Transcript QIA PowerPoint

Repairing communities:
Citizenship, Gangs and Knife
Crime
Wednesday 4 February 2009
London
A Brief History
• The Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA) established a Post-16 Citizenship
Development Programme in 2002, in response to the Crick report 1
• Within 4 years there were over 130 projects affiliated – from across a wide range of
learning sectors – schools with 6th forms, 6th form colleges, F.E. colleges, work based
learning providers, and the youth service
• There was a huge diversity in approaches and methodologies but based around a common
definition of Citizenship Learning and the need for that learning to be active
• In 2006 the LSDA became the Learning and Skills Network (LSN), funded by the Quality
Improvement Agency (QIA). The development programme then became the Support
Programme
• QIA and the Centre for Excellence in Leadership came together on 1 October 2008 to form
Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) – LSIS now the funder of the programme
1 Citizenship For 16 -19 Year Olds In Education And Training, Report of the Advisory Group to the Secretary of State for
Education and Employment, FEFC 2000
So – what is citizenship?
Citizenship education gives young people the knowledge, skills and
understanding to play an effective role in society, as informed, critical
citizens. It aims to enable young people to participate in decisionmaking, and to have a genuine voice that is listened to and acted upon.
Citizenship aims to give young people the confidence and conviction
that they can act with others, have influence and make a difference in
their communities (locally, nationally and globally).
Gangs, Knife Crime, Guns and Violence
And Citizenship?
Belonging to a gang can not be explained away simply – there are various, often complex,
and often over-lapping explanations as to why young people belong to gangs. It is certainly
the case that young people who belong to a gang, whether sought after or not, gain some
form of respect and status from fellow gang members.
Citizenship is about empowering young people, helping to engage them in their communities,
where they can make a difference, without recourse to violence, because they are respected
as young people. They have status in their communities because they are trying to tackle
issues that concern them, and engaging in the democratic process to do so.
Citizenship is therefore one route, not an exclusive one, but one route nevertheless, to try to
enable young people who belong to gangs to negotiate alternative journeys through the
complexities of youth disengagement, disenfranchisement, the need for protection and safer
communities, and indeed the need for genuine influence and power to make a difference.
CASE STUDY A
Some students on an A level Sociology course at a college
investigate the possible causes and actual consequences of gang
crime. They organise a session on gang crime for other students at
the college, carry out research on the internet and plan a role play.
They book a speaker and use the role play to help stimulate
discussion. During a review of the activity, they identify what they
have learned about the political, social and moral issues related to
gang membership.
CASE STUDY B
Following a tragic stabbing accident in which a fellow-student is
killed, some fellow students create a garden in his memory. Some
contact a local builder for advice and free building materials, and
staff from a garden centre for help in garden design. They organise
a collection in the college to pay for the materials and the plants,
and spend their free time doing the work. When the garden is
ready, they plan and run an opening event, at which they all say
something about their friend and unveil a plaque to his memory.
CASE STUDY C
A group of young people at a local Youth club have been working
with a residential home for older people. They have become
friendly with the residents and are concerned about the residents’
fears. They organise a tea party in order to create a forum for open
discussions of resident fears. Some of the students organise the
food, some prepare icebreaking activities and the rest prepare the
statements for the debate. The session is a great success and the
residents thank them, noting how the event has changed their
views of younger people.
CASE STUDY D
A district council wishes to consult young people on a new
community plan. Some apprentices on a Construction course plan
a programme of consultation events about a range of local issues,
for their peers They create a video of ‘voxpop’ clips which they use
to stimulate discussion at the events. These events are also
attended by representatives of the district council and the police.
The young people at the events vote on aspects of the community
plan, and the apprentices produce a report for the district council
and local police. They evaluate the success of the activity and their
own learning.
Young people can join gangs for a number of reasons.
They can join to get:
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recognition
excitement
friends
acceptance
a sense of belonging
power over other people
money from crime
protection
territory
respect
Keynote Address
Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP
Minister for London and Minister of
State for Employment and Welfare
Reform at the Department for Work
and Pensions
Gus John
Chief Executive of the Gus John
Partnership and author of Taking a Stand
member of the Street Weapons
Commission
“Reclaim”
Ruth Ibegnuna
URBIS
Where Now?
Create Not
Hate
‘Safer endz’
Mothers
Against
Violence
Angela
Lawrence
LEAP
Confronting Conflict:
“Safer Streets and Communities”