A Critical Analysis of Oxfam’s Education for Global
Citizenship: A Guide for Schools
Lawrence Saha (2007, p.19) states that ‘the preparation of young people for adult life is
never straightforward’. In an increasingly ‘unsustainable, unjust, and deteriorating’ (Trainer,
2002, p.47) society, Saha’s concern is a prominent issue. The foundation of this corrupt
society is overconsumption, driven by Western consumer mentality (McDaniel, 2000, p.146).
Consequently, Taylor (2010, p.2) is accurate in arguing that we must change our attitudes,
as ‘to live differently, involves thinking differently’. In order for such a cultural shift in our
outlook to occur, however, humankind requires ‘critical-thinking, informed and enlightened
citizens’ (Lang, 2007, p.43).
Responding to this need for change, Oxfam employs education as an ‘engine of cultural
transformation’ (Curtis and Pettigrew, 2009, p.21) to help pupils ‘deal critically and creatively
with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world’ (Friere and
Maced in Curtis and Pettigrew, 2009, p.122). Oxfam justifies the need for such an education
by emphasising its positive long-term consequences ‘education is a powerful tool for changing the world because tomorrow’s adults are
the children and young people we are educating today’ (Oxfam, 2006, p.1).
Through Education for Global Citizenship: A Guide for Schools (EGC:GS), Oxfam (2006, p.1
and p.2) hopes to ‘help young people…meet the challenges they will confront now and in the
future’, giving pupils ‘the opportunity to develop critical thinking about complex global issues
in the safe space of the classroom.’ They hope to do this by developing in pupils the ‘the
knowledge, skills and values needed for securing a just and sustainable world’ (Oxfam,
2006, p.1).
Aimed at UK schools and teachers, EGC:GS offers a clear rationale regarding the necessity
for global citizenship and outlines a basic curriculum, providing suggested topics and
activities. The guide centres around three elements deemed essential for responsible global
citizenship (see Appendix One) – Knowledge and understanding; Skills; Values and attitudes
– and outlines Oxfam’s criteria for a truly global citizen (see Appendix Two). This criteria
appears to be Oxfam’s ultimate motivation and aim for this guidance, and corresponds with
the organisation’s vision – to empower ‘people to create a future that is secure, just, and free
from poverty’ (Oxfam, 2011).
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Ultimately, EGC:GS aims to develop citizens who understand, and act in favour of,
sustainability and equity in regards to social justice (see Appendix One and Two). Here
Oxfam concurs with Agyeman’s (in Thiele, 2013, p.54) assertion that:
‘social justice and environmental sustainability are inextricably linked…achievement
of the latter without greater commitment to the former will be exceptionally difficult.’
It is undoubtedly necessary to further scrutinise this teaching material. In order to do this, a
framework is required upon which to base one’s critical analysis.
In 2003, Ofsted inspected ‘good practice in the promotion of ESD’ (education for sustainable
development) in 26 schools. Promoting sustainable development in regards to social justice,
EGC:GS can be correctly categorised as an ESD teaching material. For these inspections,
HMI, alongside ESD experts, constructed a list of ‘possible areas where ESD could be
developed’ (see Appendix Two). This list will be referred to when critically analysing
EGC:GS in order to discover whether Oxfam’s school guidance is broad, relevant and
appropriate.
Rationale and Pedagogical Approach
A key area observed by HMI is ‘Learning’ (see Appendix Three, ‘Learning’). Here, Oxfam
(2006, p.1) promotes an ‘active and participatory’ approach. In their supplementary
document for this guidance, Oxfam (2008, p.5) describes the ‘active classroom’ as; a
learner-centred, process-centred environment in which teachers facilitate students by
enabling them to take responsibility for their learning and encouraging collaborative work.
Collaborative responsibility is fundamental in developing cooperation – as Young and
Commins (2002, p.5) state, ‘cooperation is a more useful life skill than competition in
developing global citizens.’
Oxfam (2006, p.1) also stress the importance of active learning not only for developing
critical thinking, communication and other key skills, but for motivating pupils. According to
Harris (2002, p.91), ‘motivation is a vital factor in effective learning’. This is of particular
significance concerning ESD as fostering extrinsic motivation – ‘the portrayal of the subject
as being important, interesting and rewarding’ (Harris, 2002, p.91) – concerning this subject
could be fundamental to developing global citizens who maintain a continual high regard for
sustainable and just practices.
This approach also encompasses the teacher, as enabler. However, Oxfam fails to highlight
teachers’ perpetual position as ‘positive role-model’ (see Appendix Three, ‘Teaching’), as, to
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truly facilitate a comprehensive topic such as global citizenship, the enabler’s support must
be consistent.
Nevertheless, despite this deficiency, Oxfam (2006, p.9) does recognise the importance of a
whole-school approach, asserting that it is in ‘decision-making processes, estate
management, purchasing policies, and in [school] relations’ that true support for education
for global citizenship is uncovered. Accordingly, sustainable and just purchasing policies,
general environmental indicators (including recycling schemes, and eco-friendly policies and
practices) and ‘senior management involvement and support’ are identified as key areas for
effective ESD identified by HMI (see Appendix Three). Therefore, promoting a whole-school
approach is an appropriate and effective tactic regarding ESD to ensure that the curriculum
becomes embedded in teaching and learning.
Curriculum
The curriculum provided by Oxfam is separated into three essential elements for global
citizenship, each divided into subcategories (see Appendix One). For each element a
curriculum table has been designed, providing Key-Stage-appropriate topics for each
subcategory (see Appendix Four).
The subcategories covered are diverse, covering the seven key concepts of ESD outlined by
the QCA (In Ofsted, 2003, p.4), and the topics become increasingly in-depth throughout
successive Key-Stages, as is appropriate. Nevertheless, many topics given appear vague,
with ambiguous titles – ‘sense of future’, understanding of issues of diversity’, ‘negotiation’,
‘open-mindedness’ (Oxfam, 2006, pp.5-7) – and minimal content information is provided.
Such indistinct topics may cause confusion, resulting in a plethora of interpretations.
However, we may alternatively view this ambiguity positively.
The revised National Curriculum has been motivated by a need to provide teachers with a
less prescriptive material, visualising:
‘schools and teachers taking greater control over what is taught in schools…using
their professional skills and experience to provide the best educational experience’
(DfE, 2011, Article 9).
It is perhaps this thought that motivates Oxfam’s curriculum. Thus, a simple, non-prescriptive
approach has been taken. This may be perceived as a bottom-down approach to ESD,
employing top-down ‘standardized’ topics which, by means of the bottom-up initiative and
creativity of the teacher and pupils, are intended to develop the required social outputs –
skills, values and attitudes – essential for global citizenship (Chambers, 2008, p.172-173).
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This calls for teachers to be more than merely ‘passive implementers’ (Reid and Lucas,
2010, pp.183). They must take a more active role, using their initiative to creatively develop
topics of interest tailored to their class and locality – perhaps utilising local case studies, as
recommended by Ofsted (see Appendix Three, ‘Teaching’).
Additionally, a lack of prescription supports the successful integration of Oxfam’s curriculum
into school-life. Being predominantly skills- and values-based, EGC:GS is ‘relevant to all
areas of the curriculum’ (Oxfam, 2006, p.2). Combined with non-prescriptive topics, this aids
the development of links to other subjects and issues, facilitating ‘cross-curricular mapping’
(see Appendix Three, ‘Curriculum’). Furthermore, supplementary guidance outlines ways in
which education for global citizenship relates to other subjects within the National Curriculum
(Oxfam, 2008, pp.18-19).
However, Oxfam (2006, p.9) recognises that ‘integrating the principles of Education for
Global Citizenship across the curriculum and whole life of a school can present many
challenges’. Consequently, their curriculum ‘is not set in stone’ but can be changed, adapted
or supplemented to suit needs, desires, and circumstances (Oxfam, 2006, p.3).
Predominant Themes within the Curriculum Topics and Subcategories
Oxfam’s topics are numerous and to critically analyse each one individually is unfeasible.
Nevertheless, examining Oxfam’s curriculum, the most predominant theme is the
development of skills for critical thinking – including open-mindedness, negotiation, detecting
bias, and challenging viewpoints. Defined as:
‘a process of breaking down what you know and information you have, and
evaluating and critically analysing it in order to make an informed decision without
bias’ (OnSide Learning, 2013, 1:06minutes),
critical thinking is fundamental for independent global citizenship. ‘Students now enter…a
world in which ideas are continually restructured, retested and rethought’ (Paul in Pasch and
Norsworthy, 2001, p.15), thus critical thinking ‘prepares them to adapt to changing
circumstances in the 21st century’ (Stobaugh, 2013, p.5), helping citizens consider the
validity and substance of arguments and options in order to make an informed decision.
Essential to critical thinking are the two further predominant themes – development of an
awareness of consequences and relationships (individual, local, global), and of the potential
for sustainable development and social justice; and development of empathy and respect.
The ‘positive attitudinal development’ (Combat Poverty Agency, 2007, p.4) of the latter
theme is fundamental in encouraging empathic understanding, pupils thus moving from a
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self-centred, self-interested world-view, to one that is considerate and inclusive. However,
complementing this compassionate approach is the former theme’s focus upon developing
one’s awareness and understanding of interconnectedness. When balanced, these themes
ensure sound and comprehensive reasoning, a prerequisite for the logical analysis of critical
thinking.
Examining this document, the predominant focus of EGC:GS is on the development of
practical skills and values, rather than the imparting of academic knowledge. This
demonstrates Oxfam’s clear understanding of the need to develop pupils’ sustainability
literacy –
‘the skills, attitudes, competencies, dispositions and values that are necessary for
surviving and thriving in the declining conditions of the world in ways which slow
down that decline’ (Stibbe and Luna, 2009, p.10-11).
Though the importance of knowledge must not be overlooked as it forms the foundation
upon which such vital qualities are developed and understood, it is our skills and values that
ultimately motivate us to act. This is supported by Friere (in Burbules and Berk, 1999, p.51)
who believes that ‘change in consciousness and concrete action are linked’; as Taylor (2010,
p.2) states, ‘to live differently, involves thinking differently’.
Whilst ‘the preparation of young people for adult life is never straightforward’ (Saha, 2007,
p.19), Oxfam’s aims to equip young people with the means to deal and act efficiently and
independently regarding the difficult decisions concerning sustainability and social justice
that they are likely to face in the future. Here, Oxfam act upon their vision of empowering
‘people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty’ (Oxfam, 2011).
Example Activities
The initial activity provided (2006, p.8) outlines three exercises (discussions) that school staff
should undertake prior to implementing the EGC:GS curriculum, highlighting the importance
of ensuring that staff are well-informed and approach this subject consistently. The
discussion tasks immediately emphasise critical thinking, requesting that teachers analyse
the curriculum and conduct an audit of the school to identify areas where its’ inclusion may
be significant. If employed effectively, such an holistic approach which values the attitudes
and opinions of staff may ensure that the EGC:GS curriculum is extensively and persistently
supported throughout the school.
The whole-school approach is emphasised further in two subsequent case studies which
demonstrate the advantages and successes of such an approach (Oxfam, 2006, p.10).
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Though biased, as it presents a one-sided view with no apparent criticisms regarding the
document, it is effective in further supporting the recommended pedagogical approach.
Finally, Oxfam (2006, p.10) provides three example lesson activities, each for a different age
group. Though this is only a small number, multiple activities are provided in the
supplementary document (Oxfam, 2008, pp7-16). Nevertheless, the activities provided
effectively support Oxfam’s (2006, p.2) enforcement of a ‘multitude of participatory teaching
and learning methodologies’. The first activity (Foundation stage/Early years) provides
discussion topics regarding a picture of Brazilian children playing together; the second (7+)
asks pupils (as a class) to create a chain of consequences concerning water-shortages; and
the third (11+) asks pupils to research newspaper articles concerning conflict, analysing how
they are reported and why.
The activities provided are age-appropriate and cover a variety of topics. All encourage
critical thinking skills and relate individuals’ lives to the lives and experiences of others ‘in the
wider world’ (see Appendix Two). Ultimately, they are an effective example of the lessons
that work towards developing the global citizens envisioned by Oxfam.
Ultimate Aim
Examining Oxfam’s criteria for a model global citizen (see Appendix Two), their ultimate aim,
they appear demanding and prescriptive. However, ambitious goals and requirements are
essential in emphasising the subjects’ fundamental importance and extensive scale. Oxfam’s
is a global vision that requires confidant, optimistic goals focused upon positive outcomes.
Ultimately, Oxfam’s aims, guidance and curriculum appear to promote this.
Overall, Oxfam provide a practical document that commendably encourages pupils of all
ages to think differently, in order to truly live differently (Taylor, 2010, p.2). The simple,
bottom-down curriculum is compatible with school-life in regards to planning, cross-curricular
mapping, and teaching; and staff support would be obtained, and maintained, through their
fundamental involvement in curriculum implementation. The whole-school approach remains
key to the appropriate and effective inclusion of this document, and the staff activities and
case studies provided encourage this consistently. The ultimate aims for the true global
citizen (see Appendix Two) are optimistic, yet necessary, and are unmistakably and
coherently supported by the curriculum and activities provided. Ultimately, EGC:GS has the
potential to efficiently prepare pupils for their future as global citizens.
Word Count: 2,197
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