Learning journey – Glasgow - Constantly Renewing
Exercises and facilitator’s tips
Facilitator’s tip - Before you start: Participants should be encouraged to keep
their own learning portfolio either on paper in a ring binder or in an electronic format.
Either can be used to gather and link this learner experience to the learners’
achievements. It is a place the learner keeps copies of worksheets, exercises,
insights, reflections, research, images presentations - or other material they collect or
develop during the learner journey. There is no fixed format and
facilitators/teachers should use their own experience and tools for this purpose.
Where group work is being used individuals should still be encouraged to reflect
individually. This journey is designed for work in groups where discussion is possible
and complex tasks can be shared.
There is no set format for this and facilitators/teachers should use their own
experience and tools to support learners for this purpose. Where learners are
working in groups they should still be encouraged to reflect individually.
Smartboard or digitised flipchart content should be made available to learners for
their portfolios where possible and they should be encouraged to capture links,
images, film clips etc and share these with each other where appropriate. .
Learning experience A: The Changing face of Scotland
Exercise One
Look at the press report in the stimulus box and discuss the issues raised in a
small group for 20 - 30 mins. Try to think about the following questions.



What are the main issues which the report is highlighting
What do you think they might mean for Scotland?
Can you see what role migration is playing in this?
Facilitator’s tip – The article is designed to introduce learners to looking at how
population trends are analysed, reported and interpreted. It is designed to create the
conditions for some discussion of.
 The implications of population growth.
 The implications of changes in the age of the population for its economic and
social stability.
 Whether migration is a positive or a negative influence.
Exercise Two – Part One - Push and pull Factors
Look at the links below which help us begin to understand the reasons for
migration
Push and Pull factors
Seeking sanctuary
Individually look at three other websites using a search for push and pull factors in
migration and see if these suggest any other kinds of push and pull factors.
Now In your group discuss the push and pull factors from the websites and see if you
can think of any more. Produce a graphic representation of this on a flipchart or
Smartboard or other format and record these in your learning portfolio.
Facilitator’s tip – This exercise is designed to help learners think about the
reasons why people may feel compelled to leave their homes and travel to another
Country. You should encourage them to think creatively and systematically about
this. Given the Commonwealth focus of the LJ you could explore the extent that
history, language and familiarity with customs such as driving rules or weights and
measures - might play as pull factors.
Part Two - Citizenship – There is a common misconception that gaining
leave to remain n the UK or British Citizenship is easy, this is not the case.
Whatever the route into the UK. British Citizenship is not an automatic right.
Conduct a Google search for Eligibility for British Citizenship – to view the
complex arrangements for different kinds of migrants.
Parts of the arrangements involve passing a Citizenship test. Try taking the
test at the link below.
Becoming a citizen
Discuss in your group




What you thought was involved in achieving British Citizenship.
Whether you think that the barriers to ahieving leave to remain or British
Citizenship are reasonable.
Whether you think that people could be successful without advocacy support..
What you thought of the Citizenship test.
Facilitator’s tip – This exercise does not require detailed study of the various
paths to Citizenship it is designed to provide learners’ with some basic
insights into the complexity and challenging nature of the process and the
strong views that this provokes.
Exercise Three – Now do some research
Look at the following the following links from the Useful Resources box. to
explore Scotland’s complex relationship with the Empire/Commonwealth and
the migration issues which link Scotland to the Commonwealth and other
parts of the world,
Commonwealth video
Migration timeline
Why Scots left for Empire
Migration and empire
Scotland Immigrants - in song
EU Migration to Scotland
Now discuss the following questions in your group.



Did Scots emigrating to the Empire share any characteristics with migrants
coming to Scotland?
Do you see any moral or ethical issues arising from this?
Do you see differences between economic migration and the needs of asylum
seekers seeking sanctuary from persecution?
Try making a Who Do You Think You Are style documentary with members of your
group exploring their migration history. You could either
 Do this as a group storytelling exercise where members share their stories
with each other.
 Use video cameras or camera phones to capture these stories told by
learners themselves or their family members
 Write the stories down on paper or in word files.
Facilitator’s Tip – This exercise is designed to help learners explore the difficult
issues associated with migration. It draws parallels between the experience of push
and pull factors between the Scottish Diaspora and migrants leaving their homes to
come to Scotland. Promote. It also hints at contradictions such as the probable role
of Scots emigrants in the exploitation of migrants who then seek a better life in
Britain.
These perspectives on the ethics of migration and this asylum policy ethical guide
video clip may help with this exercise and the also in facilitating some of the issues in
exercise four
Exercise Four – Debating the issues
Immigration and migration generally provoke strong personal and political
responses which are echoed in social policy and have impacts in society and
on the lives of prospective migrants. This exercise explores elements of the
social policy debate affecting migration to Scotland and its impact on the
Country. Using the following links, explore some of the issues which currently
influence the immigration debate in Scotland.
Up to date figures
Scottish Voices on migration from outside the EU
These are recent figures from the Scottish Census, The final link is a 14min video of
Scottish opinion on a government consultation on changes to the Immigration rules
which make access to the UK from non EU migrants much more difficult – including
those from Commonwealth countries. It also captures quite a broad cross section of
support for migration and the experiences of migrants more generally.
In your groups, look at the following questions.


What do the Census figures tell us about the Scotland’s population?
What are the key arguments for and against immigration as a means of
stabilising the population? Particularly by bringing in younger people of
taxpaying age. Jointly produce a PowerPoint presentation based on your
discussions.


What do group members think of these arguments?
What other information would be helpful in coming to conclusions?
.
Use other techniques to encourage learners to explore the issues eg develop and
deliver a PowerPoint presentation which each group can share with each other and
use this to contrast their views.
Facilitator’s Tip – This exercise is designed to give learners an opportunity to
explore their own individual and collective views about current debates in migration
policy in Scotland. In this sense there are no right or wrong answers. It is expected
however, that tutors/ facilitators will guide learners in line with Scottish and UK
commitments to international treaties on Human Rights and other matters and
national policy on immigration and equality. It is also expected that the values of the
Scotland Against Racism campaign will be promoted over the course of this leaner
journey including in this exercise.
Learning experience B: Experiences of settling in Scotland
The material generated from worksheets in this learning experience should be
added to the learning portfolio for the Learner Journey as a whole.
Exercise One – How welcoming is Scotland?
In discussion in the wider group answer the following questions.




How welcoming is Scotland to migrants?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed people doing things to help
and support migrants?
Have you ever experienced or witnessed discrimination or racism
against migrants?
What do you think influences attitudes to migrants in Scotland?
Facilitator’s Tips – This discussion I designed to encourage learners to test the
received wisdom of Scotland as a country which is always welcoming. You may find
that this article from the Migration Observatory will help you to frame and facilitate
exploration of attitudes to immigration and this report from the Institute for Public
Policy Research (IPPR) for attitudes to asylum. You should also be aware of the
need to be sensitive if you have members of minorities who may have been victims
of inappropriate behaviour. It may be useful to brief such participants ion advance
and be prepared to offer support if painful or traumatic issues arise. This includes
reassuring participants that they should not talk about things which make them
uncomfortable. This issue could also be addressed by working with the group to
develop a set of ground rules covering this and other discussion exercises.
Exercise two – Researching Migrant Experience
You should work in pairs. Select two of the migrant groups from the list of
links in the useful resources box. Now explore these links and discuss the
results with your partner and produce a summary using the following headings





Migrant Group
Timeframe
Push factors
Pull factors
Migrant experiences,
Display your results on a flipchart and share these with the rest of the group to
build up a display of different migrant experiences using whatever materials
and methods you wish. In the wider group answer the following questions.


Can you see any emerging patterns in the way people have been
treated?
Can you see common patterns in the things which provoke negative
attitudes to different migrants?
Facilitator’s Tips This exercise is designed to look patterns in the experience of
migrants and the factors which may influence these. Using the links in the previous
tutors tip you may want to identify prompts such as.
 Could competition for work be an issue/
 Were their political developments eg elections, wars which affected public
attitudes
 How much did lack of knowledge of other cultures play a part?
Exercise three – Getting to grips with policy ideas
How migrants are treated is affected by bigger philosophical and theoretical
approaches to how our society operates. This is a highly contested area of
thinking with a direct impact on immigration policy, how public services are
planned and deployed and the expectations we have of new and existing
community members.
Central to this is how we achieve a balance between preserving what is
distinct in migrant cultures and also create bridges which contribute to a
common identity as Scots or British people. This debate is related to how we
define and interpret the concept of multiculturalism.

Take some time to look at the two links below from the useful
resources box related to multiculturalism.
Multiculturalism Definition and related topics Once you have read the general
Wikipedia definition follow the links to the UK section of the site and the
backlash section within this. Then look at three other definitions available on
the web and compare these.
Multiculturalism – Views of pros and cons Now look at this link with different
commentators providing a perspective on its pros and cons. In your group
answer the following questions.




What are the core aspects of multiculturalism?
What are the different ways in which it has been interpreted?
Why do you think this difference in interpretation has developed?
What are the day to day implications for migrants?
Facilitator’s Tips – This is a highly complex and contested area of policy but one
which is fundamental to migrants rights and responsibilities in the UK. You should
familiarise yourself with the material in the links and encourage learners to do
research on the issue in a Scottish Context.



Get to grips with the basic definitions and interpretations – and begin to form
there own plan to explore these further.
Try to highlight and interpret what the different contributors are saying
Encourage learners to think how the interpretation of these ideas will affect
work to support diversity ie Who gets funding, what activities are viewed as
valuable..
Exercise Four – Racism and discrimination – Migrants will
experience racism and discrimination as part of their migrant journey and this
will have a major impact on their life chances. Understanding and accepting
that racism exists is a part of the Scottish landscape is an important aspect of
being able to combat it.
Look at the links below which describes levels of racist crime in Scotland
which shows a steady increase particularly against visible minorities.
In you group research the following three questions using the web and you’re
your own experience if appropriate.



What do we mean by the terms racism, discrimination and
prejudice?
Identify three actions which the Scottish government is taking to
combat each of these these?
For each one identify two additional actions which you think could help
migrant communities based on your understanding of the issues which
affect them.
Facilitator’s Tips – The purpose of this exercise is to ensure that learners
understand these critical barriers to achieving fairness and a more equal society for
minorities from Mirant backgrounds. The final question is to encouraging them to
become more pro-active in identifying ideas which could help deal with the issues.
Some prompts which you could use are.







What could be done to challenge the way that people think about these
issues?
What could be done to heighten people understanding of each other?
What could be done to maximise a sense of shared purpose?
What needs to be done to combat hidden attitudes in access to work,
services and other opportunities?
How can we promote equality of opportunity and of outcome?
How can we protect vulnerable groups?
How do we ensure that justice is available to those suffering racism or
discrimination?
Some links which may assist teachers or facilitators are
Scotland - No Place for Racism
Coalition for Equality and Rights
Learning experience C – Developing diversity
The rational for this LE is straightforward, to help learners consider what
needs to be done to make the policies and strategies to promote equality,
diversity and community cohesion a reality. His is achieved through a number
of practical exercises and directed exploration of the issues.
Exercise One – Policy & Funding
Look at the three links in the Policy and funding section of the useful links box
Overview of Scottish Government policy
CRER Race and equality duties
In your groups consider the following questions.


How would you summarise the Scottish Governments approach to
promoting equality and rights for migrants?
What role could the public sector Equality Duty and human rights laws
play in making services for responsive to the needs of minority
communities?
Facilitator’s tips - This exercise is designed to help learners begin to make the links
between make policy, strategy and action. It is not intended as a comprehensive
exploration of the policy context in this area as this is neither feasible or necessary. It
seeks to build in LE B and its exploration of multiculturalism and seeks to explore
how this works in practice.
Exercise two – Understanding needs
Now look at the link in this section.
Minority populations in Glasgow
This report looks at where visible migrant (BME) communities are located in
Glasgow and the needs of the various population segments. Try to read the
Executive Summary and sections 4,5,6. Section 3 can also be searched using
the search term East End in search box in the PDF. This will take readers
directly to references to Glasgow’s East End where the games are based. Pay
particular attention to the, In your groups consider,


What the breakdown of information about the East End drawn from the
data in section 3 of the report suggests about local need.
How statistical need relates to the needs of different segments of the
migrant population described in sections 4 & 5 of the report.
Put the answers to these questions on flipcharts and record in your learning
portfolio.
Facilitator’s tips Insights gained in this exercise will be be re-used in a practical
planning simulation in Exercise four.
Exercise Three
Now look in detail at the links in sections 3,4,5 of the useful resources box
and either own your own or in small groups consider the projects in each link
and consider


How you think it will meet a need in the migrant community?
What is its most unique and innovative characteristic?
Facilitator’s tips – Glasgow’s local integration plans sought to help local
Integration networks and projects to plan to meet migrant needs in a consistent and
systematic way. It also sought to share good practice between areas. This exercise is
designed to help learners make a basic evaluate of the projects described in the links
and think about how these address needs. Needs can be understood as either direct
provision of services for migrants -as in the provision of advice services in Govanhill,
or - in the case of the Glasgow girls - managed to achieve both direct benefits for
young asylum seekers but also created a cultural phenomenon which has had
ramifications for policy and an enormous impact on raising the issues and altering
attitudes with a much wider audience,
Exercise Four – Producing a local integration plan
Look at your findings from exercise two and three. Consider how these relate
to each other and taking the east End as your case study use the following
headings to produce a basic plan for services to improve the conditions of
migrants living in the East End.



Combating Misinformation
Providing Services
Bringing People Together
Complete this exercise in small groups. You should aim to produce two
project ideas per heading. Write these up on a flipchart to share with your
colleagues and make sure they are recorded for use in your learning portfolio.
Use these questions to stimulate potential project ideas for each of the
headings above.




What need am I trying to address?
What should the project do to meet this need?
What are the key outcomes it will deliver/
How can I make sure that Local people from the majority community
are involved?
Optional - Exercise Five – When policies conflict – a current issue
Read through the links below
A legacy dilemma & Commonwealth Citizens excluded
Imagine you have been asked to help mediate a solution to this situation. In
your small group, think about the following questions.



Are there policy arguments which you could use to seek a
reconsideration of the position by the Home Office and Games
organisers?
What do you think are the implications of equalities and human rights
laws and policies?
What other solutions for asylum seeker involvement could form part of
a compromise?
Facilitator’s tips – Although this exercise addresses a difficult and contentious
area it also illustrates that policy imperatives can conflict. In such circumstances
negotiation and compromise have an important part to play. The exercise therefore
offers an opportunity to address a real world issue which does have resonance with
the policy and ethical issues which are the subject of this learner journey, It also
offers a learning opportunity to engage in developing skills for de-escalating and
resolving conflict.