What is Global Citizenship?

Global Citizenship describes a sense of belonging to a larger global community. It is about recognising that every person is a citizen of the world and that we all have responsibilities to each other and to our planet.

It’s about understanding and appreciating diverse cultures, perspectives, and ways of life and the need to be better informed and engaged in both local and global issues – working together with others to help build a better world for everyone.

“An ethic of care for the world.”

— Hannah Arendt

What is Global Citizenship Education?

There is a great deal of debate and discussion around this question. There is no single definition of Global Citizenship Education (GCE). By its very nature, there are different perspectives, approaches and outcomes. It also needs to continually evolve in response to ever-changing local, national and global contexts.

However, at its heart, GCE aims to give everyone the knowledge, skills and values they need to be responsible and active global citizens. Its purpose is to support all learners to participate fully in an interdependent and unpredictable world and play a key role in creating a more just, secure and sustainable future.

Crucially, GCE needs to be a lifelong process which is relevant to all sectors and communities.

“Education must be not only a transmission of culture but also a provider of alternative views of the world and a strengthener of skills to explore them."

— Jerome S Bruner

Why is Global Citizenship Education needed?

Our world is an increasingly complex web of connections and interdependencies. The opportunities in a fast-changing and globalised world are enormous. But so too are the challenges.

Now must be the time for education that is transformative. An education that provides all learners with the tools they need to understand and engage with those opportunities and challenges to play their part in creating a fairer, better world.

Good GCE can:

  • equip people with the knowledge and skills needed to counter misinformation

  • promote and value diverse voices and perspectives

  • strengthen connections between learning in the classroom and real-life contexts and experiences

  • develop better understanding of the historic injustices that have shaped our societies and the challenges we now face

  • build awareness, understanding and critical engagement with local and global issues

  • encourage creative and critical thinking and improve communication skills

  • inspire hope and motivate people to take action, both individually and collectively, to deliver solutions for our planet and its people.

“Education is not a preparation for life, it is life itself.”

— John Dewey

What does Global Citizenship Education look like in practice?

GCE is an approach to learning rather than an add on. It can be incorporated across the curriculum, reaching beyond school to the wider community. It draws on a wide and evolving variety of participatory teaching and learning methodologies. Many of these are now established as good practice in education, and are not unique to global citizenship.

GCE is about encouraging learners to explore, develop and express their own values and opinions, as well as respect other people’s points of view. The role of the educator is to help learners to find out about their world for themselves and to support them as they learn to assess evidence, negotiate and work with others, solve problems and make informed decisions.

Here in Scotland, GCE is embedded within the Curriculum for Excellence, as part of the ‘Learning for Sustainability’ framework. This framework encompasses a wide range of interconnected themes and approaches across sustainable development education, outdoor learning, global citizenship and social welfare.

GCE in action

IDEAS members support educators at all levels across Scotland to embed GCE within their setting. Explore some inspiring examples of how schools and communities are learning and taking action as active Global Citizens.

Teaching resources

The IDEAS network offers Scottish teachers a huge range of practical resources to support active and participatory learning on local and global issues.

Advocating for GCE in Scotland

All IDEAS members have a shared commitment to amplifying the value of the good GCE in Scotland. Our role as a network is to enable relationships, share learning and advocate for best practice.