Hand in hand with our neighbours

One of the core principles of Curriculum for Excellence is to ensure that Scotland's children and young people are prepared to live in a globalised world. They need to be equipped with a variety of skills that will serve them well in today's multicultural society.

Professor Kay Livingston, Director of International, Research and Innovation at LTS, believes that embedding global citizenship across the curriculum is the key to developing young people who are prepared for life and work in a global world.

Professor Livingston said: "At LTS we are committed to giving young people an understanding about what it means to be a global citizen."

Other leading organisations, such as the British Council and UNICEF, take a similar view. One very active in the field is Oxfam. Their curriculum adviser in Scotland, Anne Kane, said: "Oxfam's Education for Global Citizenship programme encourages children and young people to explore, develop and express their own values and opinions while listening and respecting other people's points of view.

"This is an important step towards them making informed choices as to how they exercise their own rights and their responsibilities to others.

"It is not restricted to one subject, but is instead designed to support the entire curriculum. Oxfam's 'Education for Global Citizenship - A Guide for Schools' sets out for discussion the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that we believe young people need to develop as Global Citizens.

"Oxfam's curriculum is about challenging stereotypes and allowing young people to develop their own ideas and beliefs on topical issues."

LTS have also created a wealth of resources to support a global perspective in the classroom.

One example is the partnership they have established with the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) to promote teaching and learning of Mandarin and Chinese culture within schools through Confucius Classrooms.

These Confucius Classrooms were established to allow schools and local authorities across Scotland to work together to develop closer links with the world's fastest growing economy and increase their understanding of other cultures.

LTS also organises regular professional development visits for teachers, giving them an important opportunity to learn from other education systems across the world. The Scottish Continuing International Professional Development programme (SCIPD) provides practitioners with the chance to reflect on the Scottish education system and to develop thinking and activities that directly impact on schools and pupils in Scotland.

Professor Livingston said: "Every visit is embedded within each individual teacher's professional development and addresses key aspects of Curriculum for Excellence. There is preparation before going, reflection on returning and a proactive approach to ensuring that change is embedded in practice."

What is global citizenship?

According to Oxfam, education for Global Citizenship is:

  • asking questions and developing critical thinking skills
  • equipping young people with knowledge, skills and values to participate as active citizens
  • acknowledging the complexities of global issues
  • revealing the global as part of everyday social life, whether in a small village or a large city
  • understanding how we relate to the environment and to each other as human beings.

While education for Global Citizenship is not:

  • too difficult for young children to understand
  • mostly or all about other places and peoples
  • telling people what to think and do
  • providing simple solutions to complex issues
  • an extra subject to cram into a crowded curriculum
  • about raising money for charity.
Issue 33
January 2010