Students and community leaders across London primary schools and UCL campaigning for housing action. Credits: Rui Zhang.

6 August 2024

By Sophie Ho, Education Studies BA*

*From the 2024/2025 academic year onwards, this degree has been renamed the Education, Society and Culture BA.

Hermit crabs, 39 UCL students, a professor, eight London schools, and a national community organising group—what connects them all? A shared commitment to community action for change. As one of the fortunate students on the Educating and Organising for Social Justice module, I had the incredible opportunity to embark on a transformative journey that fundamentally reshaped my understanding of education, social justice, and the power of collective action.

What makes the Educating and Organising for Social Justice module so unique is how seamlessly it integrates different components across two terms. Over the first ten weeks, we engaged in fascinating lectures and interactive seminars, delving into the theories and history of educating for change and community organising. This foundation laid the groundwork for the second part of the module–the community organising placement in collaboration with Citizens UK. In teams of five, we brainstormed, designed, and ran a series of workshops in specific schools, culminating in a final action. This hands-on experience allowed me to witness firsthand how theory can bridge into practice, highlighting the importance of educating oneself before educating others.

This year, the module focused on the pressing issue of the housing crisis, aligning with the London mayoral election. This is a part of Citizens UK’s national Housing and Homelessness campaign, which calls on the UK Government to make change on three key demands:

1. End child homelessness.
2. Unlock the potential for more affordable housing across the UK.
3. Publish a national home upgrade strategy to make existing homes safe, healthy and energy-sufficient. [1]

Too many Londoners live in mouldy, damp, and overcrowded homes despite rising rent prices. With at least 168,000 children in the UK living in temporary accommodation, and 1.3 million households in England on waitlists for social housing [2], it is clear that housing instability is a significant issue currently facing millions of people up and down the country. The magnitude of the housing crisis became clear as we learned about the dire conditions faced by many students we worked with, including mold, dampness, overcrowding, and the alarming number of children in temporary accommodation.

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Credit: Hurca!, generated with AI / Adobe.

2 January 2024

By Batool Wajiha Zaidi, Arts and Sciences BASc.

Climate change is one of the most significant global challenges that humanity has ever had to face. Such a complex challenge requires a collective effort across all sectors of society to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change and protect the future of our planet. In particular, universities are uniquely situated to respond to the climate crisis through education and academic research. 

Students are profoundly affected by university policies and have raised concerns as to the current education system’s ability to prepare them for the uncertainty of the future. Yet, their voice and impact is almost non-existent in climate change and sustainability education policy. Students have an insider perspective and are motivated to challenge the existing practices of an institution, as such; with proper engagement, they can make meaningful recommendations for sustainable futures in higher education. 

In order to address the lack of engagement of students in policymaking for sustainability in higher education, we conducted a research project co-led by two undergraduate students to better understand students’ perceptions of climate change and sustainability education in universities and produce a collaborative policy brief.
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