1. Geographical Inequalities and Young Lives
More or less equal?
Caroline Knowles, Communications Manager, Young Lives
Liz Newbon, Education & Youth Adviser, Oxfam GB
23 January 2016 1

2. OXFAM
A global movement of people working towards a world without poverty
Together with communities across the world, Oxfam is striving for a future free from poverty.
I think you might find it helpful if I just briefly set Oxfam’s education work within the broader Oxfam context, so that you know a little more about the breadth of the organisation’s work and its relevance to schools.
Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty. Our purpose is to help create lasting solutions to the injustice of poverty. Oxfam is part of a global movement for change, empowering people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty.
Oxfam has been working to tackle both the symptoms and causes of poverty since it started in Oxford in Today it works in more than 90 countries worldwide.

3. A major issue which Oxfam campaigns on is inequality
A major issue which Oxfam campaigns on is inequality. Oxfam recently published this statistic, stating that the world’s richest 62 people own the same wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population. In 2010 this figure was 388. The global inequality crisis is reaching new extremes and the richest 1% now have more wealth than the rest of the world combined.
Data sources:
An economy for the 1%: How privilege and power in the economy drive extreme inequality and how this can be stopped (Deborah Hardoon, Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva and Sophia Ayele, Oxfam International, 2016) policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/an-economy-for-the-1-how-privilege-and-power-in-the-economy-drive-extreme-inequ
Working for the few: Political capture and economic inequality (Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva and Nick Galasso, Oxfam International, 2014) policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/working-for-the-few-political-capture-and-economic-inequality

4. OXFAM EDUCATION
Education for global citizenship helps young people to develop the core competencies which allow them to actively engage with the world, and help to make it a more just and sustainable place.
In fact Oxfam has been working in education for more than 50 years and has established a reputation as a leader in the field of global learning. Its curriculum for global citizenship has been used as a key reference point by many schools across the UK and beyond as they work out how to prepare their students for life in a global society.
Oxfam’s approach to global citizenship is set out in this guide (recently updated in 2015).
[share publication: ‘Education for Global Citizenship: A guide for schools’ – perhaps highlighting the key elements on p4 and the curriculum framework on p5-8)

5. SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS
Free curriculum-based teaching resources and CPD guides at
It is probably also obvious that global citizenship isn’t just about one or two curriculum subjects, like citizenship or even geography, nor is it an additional subject to squeeze in. Oxfam has experience of global learning enriching all curriculum areas.
That’s why Oxfam has a wealth of curriculum-based teaching resources on the Oxfam Education website.
Resources are one thing; having the confidence to develop the curriculum in this way and to handle controversial global issues in the classroom is another for many teachers. So Oxfam also offers free CPD guides on the website and also provides comprehensive, specialist in-school support and professional development opportunities for teachers.

6. YOUNG LIVES: 12,000 CHILDREN IN 4 COUNTRIES OVER 15 YEARS
Unique international dataset – power of longitudinal data grows with every round
Collaborative project – with partners in study countries
Led from University of Oxford

7. SOME KEY FINDINGS
Childhoods are changing: communities and social norms are changing; children’s roles within family are shifting (e.g. work)
Inequality is still entrenched: particularly urban/rural (although access to services is improving with economic growth)
Schooling has expanded: enrolment is rising rapidly and aspirations are high, but equity and access is uneven. Retention/drop-out, resources, curriculum relevance, violence - all mediated by inequality
Nutrition and health: malnutrition is shockingly high (but we have some evidence of recovery), food security is still an issue
Adolescence and gender: gaps widen in later childhood; many girls still marry young; 30% still in education at age 19 (but many not completed secondary), moving into labour market (importance of decent work)
Ethiopia: 13% girls married (and 2/3 of them had a baby = 9% of all girls)
India: 36% married (and 60% of them had a baby = 24% of all girls)
Peru: 20% married (and 24% had a child)
Vietnam: 19% married (80% of them had a baby = 16% of all girls)

8. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WITH RESEARCH
Promoting Young Lives data as a public good = widening participation
Increasing understanding of development issues = outreach
Building long-term relationship with Oxfam = knowledge exchange (among other activities)
New forms of communication (e.g. data visualisation for social media)
OXFAM TEAM HAS SKILLS WE DON’T HAVE
Fits into our wider comms & engagement strategy = especially working with allies and networks
Working with academic researchers means this kind of thing doesn’t always come naturally!

9. TEACHING RESOURCES
Geography (social studies in Scotland) resources for year olds exploring Young Lives in an unequal world.
Our recently published More or Less Equal? resources help to bring geography lessons to life by exploring how inequality and poverty affect the lives of young people in different parts of the world, including the UK. Created in partnership with Young Lives and with the support of subject associations, More or Less Equal? has separate sessions in geography, maths and English which can be used in both a subject-specific and cross-curricular way. It is available to freely download from the Oxfam Education website.
Supported by: 9 9

10. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
Closely linked to the curricula in England, Wales and Scotland, the geography materials provide a range of information sources to:
support learners to develop their locational and place knowledge of the four Young Lives countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Viet Nam)
explore their existing knowledge and assumptions about these countries, and…
develop their awareness of the similarities, differences and links between places.
Clockwise from top left:
Image info: Many children in Addis Ababa live in homes made of corrugated iron. This area is soon due to be demolished to make way for new buildings. All the families living here will have to move.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Alula Pankhurst
Image info: Walking along a road in the mountains of Peru.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Raúl Egúsquiza Turriate
Image info: A young woman collects water in rural Andhra Pradesh.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Sarika Gulati
Image info: Going to school in Viet Nam. Nearly all children use bicycles to get to school. Smaller children are often taken to school by their parents on motor-cycles.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Nguyen Quang Thai & Trinh Van Dang
Image info: A night scene in the city of Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh.
Photo credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam
Image info: Young people on their way to school in rural Ethiopia. In some parts of Ethiopia, children can spend up to an hour walking each way to school.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Yisak Tafere
Image info: Looking out over Lima, Peru's capital city, at sunset.
Photo credit: Quado678 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lima,_Peru_Sunset_Skyline_%26_Cityscape.png
Image info: Harvesting rice in rural Viet Nam. 10 10

11. Average income per person Primary school enrolment
KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
MEASURING DEVELOPMENT
Average income per person
Life expectancy
Access to water
The activities support learners will recognise that measuring ‘development’ is complex and that there are a number of different ways in which it can be measured. Through activities such as a Development Trumps game and using Gapminder to map inequalities, they will start to identify some of the between and in-country inequalities that exist, at the same time developing geographical skills in analysing and interpreting different data sources.
Clockwise from top left:
Image info: A man withdraws money from a cash machine in Baqa, Jordan.
Photo credit: Sam Tarling
Image info: Women and children gather in Harre village in Ethiopia as a jerrycan washing campaign gets under way.
Photo credit: Shumon Alam/Oxfam
Image info: A mother and child in Pampamarca main square in Peru.
Photo credit: Percy Ramírez/Oxfam
Image info: A classroom in Andhra Pradesh. Chalk boards are used in many schools in India.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Farhatullah Beig
Image info: Ranbeer and his wife Sundari next to a water pump in India. The pump is powered by electricity and was installed recently after electricity was supplied to their community.
Photo credit: Rajendra Shaw/Oxfam
Image info: A mother and baby in Viet Nam.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Pham Viet Anh
Infant mortality rate
Access to electricity
Primary school enrolment 11 11

12. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
Using quantitative and qualitative data from Young Lives and other data sources, such as the World Bank, Nations learners will also explore some of the changes that have taken place both in the Young Lives communities as well as the countries as a whole. They will also consider the progress that has been made in the countries towards the Millennium Development Goals, and think critically about what changes will happen in the future.
Image source: The Global Goals for Sustainable Development, 12 12

13. THINKING ABOUT WHERE I LIVE
KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
THINKING ABOUT WHERE I LIVE
What is your locality like?
Is it rural or urban?
How much green space is there?
What types of amenities are near where you live?
How far do you live from school?
Where is your nearest shop?
How far do you live from the nearest health centre or doctor’s surgery?
What and where are the best places to visit with your friends?
What and where are the ‘eyesores’ (places in your locality that you don’t like)?
Another area of skills development is mapping activity and I thought we would try a quick activity from session 3 of the geography resources. I would like you to take a few moments to close your eyes and think about the area around where you live. Before you might like to take a quick look at these questions to help your thinking.
Now, on your tables are some pieces of paper and pencils. I would now like to take a few minutes to draw a quick mental map of your local area. There are no right or wrong ways of doing this and it is up to you to decide what features to include.
Finally take a moment to share your map with the person sitting next to you. You might like to ask a few questions about each others’ maps. 13 13

14. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
Tufa , Ethiopia
Elmer, Peru
Explain that learners are asked to do this activity in geography session 3. They are then given profiles to read of some young people from the four Young Lives countries. Two of these young people are Tufa from Ethiopia and Elmer from Peru.
Provide very brief summaries of their profiles (see information below). After sharing this information, explain that learners are then asked to have a go at drawing sketch maps of what they think the localities of these young people are like.
Tufa, Ethiopia
This is Tufa (Too-fa). He is 13 years old. Tufa and his family live in a rural area of Oromia State in Ethiopia. There are seven other people in his family: his father and mother, two brothers and three sisters. Tufa had another sister but she died of malaria.
Tufa and his family all live together in one small corrugated iron room. It is divided into two and they use it as a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen and to keep livestock. They don’t have a toilet.
Tufa did well in school but he had to drop out to look after the cattle. Tufa was sad because the other children were allowed to learn but he wasn’t allowed to. There were no other children who could look after cattle except him at home. One of Tufa’s younger sisters also misses school as she helps at home. The rest of his brothers and sisters were allowed to start school. Tufa wants to learn and become a teacher after he finishes his education.
Tufa fetches water from the river and looks after the goats and cattle. He has to stop the cattle from eating the crops. Tufa also spends a lot of time fishing. He needs to fish to help get food for his family to eat. Poor children have to fish. Rich boys buy their fish from poor families instead of fishing.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Antonio Fiorente
Elmer, Peru
This is Elmer (El-mer). He is 12 years old and lives with his older sister Eva in Lima. Lima is the capital city of Peru. Elmer came to the city from his village earlier this year so that he could start secondary school. Elmer misses his family and friends in the village but knows that he will be going home one day.
Elmer’s sister Eva is 25 and has two small children. Her husband is a carpenter. Elmer also moved to the city to help look after Eva’s children. He takes care of them in the afternoons and on Saturdays when she works in a restaurant.
They live next to a busy road in a densely populated part of the city. It is close to Elmer’s school. Their apartment is on the second floor above a car repair shop. The living room and kitchen are spacious and they have electrical appliances: a television, a DVD player, a stereo, a fridge and a cooker. Moving to Lima meant a big change in Elmer’s life. He moved from the primary school in his village to a large secondary school in the city. Elmer likes the playground in his new school though he wishes it was cleaner. He thinks that secondary school is more difficult than primary school because there is more homework and there are more teachers.
At home in his village, Elmer helped his parents on their farm. He took care of the animals, worked the land and picked coffee. Sometimes Elmer got paid a small amount for this. Elmer spent a lot of time playing with his little sister and taking care of his youngest brother. In Lima, Elmer likes going out and playing in the park. He doesn’t like all the cars and noise. He thinks that his village is nicer because there are more trees.
Elmer wants to complete secondary school, to go to university and to become a doctor. He would like to have a wife and children but not until he is at least 25 years old. In the future he would like to travel and visit other places.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Sebastian Castañeda Vita 14 14

15. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
Explain that this activity is based on similar activities carried out by Young Lives research officers in the four countries. Here are some young people in Ethiopia working on their mental maps.
Photo credit: © Young Lives 15 15

16. KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING & SKILLS
Learners then have the opportunity to explore mental maps from some of the Young Lives communities. These maps are based on the drawings of young people in the communities; as well as photographs, community profiles and other maps.
Note: These maps were drawn by a professional designer but were based heavily on maps and pictures drawn by young people as well as photographs and written profiles of the communities.
Map credit: Gary Wing 16 16

17. CRITICAL THINKING
The resources also provide opportunities for learners to develop critical thinking. For example in session 4, learner use a video clip, images and quotes from young people and parents to explore inequalities in education within the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in India, as well as education gaps between India and the UK.
Clockwise from top left:
Image info: Learners concentrating in class at a school in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Farhatullah Beig
Image info: Secondary school classroom in the city of Hyderabad, India.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Sarika Gulati
Image info: Girls in a boarding school in Andhra Pradesh, India (notice how their trunks are stacked at the back of the classroom). Gender-segregated schools are common in India, especially at the secondary level, when children may have to board at a school in the nearest town some distance from home.
Image info: Infant school children learning to write on chalk boards in class, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Image info: A classroom in Andhra Pradesh. Chalk boards are used in many schools in India.
Image info: A computer class at a school in Hyderabad, India. 17 17

18. CRITICAL THINKING Ravi Sarada
I had to drop out of school three years ago to earn money to help my family pay off a debt of 20,000 rupees (about £200). I am now working full-time as a farm help.
Ravi
I would like to continue my studies and go to secondary school. However the secondary school is eight kilometres away and you have to go by bus. Many girls in our village drop out at this stage because their parents don’t want them to travel on public transport on their own. They fear for their safety.
My best friend at school was an older girl called Sabeena but she was married at the age of 15 and I don’t see her much any more. Many girls in my village are married at 14 or 15.
Here are examples of a couple of quotes from young people in Young Lives communities, talking about their experiences of education.
Photo credit: All images © Young Lives/Farhatullah Beig & Sarika Gulati
Sarada 18 18

19. WHY–WHY–WHY CHAIN
WHY?
WHY?
WHY? .
WHY
WHY?
WHY? .
WHY?
WHY
ISSUE
Why can’t some young people in India go to school?
WHY?
WHY
WHY?
WHY?
WHY
WHY?
Learners then use a Why-why-why chain to think critically about why some young people in India aren’t able to go to school.
Distribute copies of Global Citizenship in the Classroom: A guide for teachers, and provide a simple explanation of how the activity works. If time, ask participants to have a go at starting their own Why-why-why chain around this issue.
WHY?
WHY
WHY? .
WHY? .
WHY

20. WHY–WHY–WHY CHAIN
WHY?
Lack of money invested in national and state education systems.
WHY?
The school is too far away.
WHY?
They can’t get there.
WHY
Some parents are worried that it will be unsafe for girls to travel.
WHY?
Some families don’t allow girls to travel on public transport on their own.
WHY?
They need to help support their family.
WHY?
They have to work.
WHY
Their parents might be unable to work or in very low-paid work.
ISSUE
Why can’t some young people in India go to school?
WHY?
They need to help with housework or caring for siblings.
WHY
Their parents might be out at work.
WHY?
Parents can’t afford the fees.
WHY?
Parents struggle to find work or earn low wages.
WHY
WHY?
Some parents think that education is less important for girls.
Here is an example of a completed Why-why-why chain. Once the process has gone as far as it can, learners are asked to look at their different reasons in the boxes on the right-hand side. For each reason, discuss what learners think should be done to improve the situation and who they think is responsible for improving education provision.
WHY?
Boys are often viewed as the main earners in the future.
WHY
WHY?
Some girls are married at 14 or 15.
WHY?
Families face pressure from traditional or religious practices.
WHY

21. WHY MIGHT H’MAI HAVE TROUBLE GETTING ALL THE HEALTH CARE SHE NEEDS?
CRITICAL THINKING
WHY MIGHT H’MAI HAVE TROUBLE GETTING ALL THE HEALTH CARE SHE NEEDS?
H’Mai
Another example of a critical activity is in session 5, where learners solve a reading mystery to explore why one of the young people in a Young Lives community in Viet Nam finds it difficult to access good healthcare.
Image info: H’Mai is 13 years old and lives with her family in a poor, rural area in Phu Yen province.
Photo credit: © Young Lives/Nguyen Quang Thai & Trinh Van Dang 21 21

22. LOCAL AND GLOBAL LINKS
Finally, learners also consider the issues of inequality and poverty in the UK.
1 in 5 of the UK population live below our official (relative) poverty line. This means that over 13 million people in the UK do not have enough to live well.
Source: A Tale of Two Britains: Inequality in the UK, Sarah Dransfield, Oxfam, 2014: policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/a-tale-of-two-britains-inequality-in-the-uk 22 22

23. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN POVERTY IN THE UK?
LOCAL AND GLOBAL LINKS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE IN POVERTY IN THE UK?
Learners learn about the difference between relative and extreme poverty. Then, using a video clip from a UNICEF Rights Respecting School in Scotland as a prompt, learners consider the potential impacts of poverty on young people in the UK. Again this activity is based on a similar one carried out by Young Lives researchers where young people do a well-being exercise to identify what it means to be doing well or not well in life.
Photo credit: © Young Lives 23 23

24. Poverty in the UK Being less able to concentrate in school
Health problems
Living in a cold and damp house
Being hungry
Not being able to heat your house properly
Not being able to buy enough food to eat
Poverty in the UK
Not being able to buy new clothes
Not being able to afford bus fares
Not having internet access at home
Learners then use a consequences wheel to help them think critically about the impacts of living in relative poverty in the UK.
Not being able to meet up with friends
Feeling ‘different’
Finding it difficult to do homework

25. FINDING OUT MORE
Please do visit the Oxfam Education and Young Lives websites to find out more about More or Less Equal?, Young Lives and the work of Oxfam Education.
Thank you for taking part, any questions? 25 25