ABSTRACT
On 22 August 2022, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, a nine-year-oldEnglish girl, was mistakenly shot by a masked gunman inLiverpool, U.K. Less than a week later at a football matchplayed at the home ground of Liverpool Football Club, thewhole crowd stood to its feet to applaud the life and memoryof this local youngster. This was an incredibly moving andspiritual experience of connectedness and solidarity. Thisarticle, underpinned philosophically by both Buber’s‘I-Thou’ and Heidegger’s Being-in-the-world considers howsuch a tragic experience might allow individuals to expressunity through adversity, and how those invested in children’sspirituality might draw on the tools of identity, rememberingand meaning-making in promoting inclusion and belonging.It is also suggested how educators might draw on difficultsituations to inspire a pedagogy of hope, which allows forcreativity and criticality, and ultimately, transformation.
Introduction
On 22 August 2022, Olivia Pratt-Korbel, a nine-year-old English girl, was mis-takenly shot by a masked gunman in Liverpool, U.K. The incident took place inher own home, involving criminals unconnected to her family or community.She died later that day. This horrific event sent shock waves not only across herneighbourhood, but across the city and country. The tragedy prompted defiantmessages from residents, politicians and prominent local figures condemningthe violence and appealing for information concerning the attack to be sharedwith police. The investigation has since concluded (Merseyside Police and CrimeCommissioner 2023) but Olivia remains to be a part of the consciousness of thepeople of Liverpool (Liverpool Echo, 30 March 2023).
On 27 August 2022, less than a week after the shooting, a football match tookplace between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield, the home ground ofLiverpool Football Club. This became a memorable event, not least due to the9–0 score line, but significantly for the tribute paid to Olivia. On the 9th minute,the whole crowd stood to its feet to applaud the life and memory of this localyoungster, to whom many was a stranger. Following this, the ground resoundedwith the words of the Liverpool anthem sung by the whole assembly – ‘walk onwith hope in your heart, and you’ll never walk alone’ (McSherry 2022).This wasan incredibly moving and spiritual experience, evidenced through how suppor-ters of both teams felt connected through their common expression of supportand grief.
This sense of connectedness was highlighted through the local media. Asstated in the Liverpool Echo (27 August 2022), the crowd ‘rose in union’ toapplaud Olivia – an example of solidarity that was replicated days later atGoodison Park when Liverpool played against local rivals Everton (BBC 2022).This sense of collective consciousness, recognised by Liverpool manager JurgenKlopp (Liverpool Echo, 27 August 2022) as how the people of the city ‘standtogether’ in times of adversity, was also evidenced through the display ofbanners bearing the slogan ‘Enough is enough: Our city in unity’ (TheGuardian, 3 September 2022). The eschewing of rivalry in that moment ofremembrance (http://twitter.com/btsportfootball) again reflected Klopp’s assertionthat this human tragedy is ‘a subject of much, much more importance’(Liverpool Echo, 27 August 2022). This is unity expressed through adversity.
Connectedness is a concept central to children’s spirituality. Indeed, spiri-tuality is summarised by Hyde as ‘meaning and connectedness’ (2008, titlepage). This simple phrase includes the understanding that when an individualis connected to both self and other, meaning can be made concerning one’s lifeexperiences. Through connectedness it is possible to develop resilience, well-being and a sense of purpose. This is underlined by other authors such as Wills(2011), de Souza (2012), Adams et al. (2015) and Gellel (2018), who similarlypromote spiritual connectedness as being significant to children’s personaldevelopment and search for meaning.
Disciplines such as psychology and psychiatry acknowledge the value ofconnectedness following adversity; for example, Spaniol (2002) promotes theidea that connectedness to self and others can be seen as part of a recoveryfrom trauma, loss or illness. Furthermore, in recent writings concerning thedarker side of spirituality (de Souza 2012; Lovelock and Adams 2017), authorsprioritise spiritual connectedness as a means of confronting personal trauma.Yet less literature is available concerning the expression of connectednessthrough adversity within educational settings and there is little available thatconcerns a collective response to grief. Furthermore, as such tragedies sadlyhave become a regular news feature not only in the U.K. but beyond, it isincumbent upon teachers and child-care professionals to undertake careful reflection on such events in the classroom. Whilst such reflection falls withinestablished criteria for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) education inEngland and Wales (Ofsted [Office for Standards in Education, Children’sServices and Skills] 2021), it is important to note that educating spiritually isalso a personal process, requiring practitioners to consider the dimension oflearning that occurs within children’s personal lives, beyond given learningcriteria and expected outcomes. Therefore, encouraging teachers to embracedifficult situations as a spiritual learning experience is necessary in promotinga pedagogy of hope for the future.
In the light of the collective response made to the tragedy of Olivia, thisarticle considers three questions:
What is the philosophical basis for a consideration of connectedness asexperienced in Liverpool and how might this be recognised as an intrinsicaspect of children’s spirituality?
What spiritual tools might educators draw upon in order to embracedifficult issues with children?
How might practitioners then support learners in navigating a precarious,ever-changing world situation?
As a conceptual piece, the argument here is not derived from data gainedthrough empirical research methodologies, but the assimilation and evaluationof existing theories and concepts from within the literature of children’s spiri-tuality, philosophy, and critical pedagogy. This approach, described by Jaakkola(2020) as focal theory, intends to explore the questions raised in order to providea new perspective for children’s spirituality and practical support for teachersand practitioners.
Connectedness
Whilst the notion of connectedness features within much of the literature ofchildren’s spirituality, in the light of the event outlined above it is suggestedhere that the impact of connectedness expressed as unity and solidaritythrough adversity might be experienced on a deeper level than what is some-times referred to as a connection between self and other (Hyde 2008). Therefore,such exploration requires a philosophical starting point.
According to Buber (1970), two expressions of relation are in evidence asconnectedness: ‘I-Thou’, where there is no distinct definition between self andother within a conceptual space, and ‘I-It’, in which the self is positioneddualistically alongside others to set up a separation or division. Characterisedas ‘us and them’ and reinforced through language, form, representation andactualisation, Buber argues that the ‘I-It’ relation pertains to a product, withinwhich the self is detached from its authentic state. His suggestion is that by objectifying the relationship, bringing it into the open world by which itbecomes defined with boundaries, self then becomes alien to self and other,and what is in between ‘becomes negligible’ (Buber 1970, 63), in other words,lacks meaning. In this case, football club allegiances determine the boundariesby which the self and other are separated, and whilst reinforcing a sense ofbelonging, such divisions have also in the past led to violence and criminalbehaviour (http://www.skysports/football/news 5 August 2019).
However, the ‘I – thou’ relation locates the world of connectedness within theindividual as an ontological state, rather than between the self and other; thus,the idea of ‘other’ as ‘thou’, outside of space and time, is undefined. What issignificant here is Buber’s notion of this undefined relation being a priori. Hewrites: ‘in the beginning is the relation – the category of being, as readiness’,which is summed up as ‘the innate You’ (Buber 1970, 78). This indicates howbefore divisions are formed, all humans relate existentially. Therefore, inmoments of connectedness such as those experienced in Liverpool duringAugust and September 2022, humans might once again return to this a priorirelational state, which Buber suggests is a primary human longing. Unity, whichin this case was inspired by tragedy, signals a response to the dimension thatexists prior to actualisation.
Connectedness therefore has an ontological foundation which starts with anunderstanding of spirituality as an aspect of Being. To cite Heidegger (1962), forwhom Being is pre-ontological, this foundation relates to the prior and uncon-tingent state that belongs to all people before form or subjective representa-tion. It provides the starting point for the existential potentiality-for-Beingunderstood by Heidegger as Dasein. Founded on this prior ontological state,connectedness concerns the relatedness of others in their own potentiality-for-Being within a non-corporeal space termed Being-in-the-world. Since the‘world’ as presented here is not a defined space but rather understood as theopen-ness of Being (Heidegger 1978), and as it is neither concerned withphysical encounter nor definition (Heidegger 1962), within it resides the poten-tiality for unity that transcends the divisions imposed by borders and bound-aries and allows for a range of new possibilities and understandings.
For Heidegger, as Buber, self and other are not ‘alongside’ each other asentities, but ‘in-the-world’ existentially. Continuing this idea, Gergen writes: ‘wecome into life through relationship. We exist in a state of inter-animation’(Gergen 2009, 34). Thus, within an understanding of Being-in-the-world, thereis no separation, just relation. In response to this, it might be considered that inLiverpool, as the football crowds rose to their feet to applaud the life of Olivia,the definitions of football identity and the separation that would normallyensue were transcended in an experience of Being-in-the-world which in thatmoment promoted unity – a standing together to reflect on something beyondthe immediacy of rivalry.
According to de Souza (2010a), this is an expression of ‘Ultimate Unity’,which she posits is a unique state considered to be the deepest level ofconnectedness, where individuals experience becoming one with other. Shealso contends that en route to Ultimate Unity, spiritual connectedness mightbe characterised by a continuum, along which a sense of authentic relation-ship between self and other presents as empathy with others who are ‘notus’, as well as a sense of compassion with and for those with whom we arenot already familiar. In this sense, a deep connectedness might be experi-enced across a group of strangers such as those in the football crowds, whichcan be in that moment, meaningful. This is followed up by Hyde who inconsideration of the concept of the ‘felt sense’ (Hyde 2008), suggests that inshared experiences and activities such as singing, self and other ‘as it were,become one’ (Hyde 2008, 91). Again, in reference to the act of solidarityexpressed through singing and applause in the football crowds, the level ofconnectedness across two groups of people who are ‘not us’ was tangible toall present (http://twitter.com/btsportfootball).
Yet it is also suggested here that such connectedness, and even unity, canbeyond the present moment become transformational. As suggested byHeidegger (1962), this kind of experience promotes new understandings, lead-ing to a new way of thinking and behaving. Thus, according to de Souza(2010b), this connectedness can affect one’s actions and motivations, as wellas the way one perceives the world. Fletcher (2016) drawing on de Souza,identifies acceptance, compassion and belonging as attributes of connected-ness that might be brought forward into the future. Hay and Nye (2006) alsopoint towards the significance of the elemental human quality of spirituality asbeing the inspiration for altruism. When the ontological foundation of relation-ship with others is acknowledged, even beyond care and concern, there isa sense that when one person or group is ‘damaged’, this has an impact onthe wider community of other.
Furthermore, connectedness often inspires unity in diversity and so can bea powerful tool for an act of coming together which transcends religion, politics,race, gender and other such positions. This then establishes a concern forinclusion and the erosion of difference, the opposite of which unfortunately isbecoming more prevalent as a societal norm. Connectedness paves the way fora deeper understanding of acceptance through the primal experience of unityin diversity. This is no less evidenced in the history of the city of Liverpool, andthe various points at which tragedy has brought unity. For example, fans of bothLiverpool and Everton unite on a yearly basis to remember the 97 victims of theHillsborough disaster who died following a crush during the side’s FA Cupmatch on 15 April 1989. More recently, members of the four football clubsbased in Merseyside (Liverpool, Everton, Tranmere Rovers and Marine) ‘putaside old rivalries’ to promote a message against knife crime in the area(http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news). As much as rivalries form part of the identity of the city, the a priori sense of Being-in-the-world comes to the fore atsignificant times, to look back and remember but also to challenge fora restored future.
In relation to children’s spirituality, reminiscent of Being-in-the-world isDavid Hay and Rebecca Nye’s concept ‘relational consciousness’ (2006),which akin to a meta-consciousness includes the relationship of the self tofour contexts of spirituality: world, self, others and God. The authors positthat this dimension adds value and meaning to immediate experience, lead-ing to a sense of well-being through new understandings of identity and self-awareness. For example, they consider that relational consciousnessencourages children to challenge individualism in favour of an identificationwith ‘other’. This promotes inclusion and belonging and negates the aliena-tion provoked by for example, religious or cultural hegemony. Furthermore,Hay and Nye identify how relational consciousness can inspire self-reflectionleading to changed attitudes and behaviours. Spirituality then holdsa political position, which places children at the centre of their own relation-ship building and, as in the experience in Liverpool, has the potential toovercome social constraints or prejudice.
Harris (2015) explores the issue of inclusion as an important aspect ofchildren’s spirituality. Echoing Buber’s notion of ‘I-Thou’ having ‘no borders’,she posits that in an inclusive learning environment, all children no matter ofdifference or disability join together with no barriers in place. This buildsa sense of community to develop resilience and experience joy. She believesthat both physical and conceptual spaces should be fostered to promoteinclusion, be they church, school or community-based: this provision ‘canprovide safe boundaries in an environment in which all young children canexplore their personal, social and spiritual journeys of meaning-making’(2015, p. 168). To be inclusive, Harris writes, is not easy to achieve, but itsgoal is to reach to the heart of connectedness – to ‘deal with what it meansto be a human being in all of its complexity’ (2015, 167) and bring children toan awareness of their Being-in-the-world. Milton (2021, 185) concurs, sug-gesting that ‘the classroom as a “space” is a meeting point of variouscultures, language biographies and identities’ and this reflects Misra’s asser-tion that inclusive education ‘appreciates differences without othering’ (Misra2021, 244). This promotes a sense of responsibility (Bangert 2014), whichagain is political, encouraging children to respect difference and contributeto ‘living in peace’ (Mata-McMahon 2023).
Although there is no data available to support the notion that the momentof unity in Liverpool promoted such a depth of new understandings on thepart of the members of the football crowds, it is important to note thatHeidegger’s philosophy concerns potentiality, therefore one should be opento any level of response. Within an understanding of children’s spirituality,the challenge of Being-in-the-world for educators and practitioners concerns the readiness to embrace adversity and provide opportunities for childrenand young people to negotiate identity, reconsider events of the past, anddevelop new meanings for the present and future. In this respect, thediscussion turns now to consider the second question posed at the outset:what are the spiritual tools that educators might draw upon in order toembrace difficult issues with children?
Identity, meaning making and remembering
Wills (2018) identifies identity, meaning making and remembering as tools thateducators might use in supporting children in difficult situations. Each isexplored here in relation to the question posed above.
Identity
As stated earlier, Buber’s ‘I-Thou’ relation (Buber 1970) negates the divisionwhich promotes a sense of ‘us and them’, to facilitate an experience of con-nectedness that has no borders. Unfortunately, football rivalry is one example ofdivision which creates deeply rooted identities in supporters of all ages and attimes allows for animosity. Although a present concern, the sectarian historybetween certain clubs also highlights how such division has continued since thelate nineteenth century, with its roots in both religious and socio-economiccommunities (Roberts 2017). On a wider scale, across the globe today, childrenare growing up increasingly with a knowledge of ‘us and them’ as a societalnorm. They experience difference, since migration and displacement warrantpeople of different races and cultures living in the same cities, and through theinfluence of media personalities and some politicians, tolerance and acceptanceof the ‘other’ seems not to be a moral imperative but a personal choice.
According to de Souza (2021, 2), such diversity in communities has reinforceda desire to consolidate identity, ‘driven by the need to belong’. She notes thatidentity determines how one will treat others and suggests that difference isexacerbated by those who gravitate to others who share their race, religion orculture. On the other hand, racism or sectarianism can be intensified by thosewhose misconception or ignorance lead to indifference or even hostilitytowards those who are ‘not us’. Citing Appiah (2018, in de Souza 2021), sheasserts that in order to move away from such a situation, identity must now bereconfigured as an ontological expression of relation, not only to reduce mar-ginalisation, but as witnessed in Liverpool, bring people together. This recogni-tion of self in other (Levinas 2004), where each dialogue and learn from theother, can promote unity in diversity, yet with a recognition that identity mightbecome more complex or challenging. In the light of the current discussion, it issuggested here that having a common goal and purpose, such as campaigningagainst knife crime in Liverpool for example, is a starting point for change andan opportunity to demonstrate solidarity beyond the limitations imposed by ‘identity politics’ (Fukuyama, 2018, cited in de Souza 2021). Further ideas tosupport this are offered later in this article.
For children’s spirituality, Eaude (2019) acknowledges that children andyoung people often experience a tension between their own self-conceptand the identities expected of them by family, community or externalagencies. Children might identify as supporters of Liverpool football club,or an opposing club, but they are also gendered, sometimes steeped in theexpectations of class or religion, and either privileged or limited by eco-nomics. Eaude asserts that identities are fluid, changing and multiple, notonly due to the influence of popular contemporary figures, but also due tothe ‘individualistic macro-culture’ which fragments communities and homo-genous units, and thus, a sense of belonging. At times, the inner identity ofa child is at odds with the outward appearance, and this can lead them toattempts to both manage their multiple identities and at the same timealign with the ‘attitudes and expectations of their religious, cultural orpreferred gendered identities’ (de Souza 2021, 5). As de Souza argues,this can be at the cost to their sense of self-worth, mental, emotionaland physical health.
Eaude (2019, 7) posits that identities should be ‘created slowly and re-negotiated over time’. Thus, he proposes that importance is placed upon therole of narrative and personal story in identity formation, and that this shouldoccur within trusting relationships and hospitable environments. This remindsus again of the notion of Being-in-the-world, which as a pre-ontological stateaccepts each individual in their potentiality-for-Being without definition orsubjective representation (Heidegger, 1962). Within this space, children’s iden-tities as potentiality-for-Being can be developed, nurtured and supportedthrough risk-taking, creativity and the search for meaning (Eaude 2019). Suchspaces, again as suggested by Harris earlier (2015), are inclusive and welcoming,and whilst not necessarily negating the rituals, symbols or language of hostcultures, they nevertheless allow for the opening of ‘alternate possibilities’(Eaude 2019, 15). It might be suggested then that given the example of footballsupporters who, whilst maintaining their identity through symbols, songs andmerchandise, were yet able to transcend this representation in order to remem-ber Olivia and advocate for safety in the city, so children through personalnarrative, collaboration, reflection and social action within a safe space can alsonegotiate identity without judgement or expectation.
Meaning making
It is Hay and Nye’s conjecture (2006) that out of the primal state of relationalconsciousness, everyday experiences can be the starting point for the consid-eration of mystery, inspiring a depth of encounter which has the potential toprompt existential questions such as ‘why am I here?’ as well as the morepersonal ‘why is this happening? Such existential questioning is particularly pertinent in situations such as the tragedy of Olivia, and whilst answers to whythis happened will never satisfy, such events do provide the opportunity forwhat Hyde (2008) terms ‘spiritual questing’. Through questioning and reflection,‘spiritual questing’ opens a space within which learners can wrestle with difficultissues and gain support from others on the same journey. As Fletcher (2016)suggests, this can allow for a sense of searching for purpose in life.
Difficult situations that prompt us to question their meaning or why theyhave happened can of course lead to anxiety and a feeling of hopelessness,which Tacey (2010, 15) notes as ‘a cry for hope in a time of despair’. Yet thesearch for meaning can also take us to a deeper level of thinking whichacknowledges the value of embracing an inner life as well as a considerationof what might be beyond the immediate. Again, according to Tacey (2010), thiscan lead to a sense of well-being and inner strength. Following his time inAuschwitz, Victor Frankl (2008, 51) wrote about nurturing the inner life so thathis spirit could ‘transcend that hopeless, meaningless world’ to consider themeaning of his sufferings. Similarly, nurturing a child’s spiritual life throughconnectedness with others within a supportive and creative space can, as Harris(2015) notes, develop resilience. Educators must be aware of this.
It is imperative then not only that space is created in which children’s voicescan be heard, but as Gulamhusein (2021, 237) argues, that teachers and child-care professionals must also be ‘steeped in skills of active listening’. Children,she continues, need to share stories, ask questions and offer their experiencesand perspectives, and to find creative ways of navigating meaning within theirown contexts. Therefore, it is vital that time is taken to reflect on the meaning ofdifficult situations within a safe space without providing answers or judge-ments, to allow learners to experience solidarity with others, come to embracewhat has happened and consider a way forward.
Remembering
As stated above, the importance of history and remembering the past issignificant for the people of Liverpool. There is a sense that going throughhard times is part of the story of the city, from its devastation during World WarII and times of great poverty to the more recent street violence and inequalities.Every year, the football tragedy of ‘Hillsborough’ is remembered, and thenumber 97 is found on the Liverpool shirt to represent each person who died.Liverpool residents also pause to remember the disaster of 1985 in Heysel,Belgium, when 39 fans were crushed as a wall collapsed (http://www.liverpoolfc.com/heysel). Difficulty, it seems, is part of the collective consciousness of peoplefrom this city.
It is this sense of history and remembrance that makes the tribute to Olivia sopoignant. Remembering how communities have come together in the past toovercome adversity provides a foundation for how to deal with current andfuture tragedy, and the pride (and humour) of the people overcomes many examples of grief. Again, within a respectful space, children can pause toremember and reflect on past difficulties such as wars or earthquakes, andthrough symbols (e.g., building a cairn to remember lives lost), poetry or artworkfor example, they can allow such reflection to not only receive comfort but alsoto confront the present. According to Wills (2018), remembering as a spiritualtool forms part of a critical pedagogy that ‘inspires students to wrestle with thecomplexities and ambiguities’ of features of contemporary society such as‘oppression, injustice and exclusion’ (2018, 255), and in remembering the past,they are confronted with the big issues that must be explored and critiqued sothat such atrocities will never happen again.
Yet it is evident in the political situation in twenty-first century Afghanistan,Syria and Ukraine for example, that atrocity does continue to happen.Nevertheless, even in the Primary school classroom, remembering can allowchildren to recognise similar exclusive behaviours and thereby potentiallychange their beliefs and actions to mirror the unity expressed during the foot-ball games. Wills (2018) identifies that children can recognise bullying or themarginalisation of others as examples of unethical behaviour, and that reflec-tion on this can point towards change. However, it is also important to acknowl-edge that the wider impact of tragedy for good is not often known and thechanges in the lives of individuals and communities following the death ofOlivia are yet to be seen.
This then raises questions for spiritual pedagogy. In similar situations, eitherof personal difficulty, or in response to the tragedies unfolding regularly on thenews, it is important for children’s spirituality that the opportunity for reflectionon such situations is provided. Such an approach here is termed a ‘pedagogy ofhope’ and it is suggested that within the school or other educational setting,teachers and practitioners might engage children and young people withdifficult issues in order that they might make meaning in the present fora future hope.
A pedagogy of hope
The notion of a pedagogy of hope is taken from Paulo Freire (1996/2014) who inhis text of the same name promotes the idea that critical pedagogy, a conceptwith which he is associated, must be anchored in practice. It is the promise ofhope that motivates and inspires change, which in his case includes wrestlingwith issues such as exploitation, colonialism and discrimination. As such, hebelieves that hope, which ‘is based on the need for truth as an ethical quality ofthe struggle’ (2014) should be at the beginning of engaging with difficulty, lestthe struggle ‘be suicidal’ (2014, 3). Pedagogy must make a difference.
In his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968/1996) Freire wrote about thelimitation of a process of education which involves a transfer of knowledge,described as a ‘banking concept’. He reflects further on this in Pedagogy of Hope (1992, 67) asserting that it is impossible to transfer ‘neutral’ knowledge withoutpolitical implication. Rather he promotes the notion of educational agency,wherein the experience (or remembering) of each learner is understood andaccepted as part of a dialogical process, and within a culture of respect (asconnectedness), learners and teachers embark on the struggle to make mean-ing and ask existential questions (spiritual questing), based on hope. He writes:‘Therefore, teaching is a creative act, a critical act and not a mechanical one’(1992, 71).
Similarly, Kierkegaard in Philosophical Fragments (1974, 19) proposes thatlearning is not just about gaining knowledge, but about being transformedthrough reflection on the meaning of experience. Here the transformationalforce for learning is ‘the God’ who prompts learners to be reminded that whenthey receive the truth and reflect on this in the light of their own contingentexperiences, they can be transformed. And it is this transformation that pro-duces hope.
Prior to and in the months following the incident involving Olivia Pratt-Korbel, the world has been shaken by other catastrophic events that haveserved to induce existential questioning, anxiety and grief. In February 2022,the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops brought war once more to Europeleading many to experience anxiety and fear over what might happen next.Many were killed or displaced and this situation continues with yet no resolu-tion. In February 2023, a devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria again leftmany dead or displaced and the aftermath of this also continues. In bothsituations, for both first hand witnesses or for onlookers across the globe,certainly there must have been many feelings of hopelessness and despair. Itis important therefore that educators acknowledge such tragedy, and that timeis taken to reflect on the meaning of these difficult situations within a safe space(physical or conceptual), without providing answers or judgements, to allowlearners to experience (silent) solidarity with others, come to embrace what hashappened and consider a way forward.
For school-based education, and from a practical point of view, the arts,sports, communication technology and history are some examples of curricu-lum areas that promote a safe conceptual space within which meaning-makingand remembering can take place. It is through collaborative or reflective activitythat children can experience connectedness or solidarity with others, and evenpossibly a sense of transcendence within the everyday (Hyde 2008). This is evenmore relevant also in the increasingly individualised society of today, withschool targets and performativity measures prevalent.
For example, drawing on events in the local community or wider news, orspecial landmarks such as Black History Month, Disability Awareness Week orHolocaust Memorial Day, children can explore and reflect on pressing issues ina creative way. Children can explore relevant literature and write or performtheir own drama; they might compose music reflecting the life stories of key figures in for example Holocaust history or the Civil Rights Movement. All ideaslink in with the National Curriculum for England and Wales (DfE Department forEducation 2014) yet allow for the development of children’s potentiality-for-Being (Heidegger 1962), as they explore their ideas and feelings together.
Children also could create posters, graffiti or digital flyers to promote aware-ness and inclusion, and engage in sports/games that require teamwork anda whole class approach. Sustainability education (Samuelsson 2011) mightinclude creative responses to global events such as the earthquakes, floodsand wildfires allowing for children to consider their own practical response. Thismight provide an encouragement towards personal and social responsibilitythrough junk modelling, researching recycling and developing ideas forfundraising.
Remembering can also play a significant part of History or ReligiousEducation (DfE Department for Education 2014), thinking back to times thathave been challenging and to mark their significance in our own personalhistories, locally and/or globally. Placing more emphasis on outdoor learningand being involved in activities such as sketching and drawing, planting, gamesand role play, wild art and storytelling, can serve also to allow children toexpress their own feelings and views on difficult situations in a setting lessformal than the classroom. The outdoor space, as promoted in the U.K. throughthe Early Years Foundation Stage policy (DfE Department for Education 2021)also provides practitioners the opportunity for listening and noticing, so toidentify any children who might be struggling and to offer safe spaces forreflection, silence and time alone (Walton 2022).
Conclusion
Drawing the current discussion to a close, it is important to note that itssignificance lies in the philosophical underpinning to the notion of connected-ness as experienced during the events at the Liverpool football grounds follow-ing the tragic shooting of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. As explored, drawing on thetheories of Heidegger, Buber and Gergen, it is proposed here that the a prioristate of I-Thou (Buber 1970), which exists as primal before any separation ofsubject and object within a pre-ontological expression of Being (Heidegger1962), might provide the platform for an expression of unity amongst a groupwhose interests and beliefs sometimes differ. As a human response to a tragedy,the acts of remembering and reflection, as well as the celebration of this child’slife, illustrate how an understanding of connectedness within the context ofchildren’ spirituality might promote an inclusive pedagogy that can be anoccasion for both a sensitive and existential response of the child to self, othersand the world (Hay and Nye 2006). This is described here as a pedagogy of hope(Freire 2014).
The curriculum affords many opportunities for practitioners to promote sucha pedagogy. It is the conjecture of this article then that whilst difficulties such asthe tragedy of Olivia can cause upset, anxiety and fear, it is the experience ofconnectedness that might be experienced within a safe space in the classroomor curriculum that can allow children to explore their thoughts and feelingsconcerning difficult situations and which can bring a sense of personal meaningto all learners. Collaboration expressed through subjects such as music anddrama, and an understanding of the significance of teamwork in physicaleducation for example can promote inclusion, whilst addressing the implica-tions of human activity on the world and other human beings through historyand geography can raise a critical and self-critical awareness in children con-cerning their own relationships and behaviours. Literature, art and outdoorlearning also can provide a starting point for reflection on culture, identityand remembering, whilst offering a space to ask existential questions is impera-tive (Webster 2004). As Hart (2003) suggests, children’s openness, vulnerabilityand tolerance for mystery enable them to entertain perplexing and paradoxicalquestions. Reflecting on events such as those explored here therefore mightprompt such responses from children, yet in acknowledging the meaning thatcan be made through difficult situations, such reflection can inspire a sense of hope.
However, it is essential that educators are themselves educated in how topromote a classroom climate in which such learning and reflection can takeplace. Therefore further research is required to establish the competency ofteachers in this aspect, so to identify training and development needs.Nevertheless, through examples offered here, as well as understanding thevalue of creating a safe space, both physically and conceptually, teachersmight draw on the idea of connectedness and inclusivity to provide learningthat is relevant and meaningful to children within a precarious and ever-changing world. In turn this might allow them to make their own responsesto the difficulties presented to them through the media and first-handexperience, and accordingly, with a sense of purpose and hope, makea difference.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes on contributor
Ruth Wills is a lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Liverpool Hope University, U.K. She alsoteaches in a Primary School. Formerly a co-editor of the International Journal of Children’sSpirituality, and secretary of the International Association for Children’s Spirituality, she hasa long-standing association with the discipline and encourages her students and other teachers to recognise spirituality within the classroom and beyond. Her monograph, Learningbeyond the objective in primary Education, was published by Routledge in 2020, and her co-edited text The Bloomsbury Handbook of Culture and Identity from Early Childhood to EarlyAdulthood was published in 2022.
ORCID
Ruth Joy Wills http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4208-1307
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