By Abi Wharton, Head of Global Awareness

What a year to introduce the Pre-U in Global Perspectives and Research to Bedales! This is a course that allows students to explore any global issue using what is termed as the critical path – deconstruction, reconstruction, reflection and communication of any particular perspective.

Over the past year, we have explored topics as wide ranging as ownership of the Elgin marbles to the perceived role of the US as a global policeman. We allow our own views, or reconstruction of an argument, to be built on other perspectives, understanding the need to explore a whole raft of ideas influenced by cultural, economic, religious and ethical concerns to name but a view. The students have communicated their ideas in exciting and innovative ways, being at the forefront of remote learning by giving their assessed presentations on Microsoft Teams before the Easter holidays.

As we start to consider the long term impacts of Covid-19 on micro and macro communities, our GPR students can lead the way in helping others understand the multi-faceted approach we need to take to discovering and embracing our new ‘normal’. This term many Global Awareness students have been discussing the critical area of Global Public Health, which will see, them lay the foundations of an educational response to the current global situation.

Please click on the links below to see some of the student’s recent work on global questions, which they devised themselves:

• Is Consumerism Ethical? By Jacob Heneghan, 6.1
• Is happiness as a quality of life indicator inextricably linked to economic growth and development? By Luca Nutt, 6.1