The right approach: ‘Learning to unlearn’ the charity mentality within schools

Jen Simpson, guest keynote speaker.
Jen Simpson qualified as a primary teacher working in schools in Bradford and Leeds, later joining Cheshire Development Education Centre (CDEC Developing Global Learning) as an Education Officer. In 2014 she was appointed as a Local Advisor for the Global Learning Programme (GLP) for Cheshire and Merseyside. This role involved engaging with educators and schools across Cheshire and Merseyside, delivering support and training for teachers within GLP Expert Centres and raising general awareness of the importance and educational value of global learning in schools. She is also trained to Level 3, Advanced Facilitator in Philosophy for Children (P4C), a passion which she has developed over many years and led to a new role in 2017 as Assistant National Training Manager for SAPERE, the Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education. Her research interests centre around: pedagogy; pupil articipation; social justice; and considering methods for influencing teachers’ practice and enjoyment in teaching. Jen is currently completing another GLP Innovation Fund study commissioned by the University College London (UCL), Institute of Education on ‘Participatory Pedagogy’ within the classroom to engage pupil voice, enhance agency and alter classroom dynamics. Jen is giving an input at the symposium today in light of a paper she wrote for Policy and Practice Development Education Review Autumn 2017 entitled ‘Learning to Unlearn’ the Charity Mentality within Schools.

‘Learning to Unlearn’: Educators hold a potentially pivotal role in promoting a just and sustainable world for current and future generations. However, in reality, for many schools and educators global learning begins with charity and fundraising and does not reach beyond this ‘charity mentality’. This limitation to learning has the potential to distort people’s perceptions of other countries or peoples, particularly those in the global South. The aim of the research discussed within this article was to explore the potential of one of the six aims of the Global Learning Programme (GLP) - a schools’ programme in the UK that aims to enhance global learning in the classroom - to move educators from a ‘charity mentality’ towards a ‘social justice mentality’. It also sought to assess the extent that a social justice perspective might impact on teachers’ approach to their practice to ensure a more equitable educational response to global issues.