CITIZENSHIP
Research shows that employers prize ‘global fluency’ above
degrees and A levels. Tom Franklin from education charity Think Global considers why this is becoming more and more crucial for our students
young people most need to succeed in today’s world of work. Studying the final report from the poll, entitled The
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Global Skills Gap: Preparing young people for the new global economy, I was in for a surprise. the report showed that business leaders agree with teachers and parents in calling for young people to have “global fluency” skills. respondents almost unanimously agreed that it is
crucial for schools to help young people “think” more globally and to live more sustainable lives. they even say that global understanding is more important than qualifications. But maybe I should not have been surprised. Most
businesses face the direct impacts of globalisation. If they are not selling into world markets, they are buying products or services, competing or collaborating
Union address: ASCL Under pressure
Despite all that has been achieved,
pressure on school leaders is growing with many feeling bullied and treated with contempt, says Brian Lightman
“I want us to do more for our children. they deserve the best education we can provide. they only have one chance to get a good education.” Is there a teacher or school leader in the country
who could disagree with these aspirations? So why is it that our mailboxes have been flooded with messages venting palpable anger at the author of these words – the chief inspector of schools? the answer is simple. School leaders and staff
have been working tirelessly with very considerable success to raise standards in our schools and they are deeply aggrieved at the allegation that many of them tolerate mediocrity or even are not up to the job. Many of those teams have made substantial
or even spectacular progress with their schools. Others have made significant but smaller steps against massive odds. Some have brought about improvements in the context of immense and often heavily funded support. Others have been less well supported but have nevertheless achieved great things. a much smaller number have made very disappointing progress often in the context of significant challenge. Despite all that has been achieved, pressure on the
leaders of all of these schools is
growing.as a trade union, in the last year our member support team has assisted hundreds of senior leaders whose jobs have been threatened by a heavy handed approach to accountability. Successful heads are telling me that they feel bullied and treated with contempt – hardly words that describe the government’s “high status profession”. One of the most important aspects of a head’s
role is looking over the horizon, setting out and relentlessly promoting the vision for the school. I am becoming increasingly concerned that the torrent of announcements is actually preventing heads from maintaining this overview. no sooner have they briefed staff about one inspection framework than they are told that the goalposts are moved. Before they have finished celebrating a top grade in an inspection, they are told that they are no longer as good as they thought they were. Goodness only knows what parents will make of all of this. all of this calls into question the credibility of
our inspection service. the idea of changing an inspection framework which has only been in place for a matter of weeks is outrageous regardless of the merits of any
proposals.any leadership team which managed change in such a chaotic way would be slated in any inspection, and rightly so. It is quite extraordinary that one of those
changes, the re-inspection of schools designated as outstanding, actually brings into question the purpose of legislation which has only just passed through a lengthy parliamentary process. I am fearful about the morale of school leaders.
too many senior leaders are telling me that they are thinking twice about going for the top job and too many successful, hard-working headteachers are telling us that they have had enough and want to get out. One of the reasons why I became general
secretary of this union after 16 years of headship was because I know what a wonderful and important job it is and I want to send that message out loud and clear to our very best graduates as they choose their career paths. there is no other profession where you can make such a difference to the life chances of young people and there is nothing more satisfying than watching those young people overcome barriers which are sometimes immense. and with unprecedented economic challenges
and levels of youth unemployment we have never needed to pull together more as a society to help our future generations have a chance in life. If our education service is to have any hope
of being “world-class” all of those who have a role in leading our system need to start treating its professionals with respect. Only then can they dare to use the phrase “high status”.
• Brian Lightman is general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. Visit
www.ascl.org.uk
internationally. and the uK’s multicultural society permeates all aspects of working life. Business leaders have an eye to the bottom line
and they recognise that “globally fluent” employees are good for business. Beyond the profit motive, they have wider concerns too. Many businesses leaders are also parents, who want their children to have the skills to help them operate in a globalised society and cope
with an uncertain future. they recognise that global challenges require the next generation of leaders to “think” in a global way. the sense of urgency for this kind of education was
expressed by the government’s chief scientific advisor, Sir John Beddington, in the Foresight report. He said starkly that if we are to prevent “the capacity of the earth to produce food for humankind (from being) compromised with grave implications for future food security … consideration of sustainability must be introduced to all sectors in education … building a societal consensus for action will be key to modifying demand”. I believe that such a consensus is starting to build.
It makes sense to foster the agency in children to make informed daily decisions throughout their lives and to understand that their choices have consequences that will impact upon the future they inherit. Other research with different groups backs this idea
of a growing consensus. teachers’attitudes to Global Learning’ Ipsos MOrI teachers are highly supportive. nearly all teachers say that schools should prepare pupils to deal with a fast-changing and globalised world (although a smaller proportion believe that the current school system does this). they also say that teaching which contributes to
making the world a better place motivates them to stay in the profession. However, some teachers are not confident to teach about complex global issues, which may explain the gap between the need perceived and that fulfilled. the overwhelming majority of parents of school-
age children think it is important that schools teach about global issues. Only a handful say schools should do less. Young people also want to learn more about the world and 90 per cent of the public agree it is a good idea. with all this consensus what can teachers do and
how can they fit it around the priority accorded to attainment? and does teaching children about global issues actually help to make the world a better place? Impact research says it does. adults who received
a global education when they were young are more likely by half to feel that they can do something about climate change, support theuK’s role in tackling global poverty, and nurture socially responsible, outward- looking attitudes. they are twice as likely to be interested in getting involved in positive social action. Global learning
Fact Box
The Global Skills Gap report polls 500 business leaders and was commissioned by the British Council and Think Global. It found that: • Ninety-three per cent of businesses think it is important for schools to help young people develop the ability to think globally. Only two per cent think they should do less.
• Nine out of 10 businesses feel schools should do more to help young people to learn to lead more sustainable lives.
• Three out of four businesses fear that the UK will be left behind by emerging countries unless young people learn to think more globally.
• Three out of four businesses are worried that young people’s horizons are not broad enough to operate in a globalised and multicultural economy.
• In recruiting new employees, more employers (79 per cent) say knowledge and awareness of the wider world is important than those who say the following are important: degree subject and classification, A level results, or A level subjects.
also counteracts discomfort about racial and religious difference. research suggests that the most effective way
to bring global issues to young people is through classroom teaching. Hundreds of resources, lesson plans and activity kits exist to help you do that. think Global runs a resource bank for teachers of all ages and subjects to help bring a Global Dimension into schools. we vet resources so you have reassurance that they meet clear criteria and fit into the curriculum. teachers can also join the free think Global Schools network and receive twice termly up-dates with news, giveaways and ideas for teaching about emerging global issues. In a survey of teachers experienced in using global
leaning, 99 per cent said that it fosters academic attainment by increasing motivation. the same proportion felt that learning about issues such as poverty and climate change increase overall interest. More than two-thirds said it improved behaviour. we know that it can be hard to find the time to
focus on global issues, but it is time well spent. In the words of Ofsted, learning about global issues leads to “more positive attitudes to learning in general, better behaviour and attendance, and to improved standards and achievement”.
SecEd
• Tom Franklin is the CEO of the education charity, Think Global.
Further information
research reports referenced in this article include: • The Global Skills Gap: Preparing young people for the new global economy (ICM).
• The Impact of Global Learning on Public Attitudes and Behaviours (Ipsos MOrI).
• Teachers’ Attitudes to Global Learning (Ipsos MOrI). • What Parent’s Want (YouGov). • Young People’s Experiences of Global Learning (Ipsos MOrI).
• Cultivating a Global Outlook (International Baccalaureate and think Global).
You can find all of the above research on the think
Global website at
www.think-global.org.uk (click on the resources section). If you would like to find out more or to get support
to teach about global issues, visit the Global Dimension website
www.globaldimension.org.uk and join the free think Global Schools network.
OnCern aBOut students’ grasp of the “three rs” is so frequently the focus of headlines that I half- wondered if it would also dominate the results of think Global’s recent ICM business poll asking 500 business leaders what they think
Global fluency
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SecEd • March 1 2012
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