You Are Members of the Schools Council Charity Sub Group

Assessment task: Note this task is aimed at the AT2 elements of this unit of work. Assessment of AT1 should be based on class work.

You are members of the Schools Council Charity sub group.

Some students who go to local churches have asked to hold a Slum Survivor event at the school to raise awareness of poverty in the developing world. They have downloaded the information from the Slum Survivor website and persuaded the schools council that it would be good idea to hold this event.

However as soon as it was announced that this was going to happen the school received a number of letters from parents and others concerned about the whole idea.

The head teacher has decided to let the schools council should decide what to do. You must now review the comments. Then:-

 As a group decide which you think are the three most important issues here. Give reasons to support your choices. Use grid.  On your own as Chairman write a response from the schools council saying whether or not the event should take place giving your reasons. Dear Head teacher

I was most concerned when my daughter brought home the letter about the Slum Survivor letter.

First I am not against schools fundraising for charities and making children aware of the problems of the third world. We regularly give money to Oxfam and supported RED NOSE day last year. BUT I don’t think it is right that the school should be supporting a religious charity in this way. I have had a look at their website, they are clearly a happy clappy bible bashing group and I am concerned that my daughter might be indoctrinated by this group.

In this day and age religion is outdated and irrelevant and groups like this are just trying to justify their continued existence by tapping into a genuine humanist concern about poverty in the third world. These irrelevant religious busy bodies should butt out of these issues; it is nothing to do with them anyway.

Please think again about this fund raising event.

Yours sincerely Dear Head teacher

I am delighted and encouraged to give my permission for my son to be involved in the slum survivor event.

I have had the opportunity to travel on business to South Africa and saw some of the slums first hand. It was disgusting and I was really shocked. I am glad that the school is encouraging my son to think about these issues. I realise this is a Christian charity but I am sure that we all recognise the importance of all peoples working together to solve world poverty. Your s sincerely

Abdul Nazeer

Memo: From the Staff committee Dear Head:

We discussed the plan by the Schools Council to hold a slum survivor event this term.

We all felt that in principle it was a good idea and we are proud of the students we teach for being so committed to the plight of those in the developing world. It shows that all the work we have been doing in PSHE is having an impact.

However, we do have some concerns. Are we expected to give up our weekend to man this event? We have a campus in the centre of town, how will we stop the homeless and others from joining in? Then there are a lot of health and safety issues, The students are cooking their own food on gas burners..just think of the risk assessment forms!

Many of the students concerned have year 10 mocks the week after this sleepout and we are worried that if they get colds etc they may not perform as well as they might in the important mock exams.

You should note that two of our committee are concerned that this is a Christian Organisation behind this event, and suggest that we would be better just having a non uniform day again. Memo: From Mrs Mellow

I thought I ought to let you know that a girl in my tutor group was noticeably distressed during tutor time yesterday. When I spoke to her it became clear that she was suffering verbal bullying from some of classmates. She is one of those organising the slum survivor event but she is being called names and being made fun of because she goes to church.

Until this event here friends did know that she went to church but didn’t know much about what this meant. Now that they do they are giving her a hard time.

Do you think that this event might lead to more students being bullied in this way? Phone Message

TO: head teacher

Ivor Storie from the local BBC tv news rang. Wants to come with film crew to film the Slum survivor sleepout, interview some kids, the head and the pastor from the local church. Can you phone him back to arrange time?

Local radio have also called. Phone Message

TO: head teacher

Mrs Firebrand from the local residents association rang (her garden backs onto the school), I said you were in a meeting. Concerned about young people sleeping out at school. Worried about noise and vandalism, she mentioned that she has had problems with our students before. She is writing to local MP.