Teachernet, Curriculum approaches to the promotion of community cohesion

Curriculum approaches to the promotion of community cohesion

Learning that is related to community cohesion can be identified in all subject areas across the curriculum. Direct work on diversity and cohesion is particularly likely to take place in religious education, citizenship, PSHE, history, geography, English, PE and the creative curriculum.

Many schools may wish to audit their current provision in order to develop and evaluate their work in promoting cohesion. Curriculum review and planning to develop the school's work in this area will often be based on the following information:

diversity and needs of the pupil population in the school
nature of the local communities that the school serves and how they are changing
current strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum that all learners experience

Cohesion work throughout the curriculum
Work on community cohesion can be included in the school's existing improvement planning. Drawing this work together with other curriculum aims at an early stage of priority setting will allow cohesion work to be mainstreamed. The audit section of this guidance offers a framework of learning outcomes that can be achieved across many curriculum areas using a variety of activities.

In the new secondary National Curriculum, coherence is encouraged through the implementation of Cross Curriculum Dimensions including 'diversity and identity'. More information can be found on the QCA website.

Learning about diversity through citizenship
Following the 'Diversity and citizenship' curriculum review (the Ajegbo Report) the secondary citizenship curriculum now has a new key concept: 'Identity and diversity: living together in the UK'. This, together with the other changes in the curriculum, may encourage some schools to conduct a thorough review of the subject and its contribution to community cohesion. This may occur in both primary and secondary schools as some primary schools may also wish to review their PSHE and citizenship work in light of this new emphasis that will be developed in their secondary partners. Collaboration between primary and secondary schools over how the theme of diversity in particular, and cohesion work more generally, can be developed from 3 — 19 may be extremely valuable.

The Citizenship Foundation is an independent education and participation charity in the UK. It produces teaching materials to introduce students to their legal rights and responsibilities and the role of law in our democratic society. It has also developed projects looking at primary citizenship, moral education, political literacy and work with alienated groups such as young offenders.

'Identity, diversity and citizenship: a critical review of educational resources' produced by the Association for Citizenship Teachers and the Citizenship Foundation provides a useful summary of the main concepts that might be included in work about identity and diversity. An overview of this kind is useful when deciding on the most appropriate concepts and methods to use with your pupils.

Learning to understand and appreciate diversity through religious education
Effective Religious Education (RE) can provide excellent opportunities for pupils to debate questions of belief, identity and diversity that underpin community cohesion.

In October 2004, the Secretary of State launched a Non-Statutory National Framework for Religious Education, to bring it in line with the national curriculum subjects. The framework is used in the setting of the locally agreed syllabus.

The non-statutory framework for RE places inclusion, tolerance, diversity and interfaith dialogue at the heart of children's learning. Good RE taught in the spirit of the Framework can address the prejudices brought about by a shallow knowledge of world religions and beliefs. Providing pupils with a safe forum for the discussion of controversial issues is an essential part of RE's contribution to community cohesion and can equip pupils to consider issues of diversity and religious understanding.

RE and community cohesion
Schools can maximise RE's contribution to community cohesion by:

ensuring that teaching and learning of RE utilises the Framework and supporting guidance in the context of their most recent local agreed syllabus or governors' policy
providing opportunities for pupils to understand and appreciate diversity by exploring how practices and beliefs vary within traditions, change over time and are influenced by cultures. This could include taking part in visits, speaker events, web-based investigations, dialogues or community projects that involve understanding differences and seeing similarities.
providing opportunities for pupils to evaluate their own and others' beliefs about why people belong to faith communities, what challenges and tensions might be caused by belonging to a faith, and how religious beliefs relate to a secular world view.

Further guidance on RE can be found on the QCA website
National Framework for RE
RE online

Following the recommendations of the Diversity and Citizenship Curriculum Review, the DCSF has initiated an annual event, Who Do We Think We Are? Week, during which schools across the country will concentrate on identity and cohesion. This provides a focal point for schools wishing to raise the profile of these issues for their pupils and for the wider community. One aspect of the week could be involving stakeholders in reviewing and prioritizing the school's approach to promoting community cohesion. This year, the week is 23 — 28th June 2008.

The global dimension
Ensuring that a global dimension is present in the curriculum allows learners to recognise the links between local and global issues. The new National Curriculum includes this as one of the cross-curriculum dimensions. When this is done effectively, young people critically examine their assumptions and values; appreciate the similarities between people everywhere and gain a deeper understanding of diversity. QCA guidance suggests that "Learners should evaluate information and events from a global perspective. By exploring the connections between the local and the global, they can also realise that it is possible to play a part in working towards solutions to challenges... The global dimension incorporates global citizenship, conflict resolution, diversity, human rights, interdependence, social justice, sustainable development and values and perceptions". The global dimension therefore provides a useful framework to join up a school's work on cohesion.

DEA — Global Dimension

Identity and cultural diversity
There is also a relevant cross-curricular dimension Identity and Cultural diversity. The QCA guidance on this dimension describes the benefits of this theme as follows: 'Learning about identity and cultural diversity can help young people to live and work together in diverse communities, both in this country and the wider world. It can also help them develop their identity and sense of belonging which are fundamental to personal well-being and the achievements of a flourishing and cohesive society.'