NEA releases policy brief: "Global Competence is a 21st Century Imperative"

The National Education Association argues that global competence must become part of the core mission of education – from preK through graduate school. 

The 2010 paper can be downloaded here.

NEA President Dennis Van Roekel prefaces the NEA’s new policy brief on global competence with these words:  “The 21st century isn’t coming: it’s already here. And our students have the opportunity and challenge of living and working in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Public schools must prepare our young people to understand and address global issues, and educators must re-examine their teaching strategies and curriculum so that all students can thrive in this global and interdependent society.”

The policy brief identifies four broad elements of global competence - International awareness, appreciation of cultural diversity, proficiency in foreign languages, and competitive skills. The paper argues that not enough is being done in public schools to expose students to global issues, and that low income and minority students in particular lag behind their international peers in terms of knowledge of geography, world cultures, and foreign languages.

The NEA further calls on education policymakers in districts, states, and the federal government to adopt specific measures to promote global competence among educators:

• Align teacher preparation programs with global perspectives.
• Design and support professional development programs with a global focus.
• Find new ways to foster international exchanges.
• Expand the teaching of foreign languages.
• Benchmark educational systems and standards against high achieving countries.