Responding to today’s announcement that the Scottish Government will provide £300,000 to Scotland’s six Development Education Centres (DECs) in 2016/17
Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland, said:
“Global citizenship education enables children and young people to critically evaluate complex global issues in a safe environment. This funding for the Development Education Centres across Scotland is therefore great news and will help secure the support teachers need to deliver this work.”
In 2013, Scotland’s DECs received £600,000 from the Scottish Government – spread over two years – to provide strictly impartial support to schools across Scotland. This funding was due to end shortly.
Livingstone continued: “The funding provided to date has led to a big increase in the number of teachers supported to deliver global citizenship education in Scotland. This new funding will build on that progress, by investing in the hard work, specialist knowledge, and quality resources provided by the DECs at a local level.
“As Nelson Mandela said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. This was reinforced last year, when access to learning about global citizenship was included within the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by 193 countries, and endorsed here in Scotland.”
Oxfam Scotland published its policy priorities for the Scottish Parliament in October 2015. The paper outlined nine areas where the Scottish Parliament can do more to build a more equal Scotland in a more equal world, in order to reduce poverty.
A key priority in the paper was investment in global citizenship education and Oxfam Scotland has called – alongside the International Development Education Association of Scotland (IDEAS), Christian Aid and SCIAF – for the continuation of core-funding for the DECs.
Livingstone added: “We have been heartened by the cross-party support in Scotland for continued investment in global citizenship education.
“While this one year funding commitment is hugely welcome, we believe this should continue throughout the lifetime of the next Parliament to ensure global citizenship is fully embedded and supported in the Curriculum for Excellence.”
Oxfam Scotland has also called for the creation of a £200,000 Scottish Co-financing Fund to support organisations access funding from other sources, including the European Union. We believe such a fund would help lever additional resources into global citizenship education in Scotland.
Oxfam Scotland’s policy paper – “Even It Up: Scotland’s Role in Tackling Poverty by Reducing Inequality at Home and Abroad” – can be accessed here: https://oxf.am/Zn6u.