Primary Years Programme Making the PYP happen - ITARI

Making the PYP happen
The PYP believes not only that it is possible for students to identify appropriate actions but also that we
have a responsibility to enable them to choose their actions carefully, to facilitate these actions and to
encourage them to reflect on the actions they undertake. This is viewed as an important part of students’
active participation in their own learning.
What actions does the PYP suggest that schools should encourage
The PYP recognizes the problems inherent in advocating action and the importance of presenting a balanced
viewpoint. Voluntary action must remain precisely this, if we truly believe in the values we advocate.
Furthermore, we must remember that today’s complex issues do not often suggest simple or self-evident
solutions and that inaction is also a legitimate choice; indeed, sometimes, inaction may be the best choice.
Each school should develop its own action component based on the needs of its students and community.
Therefore, the precise actions in which schools may engage will differ.
Guidelines for implementation
Effective action:
! should be voluntary and involve students in exercising their own initiative and in taking
responsibility for their actions
! should be based on balanced understandings and not biased stereotypical thinking
! usually begins in a small way and arises from genuine concern and commitment
! is usually, for younger children, grounded in their own concrete experience
! demands appropriate adult support in order to facilitate students’ efforts and to provide them
with alternatives and choices
! is not always concerned with raising funds.
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