited took place in the year 2000 in Bulgaria.