On Thursday 27 September 2018, 45 pupils from Cirencester Deer Park School, Cirencester Kingshill School and Sir William Romney’s School came together at Deer Park to hold a Model United Nations conference on the ongoing conflict in Syria. The Year 9/10 pupils worked collaboratively in order to develop resolutions linked to Sustainable Development Goal 16: Promotion of Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

The Model UN was also part of the World’s Largest Lesson, a global idea that all schools should work with their pupils during September to raise awareness about the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals which have been written to improve the quality of life for all people across the entire world. These goals have the power to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change.  This is the fourth year in which Cirencester Deer Park School has marked the World’s Largest Lesson.  

Led by a team of 9 Trainee Geography Teachers from the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Partnership (GITEP), the pupils carried out research into the situation in Syria and identified what action needed to be taken in order to secure peace in the area and also support the refugees displaced by the conflict. Working in teams representing Jordan, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Russia, France, USA, Turkey and the UK, the pupils worked in delegations of 4-5 and worked their way through a range of activities, before using their new knowledge to help develop solutions to support Syria. The pupils from Cirencester Deer Park also had the opportunity to implement the debating skills which they had developed thanks to their World Peace Day session with students from Alfrink College in the Netherlands.

After putting together resolutions and an excellent session of lobbying, the pupils carried out the debate over 90 minutes, all working hard to get their resolutions passed and to challenge the opinions of the other countries.   

"The three main objectives of the World’s Largest Lesson - caring, creating and collaborating - were seen in abundance throughout the day. We have coordinated an annual Model UN for a number of years now and to have three local schools involved this year was brilliant. The materials and learning opportunities created by the Geography Trainee Teachers from GITEP really got the pupils working together and made them think hard about the importance of information in backing up an argument! The quality of debate during the afternoon really identified the pupils' understanding of the issues and their application of knowledge from work covered in Geography was great to see.  I am sure the day has inspired some of our pupils to find out more about the international Model UN held at Alfrink College, Holland (MUNA) in February 2019." Rebecca Lillington, Associate Assistant Head and Subject Leader for Geography GITEP
 

Related Links:

• The World's Largest Lesson 2017: Every Plate Tells a Story
• The World's Largest Lesson 2016: Model UN
• MUNA 2018
• MUNA 2016