Young people need the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that will enable them to participate as full members of a global society. As global citizens, they need to consider rights and responsibilities and the role of citizens in a democratic society. This means they need to learn about aspects of national and international law and politics such as human rights legislation and Agenda 21.
Young people also need to engage in the global dimension to topical issues that affect them such as global warming, migration, the arms trade, and the prices of goods in the shops. They need to be able critically to assess the information that they receive via the media and to understand their consumer rights and responsibilities and thereby make informed decisions as consumers, employees and later employers. Students can also learn about democracy by studying forms of government, political and justice systems at a national, European and global level.
Citizenship, in its context of fair decision-making, runs throughout the Eco-Schools process. This global perspective topic seeks to ensure that pupils also consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of the decisions that they make through this process, on the local and global community, in the future as well as for the present.
There are currently more than 40,000 Eco-Schools around the world and in order to introduce a global perspective into the curriculum and bespoke Eco-Schools projects it is easy for you to get in touch to discuss common ventures.
The Case Studies section outlines how other Eco-Schools have introduced global elements into daily school life. More information regarding the Department for Children, Schools and Families International School Award, run by the British Council, is available in the National Initiatives section. To link up with Eco-Schools in other countries around the world please visit the Links and Resources section, as well as www.eco-schools.net
