Global North/ South School Linking: Practitioners know the ingredients, but what is the recipe?

It cannot be denied that the world is becoming more interconnected and interdependent. Globalisation is having a profound impact on UK society at economic, social and cultural levels. For the last thirty years, UK policy makers, INGOs and academics in the field of education have made it a priority to teach young people about the wider world and to enhance their understanding of global and development issues. The strategy believed to be the most effective for delivering this type of learning was school linking between the Global North and Global South. The first decade of the twenty-first century saw a major expansion in this area and international links became an important part of the educational landscape. However, the benefits of linking were not automatic. Adverse issues developed in some global school relationships as a result of colonial/ missionary legacies. The West’s ‘mission to civilise’ Southern countries has remained a reality; this has led to the development of unequal, patronising relationships in which the Northern partner occupies the commanding position. Since the turn of the century, there has been much discussion and debate among school linking practitioners and academics with regard to what ‘makes’ a successful North/ South link in education. However, there have been few examples of successful ‘recipes’ being used. This dissertation addressed this ‘gap’ in the knowledge. The purpose of the study was to understand the nature and key contextual parameters that exist within North/ South school linking. An in-depth analysis of the establishment of one school link between the UK and Uganda was undertaken using a qualitative case study research strategy. Participants included educators from both Northern and Southern schools, and the researcher as Linking Coordinator. The findings revealed that both Northern and Southern participants approached the linking process in an ‘open’ manner and were motivated to establish an equal and reciprocal relationship. Although their motivations for link participation were different, each partner valued the other’s contributions and ensured that both had an equal amount to gain from the project. The study showed that it is crucial to place the ‘why’ of school linking at the heart of the North/ South relationship. This stage must precede discussions on the ‘how’ and ‘what’ of linking if it is to be the recipe for success.