Global Dimensions - Guidance and Support
Organisations
Action Aid
One of the UK's largest development agencies, working in more than 30 countries. ActionAid has a network of visiting teachers and can provide background information and materials for schools.
The British Council
Provides funding, advice and support on North-South school partnerships.
Catholic Agency for Development Overseas
CAFOD’s education programme raises awareness of the causes of third world poverty and promotes change. The schools section contains a range of downloadable resources.
Christian Aid
Christian Aid supports local organisations, which are best placed to understand local needs, as well as giving help on the ground through its overseas offices. The site contains useful up-to-date information on its campaigns and projects which may support science lesson topics.
The Development Education Association
The DEA is the umbrella body for promoting global and international development issues and perspectives within education in England. It has over 200 member organisations and produces a range of material. The DEA also facilitates training on the global dimension.
Department for International Development
DFID is the UK Government department responsible for promoting development and the reduction of poverty worldwide. In response to the increased emphasis given to a global dimension in the revised national curriculum, DFID produced Developing a Global Dimension in the School Curriculum. DFID’s School Partnerships programme is managed and administered by the British Council. DFID public enquiry point (tel: 0845 300 4100)
The Geographical Association
The GA is a subject association with a mission to further the teaching of geography and to communicate the value of learning geography for all. It has nearly 10,000 members including teachers in primary and secondary schools and further education, academic geographers and teacher educators and trainers. Descriptions of resources can be accessed via the Geography Shop.
One World
An online gateway to a global community of organisations, including resources for teachers and pupils. (The pupils’ pages can be accessed here).
Oxfam
Oxfam is dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering around the world. They have developed the concept of global citizenship within schools, including guidance and a Global Curriculum Link network, as well as resources.
Peace Child International
Enables young people to undertake community-based projects that promote sustainable development, environmental conservation and regeneration, education and health. Peace child also encourages student-teacher partnerships in human rights education.
Save the Children
Their Education Unit is committed to promoting citizenship in schools and youth groups across the UK (local contacts can be found on the website) and offers a range of free and priced materials and services to teachers and youth workers.
TeachGlobal
Provides courses and resources to support all aspects of primary and secondary teachers professional development in relation to the global dimension.
Teacher’s International Professional Development
Gives 2500 teachers in England the opportunity to experience educational practice and share expertise with colleagues around the world. Visits are funded and organised through three bodies: The British Council, The Specialist Schools Trust, and The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers.
UK One World Linking Association
Provides funding, advice and support on North-South school partnerships.
UNICEF
The UK Education Team works with schools and young people to provide expertise on children's rights and global citizenship. This involves classroom sessions, staff training and high quality resources.
Voluntary Service Overseas
Has a teachers' network which draws on the experience of returned volunteers who have taught in developing countries.
Water Aid
UK's charity dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest people.
World Wildlife Fund (Learning)
Aims to provide educators and learners alike with an innovative communications point for global news, opinion and curriculum projects. Also recognises the growing international importance of education for sustainable development.
Worldaware
Helps teachers provide a global dimension to the school curriculum through its publications, projects, curriculum guidance and the Global Eye website magazine for pupils.
Global dimensions and related resources
National Curriculum Website
Website for the new National Curriculum coming into schools in September 2008. Replaces previous NC websites.
Global Dimension
includes over 500 resources reviewed by teachers - structured by UK curricula, subject and pupil age.
Global Gateway
(developed by the DfES and the British Council) draws together information on websites, provides a powerful search engine and a service for finding overseas partners.
QCA Innovating with Geography
includes teaching and learning ideas on global issues.
Staffordshire Learning Net
includes lesson plans and ideas and web enquiries, which cover a range of global dimension issues.
Tide~
describes a range of projects run by Birmingham Teachers in Development Education and includes classroom materials.
Valuing Places
a CPD led curriculum development project, which aims to generate curriculum materials relevant to teachers and pupils of geography at key stages 2 and 3.
Key texts on development issues
DfES (2003) Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education and Skills
DfES et al. (2000) Developing a Global Dimension in the School Curriculum
View details of the following via the GA's Geography Shop:
- Geography and the New Agenda (Secondary)
- Global Geography
- Theory into Practice: Global Citizenship Education
- Theory into Practice: Maps with Latitude
- Theory into Practice: Place, ‘Race’ and Teaching Geography
Download a list of references for these pages here.
