Asserting your opinions while angrily denying others theirs is a trap too many grown-ups fall into these days, if social media is any sort of accurate guide.
In the seven schools that make up our primary academy trust in Warrington we have long believed that when it comes to discussing the hot topics in the news children need some support and guidance. We need to encourage them to listen, think for themselves and respect the views of others - skills that a lot of adults would do well to emulate.
Our involvement in The Economist Educational Foundation’s Burnet News Club has been a pivotal part of our work to promote these skills and qualities in our children, many of whom are from very disadvantaged backgrounds.
When the Burnet News Club came along its aims instantly chimed with us. The purpose of the programme, which includes support and materials for lessons that we deliver as part of our Year 4 and Year 5 PSHE and literacy programmes, was to allow our children to weigh and balance issues highlighted in the latest news.
For us the key benefit of the programme was helping our children to better regulate their responses to things that they might not agree with and then make measured and respectful contributions to discussions.
Guidance
A lot of thought goes into the topics and resources devised by the Burnet News Club. Topics covered by our children in recent months include protest, extreme weather, the future of the NHS and space and exploration.
With the guidance of our teachers, working with the Club’s detailed lesson plans, our children have really embraced the opportunity to learn about and discuss these issues, and develop their skills in taking turns and listening in a safe, calm environment, albeit one that has been largely online through teacher-led sessions and the Club’s discussion platform.
When we discuss a topic as part of a Burnet News Club based lesson you will hear the kind of robust, measured discussions that are often drowned out by the confrontational, hectoring tone you get online or on the TV these days.
The core focus of the Burnet News Club is building students’ news-literacy skills: speaking, listening, critical-thinking and problem-solving.
Our teachers were initially nervous about approaching the subject of knife crime, but the resources and support gave them confidence. It’s not a subject we would normally discuss at school but through the framework provided by the programme we were able to help the children understand it through a wider context.
For example, we discussed that while it was true that UK knife crime was rising, when you compared the situation to Brazil it was low. Putting stories into this global context often makes the children less fearful.
In-depth
Before our teachers discuss the news with the children, they reiterate the Burnet News Club’s five key tips:
- Listen first. People in your group will have different thoughts and beliefs. Hearing what they think first will help you work out what you think.
- Ideas, not people. When you want to reply to someone, try to see their ideas as different from them. “I disagree with Lucy’s idea” is kinder than “I disagree with Lucy”. This approach will help you to argue about the answers, rather than each other.
- It’s OK to think differently. It’s normal to have different ideas to your friends, family or teachers. Instead of seeing it as a problem, be happy that you can talk about something without having to think the same thing.
- Don’t worry if you don’t know. If you don’t know the answer to something about the news that’s OK – don’t be afraid to ask your teacher. Sometimes they won’t know either, so you’ll have the chance to find out together. If you are unsure about what you think about something, think about why you cannot make up your mind and tell your group about that.
- Share how you feel. The news can sometimes be scary or worrying. If this happens, share how you feel with a grown-up – don’t keep it inside.
The Club’s high-quality, in-depth resources have been really well received by teachers because they make them feel very secure and confident in delivering lessons containing contestable questions and, occasionally, controversial subjects.
We’re so impressed with the programme that we will be helping our current cohort of 28 trainee teachers to adopt it into their teaching. We are one of the first teaching school hubs in the country to do this so it is great to be leading the way.
Revelation
While it has been a revelation to the children that there can be opposing views of equal merit, I think the programme has also helped to change the view of parents. One mum expressed her surprise and delight that their child had come home from school and told them very passionately what they thought about an issue in the news. It made some parents question their own stances on key issues.
We can’t ignore what’s going on in the wider world, so we have to address them and encourage the children to develop their own balanced views on a range of issues. News, and the political arguments that surround it, is part of all of our lives and it’s our obligation as educators to make sure that children engage with the news in a safe and expertly guided way. We want our children to develop the values that help to create a healthier society in the future; values such as kindness, consideration, hearing out the other side and, if necessary, disagreeing. Respectfully, of course.
Read all about it – about Burnet News Club
- The Burnet News Club was named after former editor of The Economist editor and ITN news anchor, the late Sir Alastair Burnet, and is run by The Economist Educational Foundation.
- The Club is designed to help young people aged between 9 and 14 develop news literacy. Teachers are supported to facilitate in-depth weekly discussions about the news in their classrooms, based on teaching materials created by experienced former-teachers that go through the newspaper’s stringent editorial processes.
- More than 2,800 students in eight of 11 UK regions took part in the Club in 2019-20, a 44 per cent increase on the previous year. Almost a third of students are pupil premium eligible.
- All teachers involved in the programme say that it has had a positive impact on general literacy, with 88 per cent saying that students now have more knowledge about the news because of their involvement in the Club.
- Students also use the Club’s online platform to join in with discussions with other children around the country. Well-known public figures have answered students’ questions on the platform, including BBC journalist Emma Barnett, journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, wildlife presenter Gillian Burke and actor and author Stephen Fry.
Read more at burnetnewsclub.com.
Louise Smith is CEO of Warrington Primary Academy Trust (WPAT), which is made up of seven primary schools in Warrington and Widnes, Cheshire. Find out more at wpat.warrington.sch.uk.
