The Importance Of Voting

Voting: How And Why You Should Do It

Politics. Often a touchy subject among adults, it is a concept that is more likely to inspire groans or a case of eyes glazing over among young people. It has long had the stigma of being boring, uninteresting and having very little to do with the day-to-day lives of young people, but that idea couldn’t be further from the truth.

Politics Has A Huge Impact On Your Life And Your Future

Our politicians, through their respective parties, are the people that we put in charge of our country. They are who we put our trust in to make decisions on laws, public services like schools and the NHS, and plenty of other things too. We do that by voting them into power in a general election—we have one coming up this year. Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, or other, whichever of our political parties align with your ideals or you feel best serve your interests, it’s important to get out there on polling day and show your support. If you don’t know your Labour from your Lib Dem, now is the time to learn. And if you’re not old enough to vote yet, it’s still important to know what’s going on politically in the country, as it will help you make the most informed decision you can when you turn 18.

Why Should I Vote?

Voting gives you a say in the deciding of how the UK is run. The Members of Parliament (MPs) you elect are the ones who will make the decisions on the issues you care about. An election is also your chance to speak out if you disagree with how the country is being run. If you don’t vote, you’ll have no say on those who will end up making these decisions. You may well think, Well, it’s just one vote, that’s not really going to make much of a difference, is it? But consider this: In the 2019 general election, over 15 million people were non-voters, amounting to almost a third of the registered population! Of people aged 18-24, over 50% did not cast a vote in the election. Had that not been the case, it could have made a huge difference to the outcome of the election. Never underestimate the importance of your vote.

How Do I Vote?

There are several ways to vote. But before you do that, you need to be on the electoral register. If you don’t sign up, you won’t be allowed to vote come Polling Day. It’s a straightforward process that you can do online here, it even tells you what and where you’re eligible to vote.

Voting in person is the most common way to cast yours. They take place in polling stations locally, usually in a public building such as a church, a school or a public hall. Once you’re registered and voting time comes along, you’ll be sent a polling card which will tell you where you can cast your vote. This is important, as you cannot cast your vote anywhere else.

Polling stations will be open from 7 am until 10 pm on polling day, and all you need to do is turn up, give your name and address to the staff inside and show your photo ID (you can’t vote without ID). You’ll then be given a ballot paper that lists the people and parties you can vote for. Just like in exams, follow the instructions on the paper; marking too many boxes, or making the wrong kind of mark will make your vote void. Don’t let all your efforts go to waste. If you are unable to vote in person, you can also vote by post. Find out how to do that in more detail here. Then there is also the option to have somebody vote on your behalf, which is also known as voting by proxy. This could be because of a disability, being out of the country, or other reasons. Find out how to vote by proxy here.

What If No Party Represents My Best Interests?

It’s possible you might not align with the values of any party, or believe none of them are doing enough to solve the problems of the country. If that is how you feel, you might just think you may as well stay at home and do nothing. But that can send the wrong message, that you are uninterested instead of disengaged. You can spoil your ballot by either leaving it blank or by deliberately filling it in incorrectly. These votes are still counted, and if the numbers are significant, parties may start thinking about what they can do to reconnect with the disengaged voters.

Make Your Voice Heard

You have a voice. You have a right. It’s up to you to use that to make your voice heard and be a part of the positive change you want to bring not only to your constituency but to the country as a whole as well. So when election day comes around this year, be sure to turn up and cross that box.

 

One of the many things politicians influence is the Economy. If you are interested in studying the subject academically, Oxford Home Schooling offers you the chance to do so at several levels, shown below. You can also find advice via our Contact Us page.

Economics A level

Economics IGCSE

Economics GCSE

 

Conservation And Cooperation

In an increasingly interconnected world, the conservation of natural resources and protection of biodiversity requires cooperation and collaboration across borders. Trans-boundary conservation initiatives have emerged as a vital approach to address environmental challenges that transcend national boundaries. By fostering cooperation between countries, these initiatives aim to preserve ecosystems, promote sustainable development, and ensure the long-term survival of species and habitats.

Trans-boundary conservation recognises that ecosystems and wildlife do not adhere to political borders. Many of our planet’s most critical biodiversity hot-spots span multiple countries, making it essential to work together to preserve these invaluable natural treasures. Through such cooperation, countries can pool resources, share scientific knowledge, and coordinate efforts to address common environmental issues.

The Peace Parks Foundation

One notable example of trans-boundary conservation is the Peace Parks Foundation, which focuses on establishing and managing trans-frontier conservation areas in southern Africa. These areas span multiple countries, such as South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, and aim to protect wildlife, promote sustainable tourism, and foster regional cooperation. By transcending political boundaries, these initiatives create vast protected areas that enable the free movement of wildlife and facilitate collaborative efforts.

Trans-boundary conservation not only benefits biodiversity but also contributes to the socioeconomic development of local communities. By promoting sustainable tourism and creating employment opportunities in a number of nations who shared a common goal, these initiatives could alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods. Moreover, such conservation encourages cultural exchange and fosters understanding between neighbouring communities, promoting peace and stability in regions that have historically experienced conflicts.

Cooperative Conservation In Around The Waters

The Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, straddling South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, exemplifies the positive impacts of cross-border conservation on both nature and human communities. This vast area, spanning over 35,000 square kilometres, protects iconic species like elephants, lions, and rhinos, while also providing economic opportunities for local people through responsible tourism and community-based natural resource management.

In addition to terrestrial ecosystems, transboundary cooperation is crucial for the preservation of marine environments. Marine protected areas (MPAs) that span multiple countries can safeguard critical habitats such as coral reefs and migratory routes, and ensure the sustainable management of fisheries. For instance, the Coral Triangle Initiative, encompassing six countries in Southeast Asia, aims to protect the world’s most biodiverse marine region through collaborative efforts in conservation, fisheries management, and sustainable development.

Political Difficulties

Despite the numerous benefits of transboundary conservation, challenges do of course persist. Political differences, competing national interests, and nations’ differing priorities for the actual conservation itself can hinder cooperation. Effective governance structures, clear legal frameworks, and robust communication and coordination mechanisms are essential to overcome these challenges and ensure the success of aid initiatives.

As the world faces growing environmental threats, such as climate change, habitat loss, and wildlife trafficking, transboundary conservation becomes increasingly important. It provides a framework for countries to work together, share resources, and collectively respond. By transcending borders, initiatives can protect ecosystems and wildlife on a larger scale, preserving the integrity of our planet’s natural heritage for future generations.

Why Our Future Needs To Be Together

Cross-border conservation represents a crucial approach in addressing global environmental challenges. By fostering cooperation, sharing resources, and coordinating efforts, preservation initiatives promote the protection of ecosystems, support sustainable development, and safeguard biodiversity. This type of internationally shared conservation not only benefits nature but also contributes to the socioeconomic development and stability of everyone. To tackle global environmental issues effectively, it is imperative that countries embrace such cooperation and work together beyond borders.

Electric cars have been steadily growing in popularity, especially in the past year. There are currently around 300,000 purely electric cars on the road in the UK and 2020 saw a 66% growth in the electric car market compared to 2019.* As well as being a cleaner option for the planet, electric vehicles offer owners significantly reduced running costs when compared to an internal combustion engine. The maintenance cost of an EV (Electric Vehicle) is around 49% lower than that of an ICE (Carbon Emitting) vehicle and fuel costs are, on average, 58% less. According to EDF Energy, one electric car can save around 1500kg of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 4 flights between London and Barcelona – and even when you consider the electricity used to charge the car, carbon emissions are up to 30% less than that of a petrol or diesel vehicle.

Electric Cars Can’t Change Everything

But do EVs solve all our vehicle-related issues? Even if all electricity was generated through renewable sources (which it currently is not), it’s important to remember that the manufacture of electric vehicles still generates carbon. The large number of cars on the road also presents a problem. There are currently around 39.2 million licensed vehicles on the road in the UK, with 82% of them being cars, and car ownership has risen each year since World War II. In 2020 58% of all trips were made by car and 76% of journeys of 2-3 miles (an arguably walkable or cyclable distance) were taken by car. Nearly half of all UK workers choose to drive to work and whilst it is perhaps understandable that 75% of workers from rural areas travel to work by car, driving is the predominant method of travel in urban areas too. Shockingly, 30% of workers in London commute by car, despite the abundance of public transport options available in and around the capital. **

Traffic Trends

All of this means that UK roads are busy, and they’re set to get busier. The RAC project that, by 2050, traffic will have increased by up to 50%, leading to increased journey times and more frequent road traffic accidents. Whilst other methods of travel, such as walking, cycling, and using public transport, do exist, the UK remains obsessed with motor vehicles. Figures from Cycling UK state that, in 2019, over 98% of road traffic was cars, taxis, vans, HGVs and motorbikes. Only 0.7% of traffic was buses whilst just 1% were bicycles. Cycling often presents a dangerous form of travel, particularly in urban areas, as only 2% of the UK road network has a dedicated cycle path which is segregated from motor traffic. In contrast, the famously bike-friendly Netherlands has approximately 22,000 miles of cycle path segregated from motor traffic – a quarter of its road network. Public transport is also lacking in the UK. A 2019 Department for Transport study found that 93% of people living in urban areas live within a 6-minute walk of a bus stop whilst the figure is only 74% for people living in rural villages, and only 63% of all people living in the UK are satisfied with the public transport system; it often presents an expensive and unreliable method of travel.

Electric cars are a fantastic alternative to the highly polluting ICEs that most of us drive, but perhaps a better substitute would be to change our attitude towards cars and instead, invest in and support our public transport and cycle network, providing a more pleasant, sustainable, safer, and healthier way to travel.

*Figures according to nextgreencar.com
** Figures according to the RAC.

It’s On The Horizon

Whilst fossil fuels formed millions of years ago, mankind has been making use of them for just over 200 years and the rate at which we have consumed oil, coal and gas is hugely problematic, and potentially catastrophic. According to data from the BP Statistical Review 2020, oil accounted for 33% of all energy generated globally whilst coal and natural gas represented 27% and 24% respectively. The high demand we place on these non-renewable resources cannot last forever and if we continue to consume these energy sources at current levels the date at which they will “run out” is worryingly close. A study at Stanford University suggests that oil will run out by 2052, gas and coal by 2060. But these figures do not consider the increased demand that is likely to occur from increased global GDP and population growth.

Alternatives To Fossil Fuels

Of course, there are alternatives. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, together with hydroelectric power are now generating increasing amounts of global energy each year – a total of 11% in 2020 – but, at least currently, these sources of energy are expensive and produce smaller amounts of energy compared to the fossil fuels which we are used to. Nuclear energy is another, cheaper and more efficient, alternative but globally we would need to build up to 5000 new nuclear power stations at a cost of nearly $25 trillion to cope with current energy demand, a cost that most countries cannot afford. Of course, it is highly likely that new reserves of oil, gas and coal will be discovered but it will prove increasingly difficult, costly, and environmentally destructive to access them. Hydraulic fracking, for example, is a relatively new technology to extract previously inaccessible stores of natural gas but the damage to the environment this causes, on top of the vast amount of water the process requires, has made fracking an incredibly contentious issue.

The impact of burning fossil fuels is well known and so the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, might seem like a simple solution but, in practice, they may fail to meet all our energy needs. Let’s think about global transportation as an example – because transport currently accounts for 94% of all oil use. Domestically, car users and public transport systems could easily switch to electric methods but the same cannot be said of the huge container ships which transport most goods around the planet. Without the import and export of food and goods, the economy would grind to a halt, the cost of living would rise, and most countries would experience food shortages, potentially leading to starvation.

Beyond The Brink?

Clearly, we need to change our approach to both energy production and consumption if we are to maintain life as we know it in a sustainable way. But perhaps this isn’t even possible. The limited amounts of energy we may have access to in the future may force mankind to adopt a new way of life which does not rely so heavily on electricity and oil. Such a situation could see us return to a more pre-industrial way of life where all that we require to live will be produced within our local communities. Such an existence would certainly be more sustainable than the way we live now and would provide an opportunity for the planet to recover from the decades of intense damage we have inflicted upon it. Whether such a vision is realistic remains to be seen.

Imagine scrolling through Facebook or Twitter and finding a news article that talks about how your favourite company is about to be bought by their biggest rival. You are surprised, shocked and quickly share the article to your friends and family. You quickly message your friends on Whatsapp and tell them you want to talk about it. But you suddenly have a disturbing thought: what if the article is not accurate or true? What if it was just fake news? If you shared fake news to your networks, how will they trust you again?

Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to make sure you do not become a victim of fake news. In this short article, we explore how you can distinguish between what is true and what is false.

1) Double Check Everything You Read Online

Don’t take articles at face value. Make sure you check the information that you read online twice, or three times, or even more! There are plenty of ways to do this. You can do a few more searches on the topic you have just read about to make sure that it is reported in other reputable sources, as well as ask your friends whether they have seen the same news elsewhere.

2) Check The Source

Make sure that the source of the information is reputable. You can do this by digging deeper into the website you are looking at, to see whether there are broken links or images, and whether the web address in the page that you’re reading is suspicious. Most people who share fake news create specific websites that looks official but are not. You can double check the sources from other pages to make sure that they are who they claim to be.

3) Critically Assess What You Read

Developing a critical attitude towards things you read online is important in a digital world. You should always ask yourself questions such as whether the article makes sense from a logical perspective, whether the information reported is trying to persuade you of a certain view, whether the author is biased against a certain angle and whether the story uses words that are too emotional or extreme.

Overall, misinformation is a huge problem for the world in the digital age and it seems like the problem is here to stay. If you become a smarter consumer of information, you would be able to remain ahead of your peers in the your ability to spot what is true or false.

As we enter a new year and find ourselves back in Covid lockdown, it is a great time to think about the skills you could gain to set yourself up for a job.

Building a CV

Although you might be thinking it’s too early to start planning for your career whilst preparing for your GCSEs, the earlier you start writing your CV, the easier it can be to keep track of your achievements.

Coursera is running a free online resume/CV course that will teach you how to organise, write, and format an impressive CV.

Canva is a really useful free tool for building more creative CVs (and countless other visual graphics) that look the part. It’s easy to use, and a popular digital marketing tool. Ability in digital marketing is a great skill to be able to demonstrate to employers.

Soft Skills

Soft skills are defined character traits and interpersonal skills that allow someone to interact well with other people. These skills can make it easier for you to create trust, build relationships, and lead groups.

Many high profile studies into the future of work argue that these skills are the most important – while technology is quickly replacing the need for technical skills, machines will never substitute an individual that can communicate effectively.

The Department for Education has recently introduced a new scheme called ‘An Hour to Skill’, a campaign that encourages young people to spend one hour a week learning online with the Skills Toolkit, with up to 40 hours of free training available. The 18 courses on offer contain lots of options for building soft skills, such as adaptability, resilience and remote working.

Extra-curricular activities are a brilliant way to develop these types of skills and they look great on a CV. For example, positions of authority such as school council roles show leadership, and any participation in interest groups illustrate a great willingness to learn.

Training Courses

For those studying at sixth form or wanting to gain greater insight into the world of work, specialised training courses are a brilliant way to upskill yourself. Online courses can boost your annual pay by £3,640, according to think-tank Demos.

Digital skills are becoming increasingly important – in recent years, the number of digital jobs grew almost three times as quickly as other occupations, with Covid having increased the pace at which workplaces are moving online.

The Skills Toolkit offers everything from coding and computer science, to marketing, social media and design, with courses provided from Google, Amazon and FutureLearn, as well as the Institute of Coding, the University of Leeds, and University Arts London Creative Computing Institute.

LinkedIn is also offering free classes until January 31st for the skills that they have identified as the most important to employers in 2021, such as data analysis and project management. There are also general career development courses on interview preparation available.

Conclusion

With courses taking as little as an hour, why not use a rainy afternoon in lockdown 3.0 to start thinking about your future? Because when it comes to your career, there are no wrong decisions – if you aren’t a fan of the course you take, it simply means that you’ve refined your career path further!

Outdoor education has always played a pivotal role in how pupils learn. It doesn’t just mean studying outside on the grass in the sunshine – it also refers to things like school trips, giving you the chance to go out and view your studies in a new light. For example, a history trip can allow you to explore all the places you’ve read about in your books, which may inspire or motivate you beyond measure.

Trips are a staple of the schooling experience, and two million pupils partake in them every year according to UK Outdoors. If you’ve been on one, chances are you’ve taken part in activities like canoeing, rock climbing or camping. Maybe you’ve even been abroad for one of your language subjects! There’s a lot of memories to be made, hobbies to be kickstarted, and numerous opportunities to enjoy.

However, the ramifications of COVID have struck once again. School trips have been banned for the foreseeable future, and it’s cost the education sector a great deal; a staggering £500m to be exact, and the loss of 6,000 jobs according to The Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL). It’s a staggering outcome already, but unfortunately, it seems things will get worse as the months limp on.

More than a million school trips have been cancelled since March, and the numbers show no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Despite all the rules and regulations being under constant review, it would be safe to assume that school trips are off the cards until mid-late 2021 at the earliest, and it may well extend beyond that too. According to the IOL, many of the centres that offer all of these activities could be facing closure in the near future, which means these kinds of programs may be discontinued entirely in certain areas. Things are looking bleak to say the least, and it’s understandable if you’re feeling dejected about where you land in all of this.

Consequently, it’s important to have your own adventures and trips (within isolation and social distancing rules) with your friends and family if official bodies can’t currently provide them for you. The UK has an abundance of areas that are ripe for outdoor activities and exploration, and if the law allows in your area, do pay them a visit! After all, many of the settings for school trips are often public areas anyway, so you can stop by the places you would have gone to with your classmates and make the most of it at some point. Certainly, won’t be the same, but if you were really looking forward to a particular trip, doing this will be worthwhile!

There’s still some hope, too. Despite all the knockbacks of the pandemic, interest in outdoor education hasn’t waned. In fact, if anything, the demand for it among young scholars has skyrocketed nationwide, no doubt due to the stifling nature of lockdown. In a recent BBC poll of pupils, 83% of participants stated that they’d like to have more lessons outside, and it wouldn’t be surprising if that figure climbed even higher as the months go by. If there’s a huge demand for outdoor learning, you can be sure that the adults in charge will find a way to make it happen when the pandemic is over.

Perhaps outdoor education is a better way forward when spring and summer seasons come around, too? It’s purely speculation of course, but due to the virus being harder to spread outdoors, it could be that studying outside would be a safer way of learning. Obviously, this whole situation is ongoing and for the most part unprecedented, and the path forward is everchanging and mostly unpredictable. What is certain, however, is that you can always pick up your books and do some learning outside yourself when the weather and lockdown rules allow.

Until this is over, do what you can, where you can, while following all the latest guidance. If you’re in your final year, then missing out on school trips will be undoubtedly crushing. That said, do remember that your life is just getting started. Plenty of adventures await you yet!

Why Social Media Is Important To Schools And How To Use It

There are many benefits to using social media in an educational context. Embracing this technology can make schools run more smoothly, give students an interactive platform that they naturally know how to respond to and help education transition into the digital era. So how can social media be used in schools and what are the advantages?

Communication

Social media is what it says on the tin, a social and communicative tool. Embracing this technology makes communication between students and teachers (as well as between teachers) much easier. In the context of distance learning during the coronavirus, this type of efficient online communication is essential.

Blogging

A class blog can make writing more engaging for students by giving it a direct and interactive appeal. Writing without a real audience is less communicative after all. Furthermore, at the end of a project, there is something that can be shown to other people. Blogs are also part of Web 2.0, i.e. the content is not dead when finished, as it can be commented upon and stimulate further ideas.

Facebook Groups

Livestreams via Facebook groups can be a great way of delivering classes, particularly during lockdown scenarios. Again, this content is fully interactive. The groups can also stimulate constructive class debates on popular topics.

Trending

The world progresses at an unfathomably rapid pace nowadays, and social media is a big part of this. By using an interactive web-based platform, teachers can stay abreast of the updates and stay on trend. This can be a big problem for educators, as many teachers are famously technophobic. It is because of this that there is a growing disconnect between their frames of reference and those of the students. Knowing what is trending that day can be a great way of engaging students in other educational materials.

Social Media Education

Teachers can post and ask students to share their posts to demonstrate the viral nature of information. Further, by adopting social media in classrooms, students can be taught about etiquette and the potential dangers of the irresponsible use of social media; There is a saying which goes, “once it’s on the internet, it’s for life”.

The BBC issued a report last year suggesting that foreign language learning in schools was at its lowest point this century. Around a third of secondary schools have dropped at least one language. In Northern Ireland the number of students taking a language GCSE is down 40%. French and German have taken the biggest hit, with numbers down to 63% and 67% respectively. This situation is being exacerbated by Brexit. So why are languages in such a poor state?

The Perception Of Languages

Most schools reportedly put this down to languages being perceived as a difficult option at GCSE and results tending to be low (even with high-performing students). In addition, schools often see languages as logistically difficult, since, with there being large class numbers in all other subjects, justifying the small classes appropriate for languages is hard.

As a result of this, languages are afforded little time in school timetables. To add insult to already grievous injury, the courses are often dull and involve a great deal of tedious memorisation, as opposed to any focus on functional fluency or linguistic play.

Brexit

According to the BBC, many parents are saying that languages will be less relevant after Brexit. This is despite employers expressing concern that the workforce lacks language skills, and that without the cultural awareness that comes with language learning the UK could fall behind in an increasingly globalised market.

Lingua Franca

English has been the dominant language in the world for some time, but in the last decade there has been a mad rush for countries to skill up by getting young people to a functional level. This has been seen particularly across Spain, Italy, China and Korea. With English in such an unassailable, dominant position, young English speakers often see language learning as redundant. This is not a view held only by the students, either. As a nation the UK is particularly poor at language learning. Despite French GCSEs being more popular in the 90s, the number of people who actually continued to speak the language at a reasonable level is low.

What’s The Outlook For Language Learning?

It seems that it is not just the lack of language exams that is the problem, but the ever-present problem of the laziness of dominance. Students need a reason to become enthused by languages. Initiatives like the Leonardo Da Vinci programme (a former work-placement scheme between EU countries) enabled young people to explore other cultures and find that spark of passion. There is no reason these schemes can’t be extended to younger people, allowing them to spend time doing language exchanges. There is no motivation like sink or swim, after all.

 

Green revolution is coming. Even traditionally conservative thinkers are beginning to come around. It isn’t just that it needs to come to prevent the extinction of life on earth (a compelling motivator for change), but also that green energy will soon make economic sense. That’s when it becomes hard to argue for the old ways of creating energy and managing resources. So if we are going to do everything differently, how can we educate for this change?

Schools

We’ve been learning about global warming in schools for at least 50 years (I asked my parents!). Many would say it hasn’t made that much difference, but look at the increasing environmental awareness, particularly amongst millennials. Environmental education, along with many other factors, is starting to seep into the global consciousness. However, continuing to teach young people about global warming, plastics and other problems is not enough. The key to educating responsible green citizens is giving them the opportunity to put it into practice. That means a realistic hands-on approach to going green. In effect, working out how they can make a difference, be it cycling to school or the foods they choose to eat – they are all political choices. This way, it stops being an external problem and becomes one in which we are all complicit.

Careers

One estimate is that 23% of young people will pursue green careers. So how can we make them succeed? The government has acknowledged the skills gap, but also the opportunity we have to bolster a post-Brexit, post-Covid 19 economy with green projects. Opportunities for college and university-age students to focus on green careers are essential. A bridge needs to be created in effect, to ease the path of young people into green industries.

Incentives

The average student debt is now £50,800 in the UK. This clearly makes it difficult for certain sectors of the population to pursue higher and post-graduate education. We need to incentivise students to specialise in environmental areas. Thought leaders will be needed to provide vision, and in greater numbers. This is the biggest problem humanity has ever faced. Without a full commitment to change and the skills to make it happen, the world as we know it will be a thing of the past.

Learn More

Sean Cain has an interesting TED talk called A Better Approach to Environmental Education in which he makes suggestions like field trips to recycling plants, and using social media to create a “weaved in” environmental curriculum in any subject. Ursula Salmon also gives an interesting talk called Growing Environmental Engineers, with many thought-provoking ideas.