How to put peace at centre of school life
VIEWPOINTS
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YOU report that the government has officially backed the M.E.N.’s #WeStandTogether campaign to get peace studies taught in all schools across the region (M.E.N. October
2). It’s a good first step, but we need to recognize that peace is a process to engage in, inspired by values of justice and freedom.
Young people today are more aware through the media of world events and confront a wider range of confusing issues than my generation 70 years ago. Mental health, drug addiction, family breakdown, bullying, widespread violence and the misuse of lethal weapons, inordinate exam pressure, all of which impact on them daily.
Peace in conservative politics arouses suspicion because it is seen exclusively in the context of the nuclear issue, but it has a much wider remit and schools should be concerned for peace, positively in encouraging co-operation and negatively addressing different forms of violence, physical, psychological or verbal.
All major religions claim to believe in peace but often fall short of the ideal. Peace studies as part of the curriculum requires more teaching staff, at a time of shortage of teaching resources. Another means of introducing peace is by discussing individual subjects, such as history, English, religious knowledge, and even physics through a peace focus. In recent years ‘Teach Peace’ packs have been available to schools provided by the Peace Education Network.
Young people are very quick to recognize unfairness and injustice so when peace is seen as a process valuing justice and freedom a response is guaranteed. Sometimes tension can exist in reconciling these ideas because when justice is not available or freedom is denied peace is threatened. The Prime Minister’s speech to the Conservative conference focused very much on justice and injustice.
A peaceful approach should be an important and influential part of young people’s experience preparing them for life after school, but an even greater influence should exist within families and societies. Tom Jackson, Stockport