Social Responsibility in Schools
Social responsibility in schools I
t’s often easy for schools to become mired in the day-to-day business of education, particularly in the target-driven culture which besets so many.
But many acknowledge the enormously important role they play in the communities they draw their pupils from, and never more so than in these times of economic challenge for millions. Education Today spoke to two such schools offering different, but complementary, approaches to raising pupil awareness of the importance of social responsibility, and in the process benefitting the wider communities they serve. For Moseley Secondary school in Birmingham, voluntary work and social responsibility is woven into the day-to-day life of the school. Many of its students come from tight- knit religious, cultural or ethnic communities in which extended family values are a vital support network. Perhaps this is one of the reasons they seem to excel at helping those around them. Head Teacher Craig Jansen joined Moseley in 2011 and set up a system of eight houses to boost peer-to-peer support and opportunities for pastoral leadership. He says: “Our students use their free time to volunteer at hospitals, food banks, peace talks, international diplomacy events, mentoring schemes, community events, heritage days… the list is endless. These young people are a real lesson to anyone who accuses teenagers of being selfish or uncaring. Having them in school boosts pupil morale and also increases our appeal as a destination for new students.”
Craig adds: “Undeniably, when children can measure their own successes by their impact on the world around them, not just their grades,
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it makes them happier, prouder and they feel empowered. This changes their attitudes to learning and teaches them how to become responsible, confident young people. We want them to be able to stand next to peers from more privileged backgrounds and know they are just as valuable to the world.”
Natasha Griffiths, Schools Worker for The Feast project (
www.thefeast.org.uk) says: “We clearly see a difference in the behaviour of pupils who have been given opportunities to help others. They develop a sense of pride when they see the real outcomes of their hard work - for example members of their community being able to eat thanks to the students’ collections for their local food bank. This sense of achievement reminds them they are a part of their community – a valuable part – and a power individual who is capable of changing the world around them for the better.”
Some of Moseley School’s recent projects Moseley Sixth Form student Ikara Hassan (below) volunteers at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and hopes to become a paediatric nurse. She says that talking to children who are so unwell, yet still have a positive outlook has humbled her.
Aged 14, Serjuntae Burgess (left) joined discussions at the King of Saudi Arabia’s International Centre for Interreligious and Cultural Dialogue in Vienna. She commented: “Just because I’m 14, doesn’t mean I can’t be responsible and mature in front of strangers.”
Mohammed Ishfaq and Zubair Ali (below) had tea, biscuits and political discourse with representatives from OneVoice, a group that teaches community mobilisation and conflict resolution. Discussing the Israel-Palestine situation with residents of both areas, the boys agreed: “Warring parties in the region need to recognise that everyone wants their own identity and any solution needs to allow this… Children need to be given the chance to discuss the important things in life in an open and friendly way.”
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