60 Year 5 & 6 pupils from Kings Oak Primary School had a harsh lesson on 4th June, quickly realising that global trading is deeply unfair!
The children were broken down into 12 groups of three different countries representing rich/emerging & poor countries of the world and tried to generate wealth for their ‘countries’ by making paper shapes which had a currency they could then bank. The poor countries had lots of raw materials (paper) but no technology and the rich countries had all the technology but limited raw materials. The rich countries quickly began manufacturing but were unwilling to trade their technology for the raw materials they needed thereby ensuring the poor countries remained poor.
The workshop evoked some wonderful thinking and comments from the pupils...
"I learnt that in different part of the world, things will work differently. We are lucky enough to be one of the greater countries. Also, that some poorer parts of the world have helped us become greater."
and,
"I've learnt that nothing in the world is equal. I have also learnt that everyone needs to make a difference."
A debrief following the game highlighted the plight of the cocoa farmers in Ghana and the fact that out of a £1 bar of chocolate, the farmers only receive 7p, with the rest going to the two Governments in tax, the manufacturers, and the retailers which the children thought was deeply unfair.
A powerful and thought provoking game for all concerned.
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