2nd December 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
These days students can’t help but be aware of the political and economic climate in which we live. Few will have missed the news about the riots in London and around the country over the summer. News of the severe economic downturn has dominated the media over the last few years, and this week, many students had a day off school or university while their teachers were on strike in protest over cuts to public sector pensions. But as teacher and tutors, how do we present this information? Is this something that should be left to adults, or is this an opportunity to discuss the economic and political issues that affect our education system?
As with teaching any area in politics and sociology, I feel it is best to foster discussion which allows students to think about the issues and draw their own conclusions. Of course, teachers and tutors have their own opinions, but this shouldn’t prevent students from developing their own point of view and developing the skills to argue their point. But nowadays, it is very hard for teachers to maintain a level of detachment, when their students are well aware that they are going on strike. As many teachers have said this week, nothing resonates more with students than an unexpected day off. So how can we use this to engender positive and productive discussion amongst students?
One of the ways in which to do this is to encourage students to link current events to their current topic of study. One student studying neo-liberalism and free market economics was quick to link economic theories to current debates over public sector pay and bankers’ bonuses. Some teachers in schools have reported using the strikes as an opportunity to discuss how different newspapers have covered the story. This is an effective way of teaching English language modules, which require students to show awareness of persuasive language, fact and opinion and often require them to compare newspaper articles. It is also a useful tool with which to teach media studies and sociology, where older students can discuss employment contracts and rights. There is no doubt that students should be given the opportunity to discuss these issues, from both an educational and social perspective. The strikes should provide lessons to the government and the public, but also to the students whose education will be affected by decisions taken far out of their control.