What is Global Education?
“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise”. Earth Charter, 2002.
Global Education is a term that describes a process of education that enables people to understand the links between their own lives and those of people throughout the world. It is education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world, and encourages bringing about a world of greater justice, equity and human rights for all. Global Education includes many dimensions and concepts. Some of these include:
- Multi-cultural studies
- Diversity
- Human Rights
- Environment and sustainability education
- Peace and conflict studies
- Development education
- Citizenship
- Futures Education
Global Education is about the acquisition of skills and knowledge. It is also about the development of social skills and creativity, and of values and attitudes. The processes of global education can be infused through all curriculum areas. Global Education enables people to:
- Develop skills, knowledge, attitudes and values, which enable people to engage with positive action.
- Work towards achieving a more sustainable and just world in which power and resourcesare more equitably shared.
- Reflect on the links between our own lives and the lives of others, and how our actions affect others.
- Increase awareness of both current and historical global issues, and potential future issues.
In addition to the above, teaching and learning from a global education perspective can help to develop the following skills:
- Information skills: the ability to find and record information from various sources, distinguish different points of view and present information clearly.
- Critical thinking: being able to evaluate the quality, relevance and priority of information.
- Communication: the ability to listen, and the ability to describe and explain one’s ideas and decisions in a variety of ways and with a variety of other people.
- Decision making and problem solving: weighing up the relevance, validity and implications of alternative solutions to issues or problems.
- Social skills: expressing ones views and feelings clearly and considerately to others, to authorities and to members of cultures other than ones own.
There are three main parts to Global Education pedagogy, sometimes referred to as the ‘3 A’s’. These are Awareness, Analysis and Action. We have to keep in mind that lots of people have not thought about issues of globalisation, trade or poverty, amongst others, and so raising awareness is the first step. Once there is some awareness about an issue analysis
can occur – who, where, when, how and what.
Analysing a global issue can be complex because there are often various and competing perspectives. It is not always possible to say what is right or wrong in association with a global issue, and therefore the ability to research and analyse are critical.Some issues can also be controversial and contentious.
Once the information is assembled and considered, how to take action is the next step. This becomes a component of practicing active citizenship. Active citizenship is about being involved in community activities and campaigns both within and beyond the school community, in support of global justice, human rights and a sustainable future. As George Bernard Shaw once said, ”We are made wise not by our recollections of the past but by our responsibilities for the future”.
LINKS
www.dea.org.uk
www.globaldimension.org.uk
www.globaleducation.edna.edu.au
