This is an initiative for the year 2000 by the Development Education Centre in Birmingham, designed to coincide with the introduction of Citizenship in the national curriculum 2000.

It is about providing a practical response to citizenship in the curriculum.

Some key ideas identified by a recent working group included:-

• an understanding of our commonality with people in other places;
• an understanding of inter-dependence;
• ‘a critical spirit’… an ability for young people to think for themselves;
• ‘an inclusive sense of belonging’ and a sense of self esteem;
• an awareness of multiple identities

• the valuing of the diversity in our society

On Saturday 1^st April I attended a DEC conference for teachers of children aged 4-7 "Building a Foundation for Global Citizenship". Two questions were the focus for the day;

• What is this world like that children are growing up in?
• What skills will they need to enable them to participate actively in this world?

People from a variety of organisations were brought together to share their experiences and work, providing those of us who are classroom practitioners with many paths to explore. I was particularly moved to respond to the words of Trish Sandbach from Leeds DEC….’As children grow in knowledge, understanding and concern for the world in which they live as an educator I would wish to be helping to lay the foundations to enable them to know and love something of the bigger story of humanity and take an active part in it, to celebrate themselves and others, to wonder at creation and cherish it, to recognize injustice and oppression and challenge it.’

Workshop’s during the day provided a diverse insight into some of the ways that the area of citizenship can be integrated into our daily teaching:-

• Circle time, mediation and democratic classroom practice,
• Interactive performance created for Key Stage 1 children by Big Brum,
• Persona dolls which involves work in anti-racist and multicultural education for the very young
• PSHE work including the publication, ‘Building blocks for global learning’.

Having received considerable input in the morning we were asked to collate our ideas at the after dinner session, forming a collective vision with some idea of priorities for developing this area in schools. The aim is to form a working group to develop ideas that can be used with Early Years children and to produce a publication. So KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN for future information .

Lesley Stanton, St. Joseph and St. Theresa RC Primary, Chasetown.

Acknowledgements:- Whose Citizenship? Tide publication, Birmingham DEC