Global CitizenshipGlobal Citizenship

Dr Les JamesDr Les James

The University of ReadingThe University of Reading

“give pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to lead confident, healthy, independent lives and to become informed, active responsible citizens” The National Curriculum. Handbook for primary teachers (QCA/99/457)

“Citizenship helps children to develop as members of school, local, regional, national and global communities. It is concerned with issues of right and wrong, rights and responsibilities, fairness, rules and laws, power and authority, equality and difference, communities and identities, democracy, conflict and cooperation.”

Teacher’s Guide for Citizenship, QCA, 2002, pg. 3

Global citizenship involves:•“An awareness of the wider world and a global

citizen has a sense of their own role;•Respecting and valuing diversity;

•Understanding how the world works economically, politically, socially, culturally, technologically and

environmentally;•Participating in and contributing to the community

at a range of levels from the local to the global;•A willingness to act to make the world a more

equitable and sustainable place;•Taking responsibility for their actions”.

(Oxfam, 1997, p.2).

“Global citizenship education provides (ITTE) students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to understand their rights and responsibilities as global citizens”

“Geography has great potential for developing global citizenship through its strong focus on the study of places”

(Walkington, 1999, pgs. 2,11)

The National Curriculum Council’s objectives in Education for Citizenship: Curriculum Guidance 8 stressed similarities and differences between peoples, i.e. diversity and interdependence as well as noting the significance of opinion and bias together with positive attitudes and respect for different cultures.

NCC, 1990

Global citizenship involves actively exercising one’s rights and responsibilities as a global citizen. According to Oxfam a global citizen is a person who:•“is aware of the wider world and has a sense of their own role as a world citizen• respects and values diversity• has an understanding of how the world works economically, politically, socially, culturally, technologically and environmentally• is outraged by social injustice• participates in and contrbutes to the community at a range of levels from the local to the global• is willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place• takes responsibility for their actions”.Oxfam 1997, pg. 2

Helen Walkington, Global Citizenship Education

A progression in aims.