Working to equip children for environmental action through active citizenship
Ali Body, Head of Impacts, Insights and Research
Estimated reading time 3 minutes
Dr Ali Body, Head of Impact, Insights and Research shares her insights on what schools can do to enable active citizenship.
There are three key things schools can do to support and enable active citizenship: (1) teach students about their rights and responsibilities, (2) give them freedom to lead social action projects, and (3) provide safe and inclusive environments in which to take action. Sadly, however, too few schools are able to do all three, so active citizenship remains rare. The barriers are systemic, but they can be addressed. They need to be.
As a Senior Academic at the University of Kent, I led the Educating for Social Good project, a 3-year exploration into the transformative power of active citizenship education, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
This work underscored the critical role of schools as hubs for civic learning, action, and support, preparing children to tackle systemic social and environmental challenges.
Now, as Head of Impact, Insights, and Research at Global Action Plan, I am excited to bring these findings to our Education work, which embodies much of what we advocate for in this research.
Our findings emphasise that active citizenship flourishes when schools combine civic learning (teaching rights and responsibilities), civic action (empowering children to lead social initiatives), and civic support (providing safe, inclusive environments). However, we found that whilst primary school educators are dedicated to fostering active civic learning, access to opportunities remains unequal.
Schools supporting the most deprived communities, face the most barriers and, as a result, often provide fewer opportunities for social action and active citizenship. This is not due to a lack of effort, it is due to challenges at the systemic level - financial constraints, poverty – and schools having to prioritise the provision of civic support, such as food banks, warm banks, and welfare support.
This issue extends beyond education, posing significant challenges for societal equality and democracy, both now and in the future. Children from the most privileged backgrounds are more likely to gain early access to active citizenship opportunities, equipping them with crucial skills before secondary school; and timing matters. Research shows that middle childhood is a critical period for developing these competencies.
If access remains unequal, it increases the likelihood that the voices of the most privileged will continue to dominate societal debates and decision-making. This risks perpetuating existing inequalities in citizenship engagement, rather than addressing and redressing them, ultimately reinforcing systemic disparities over time.
These challenges are especially urgent in the context of the climate and nature crisis. Research shows that the most privileged often contribute the most to climate change, while its impacts disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities, underscoring the need for equitable climate action.
To address this, all children need education that equips them as empowered, strategic changemakers - not just academically, but holistically. Yet, our research reveals that the current education system prioritises narrow academic goals over broader development. For example, over two-thirds of primary schools’ citizenship education focuses on passive, charity-based activities, rather than on engaging students in participatory, justice-oriented actions to tackle systemic issues.
However, some primary schools are bucking the trend, working in the most disadvantaged communities to empower children as active changemakers. Drawing on their lived experiences, these schools support children in tackling issues that matter most to them and are often impacting their daily lives. For example, during this project, children confidently talked to us about leading transformative initiatives: campaigning for better housing by researching the health impacts of damp and mould, and writing to MPs and housing associations; launching projects to reduce air pollution around their schools; and addressing food poverty by creating donation schemes, developing a community garden and developing leftover recipes to cut waste. Each of these projects were completed alongside their local community, positioning the school as a civic hub of community action.
One of the reasons I joined Global Action Plan was the work on Generation Action, which embodies so much of these approaches. Generation Action envisions an education system that equips young people to act collectively for the good of people and the planet. By 2030, we aim for every child to leave school ready to tackle the climate, nature, and social challenges of the future.
This goal is epitomised by our Good Life Schools programme, which reflects the essence of active citizenship: a diverse, compassionate, and strategic approach to changemaking. It aligns perfectly with the findings from Educating for Social Good, providing a pathway to ensure every child has the tools and confidence to lead on environmental and social challenges.
To find out more about the Educating for Social Good Project and see the project reports please go to:
https://research.kent.ac.uk/children-as-philanthropic-citizens/
To find out more about Global Action Plan’s work with young people, please visit our Generation Action pages and sign up to our fortnightly e-newsletter.