Global learning and the school curriculum

The global society of today is one that children and young people are aware of but this has not been fully recognised by education policy-makers despite the efforts and activities of many civil society organisations and the enthusiasm of teachers. Since 2010 in England, a government-sponsored programme, the Global Learning Programme, has been a conscious attempt to equip children and young people with the knowledge and skills to not only understand but actively engage with global issues. This programme is beginning to show the value of a ‘whole school’ approach in terms of increasing not only knowledge and understanding about the wider world but putting themes such as social justice and concern for the environment as key themes of a child’s learning.