AUGUST 2018

BACK TO SCHOOL
By Rebecca Harvey
CO-OPERATIVES PROVIDE EDUCATION AND
TRAINING FOR THEIR MEMBERS, ELECTED
REPRESENTATIVES, MANAGERS AND
EMPLOYEES SO THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE
EFFECTIVELY TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR
CO-OPERATIVE. THEY INFORM THE GENERAL
PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY YOUNG PEOPLE AND
OPINION LEADERS, ABOUT THE NATURE AND
BENEFITS OF CO-OPERATION.
~ The fifth co-operative principle, as published
by the International Co-operative Alliance
The co-op sector can only grow if people know
about the business model in the first place.
And at a time when syllabuses of business
courses rarely mention co-ops, a connection
with education institutions – in particular
schools – is more important than ever.
These connections come in different shapes
and sizes, tailored to suit the capacity of the
co-op and the needs of the school.
Sometimes it takes the form of financial
support. Heart of England Co-op recently
awarded SS Peter & Paul Catholic Primary
School £1,000 towards the purchase of 30
musical instruments, while Tamworth Co-op
has helped a local pre-school purchase pots
and pans for a new outdoor mud kitchen,
as well as small log chairs and dressing-up
clothes. And Midcounties has been working
with schools to help save energy through its
Green Pioneers programme.
Others make this connection through
meaningful work experience placements;
Central England, for example, created a
pioneering initiative giving opportunities to
students with special educational needs (the
SENce to Aspire programme), while Unicorn
Grocery Worker Co-operative in South
Manchester hosts school visits and provides
placements.
Lincolnshire Co-op is doing interesting work
with schools as well, running free education
sessions on Fairtrade, employability skills and
alcohol awareness, among others, tailored to
different key stages.
The Co-op Academies Trust, a charity
controlled by trustees appointed by the Co-op
Group, operates 12 academies across Greater
Manchester, Stoke-on-Trent and West
Yorkshire, with more to come. The Trust’s aim is
that “children and young people and those that
work for the Trust understand the benefits of
co-operation and how a co-operative approach
can make life fairer for all in the modern world,
by applying co-operative and ethical values”.
Recently, Co-op News visited students at the Co-op Academy in Leeds,
where co-ops – and their history – are covered in PSHCE (Personal, Social,
Health and Citizenship Education) lessons.
“The people starting co-ops wanted to change the way businesses and
supermarkets worked as they didn’t think the current system was fair,”
said Salah Doudai, a year 10 pupil. “Co-ops are about communities coming
together for a particular reason, to solve a problem,” adds year 8 student
Lamek Abraha.
But these pupils don’t think that co-ops do enough to tell people what
they are and what they do. “Some people don’t know what you’re on about if
you say ‘co-op’ to them, so I think people need to learn about co-ops more,”
says Fayann Whitney from year 7. They think that worker co-ops are a good
thing, too. “It’s important that everyone is treated equally, in the workplace,
and everyone gets paid what they deserve,” says Salah.
One problem, they all agree, is that TV ads for Co-op Food are the only
time they hear about co-ops outside school. “The adverts don’t talk about
all the other parts of what a co-op is and does,” says Lamek – and young
people “don’t really watch TV any more anyway.”
“Since we have mobile phones, social media, streaming apps, things like
that, the adverts don’t mean anything to us,” says Salah. These students
use YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, where ads are tailored to the content
they watch – and are largely skippable.
Another problem is that the adverts aren’t relevant to them, says Syeda
Sumayya Ali, from year 8. “We’re more interested in things like social media
and technology. A food advert doesn’t mean anything to us. Maybe everyone
needs an induction day, like you have before high school – an induction to
co-ops to learn about the different types while finding it fun. If people are
interested about it, then they would spread it on.”
The students also think more should be taught about co-ops in schools.
“If you know about co-ops, then when you grow up and know what job
you want to do, you can set up your own co-op rather than just looking for
something,” says Fayann.
Salah adds: “If people get taught about the co-op values and what they
do behind the scenes, people would be more inclined to get involved. Today
a lot of people are all for values like equality and diversity. At the moment
though, too many people aren’t really aware of what co-ops are doing - they
think it’s just another food store.”
AUGUST 2018 | 41