Promoting democratic values across an international school network

What is it about?

Round Square is an international network of around 180 elite schools with a system of shared values, or IDEALS: Internationalism, Democracy, Environmentalism, Adventure, Leadership and Service. We investigated the way students, teachers and leaders across the network understood these IDEALS, which they felt were most important and why, and how well they thought they were implemented in their own schools. We issued a global questionnaire gathering 5000 responses, and did case study interviews and focus groups in 5 schools in different continents. Internationalism was highly valued across the board. While adults stressed the importance of service, students felt leadership was most important to them. Democracy was valued by all, but thought by many to be the least well implemented in their schools. On further examination, students' understandings of democracy were not sophisticated, and revolved around elections to student representative bodies. We argue that democracy is better understood as empowering students to respond to real needs and issues in the world, through curricular learning and practical action in a reflective cycle. This is particularly the case if these relatively privileged children and communities are to avoid charity work and poverty tourism that do little to enhance understanding of, and to challenge global inequalities and injustices.

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Why is it important?

This article demonstrates how values such as democracy need to be understood and developed through reflective action in real-world contexts rather than taught as topics. It also shows that there is a desire among many students to engage with values in this way, and that practical frameworks exist to support it.