Hello, welcome to today's lesson.

My name is Mrs. Hastings.

I'm really excited to be taking you on our learning journey today.

Today's lesson comes from the unit, What Can We Do About Global Problems? And today's lesson is titled, Why is Poverty Still a Global Problem? We're going to be thinking about poverty, about some of the issues related to poverty.

So it's going to be quite challenging.

We need to think hard, and we are going to be having lots of information.

And I'm really hoping that you are going to learn lots today and that you are going to enjoy the learning, but that it's also going to challenge you.

So let's get on with today's lesson, good luck.

So by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain why poverty remains a global issue and describe the factors that contribute to it.

There are some really important ground rules that we must follow whilst we are going on this learning journey because it is a controversial topic and one that can incite some quite difficult emotions, I guess, and bring out lots of things that people might have to think hard about.

So firstly, as Laura says, "We need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

When disagreeing, challenge the statement, not the person." "Respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but do not use names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves." As Jacob says, "No judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without fear of being judged." And lastly, Izzy says, "Choose your level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or join discussion.

We never put anyone on the spot." So if we sit to those ground rules, I'm sure we're gonna have a great lesson.

So the key words for today's lesson are absolute poverty, which is when someone doesn't have enough money or resources to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, and water.

And relative poverty, this is when someone's income is much lower than the average in their society, typically 50 to 60% less, meaning that they struggle to afford the same standard of living as most people around them.

There are three parts to our learning journey today.

The first learning cycle is what is poverty? Secondly, why does global poverty still exist? And lastly, what action has been taken against global poverty? So let's get on with the first learning cycle, what is poverty? What's it mean to live in poverty? Have a think about that question.

Discuss it with your learning partner.

What do you think it means to live in poverty? So there are two ways to define and measure poverty, absolute poverty and relative poverty.

So we're gonna look at each of those in turn.

So absolute poverty means not having enough money to meet basic needs like food, clean water, and shelter.

It is measured by a fixed income threshold.

This means that anyone living on less than $2.

15 a day, and that's a measurement set by the World Bank in 2023, is considered as living in absolute poverty.

This is the equivalent to around one pound 74 a day.

So if you live on that or less than that, then you are considered to be living in absolute poverty.

This amount is considered the minimum needed to maintain a basic standard of living.

But Alex asked the question, "Can you think of any challenges with using absolute poverty as the only definition for poverty?" Have a discussion with your learning partner about Alex's question.

So there are several really important challenges with using absolute poverty as the only definition of poverty.

These could include that the poverty line stays the same even if prices go up, so people can still be poor, but not counted as living in poverty.

So for example, if the price of food, let's say bread, went up, but the poverty line doesn't go up, then it costs you more to buy your bread, but your minimum level of income hasn't changed.

So it's costing you more to buy that bread, but you are not considered living in poverty because the bottom line hasn't changed.

We actually, sometimes the poverty line is actually called the bread line because bread is a standard of measurement of price going up and down that they can use then to measure poverty, or food in general is one way.

It doesn't show the gap between the richest in society and the poorest people in society.

So it only shows the level of basic poverty, absolute poverty, not the income divides.

It focuses on basic needs, but doesn't consider other things which are also important for a good quality of life.

And it assumes that where you live doesn't matter, but the cost of living can be very different depending on where you are.

So in some countries in the world, the cost of living is much cheaper.

In other countries, like in the UK, the cost of living can be much higher.

So one pound 74 in one country might get you a lot more than one pound 74 in another country or in the UK, for example.

So let's check our understanding.

What does absolute poverty refer to? A, living without access to luxury items like electronics and entertainment, B, when people lack basic necessities such as food, clean water, and shelter, or C, when individuals earn an income that is lower than the average for their country.

So absolute poverty refers to B, when people lack basic necessities such as food, clean water, and shelter.

So let's have a look at relative poverty.

So relative poverty is a different way of measuring poverty and it looks at a person's income comparing it to others in their area or in their country.

So people are considered to be in relative poverty if they cannot afford things that most people in their country can, like a decent standard of living.

So this can vary from one country or place to another.

So whereas absolute poverty is a set line that for every country and every person across the world, relative poverty takes into account differences between countries or even regions within a country and the standard of living and the cost of living there.

So relative poverty is often measured as having an income below 50 to 60% of the average income in a society.

For example, in 2024, the average income for a full-time worker in the UK was 37,430 pounds.

In the UK, relative poverty is defined as earning less than 60% of that average income.

So someone earning 22,458 pounds or less could be considered to be in relative poverty.

But again, Alex has some concerns about this.

He asks, "What are the challenges with using relative poverty as a definition of poverty?" So again, pause the video and talk to your learning partner about the challenges of using relative poverty as a definition of poverty.

So some of the challenges that you may have come up with could include it measures income differences, but doesn't show how difficult life can be for some people.

So even though it measures that inequality gap a bit better and the standard of living, it doesn't necessarily show that life can be really difficult for some people.

It doesn't take into account things like the number of children you might have.

So you might be earning less than the average income or 60% less than the average income and be considered to be in relative poverty as a single person.

But what if you were the only person earning in that family and you had three or four children? Then, actually, that amount gets spread across that number of people in your household.

It doesn't consider assets, like property or savings, which can actually help people financially.

So if you own your own house, if you don't pay a mortgage on your house, if you have more than one house that you have and have that money coming in, it doesn't necessarily take into account that 'cause it looks at income.

For example, people may have a house or savings, but still earn a low income, making them better off than others who only have an income and maybe who have to pay rent, for example.

Focusing too much on income inequality can overlook other important issues, like access to education and healthcare.

So what are the standards of education? What are the standards of healthcare? Are they good, or if they're not good, could you could be considered to still be living in poverty? So what does relative poverty focus on? So it focuses on A, a person's income or resources being lower than the average in their society, B, a person's inability to access basic necessities for survival, like food and water, or C, the lack of income compared to global standard as set by the World Bank.

So what does relative poverty focus on, A, B, or C? It is A, a person's income or resources being lower than the average in their society.

So well done if you got that right.

So globally, approximately, it is estimated that 600 million people live in absolute poverty.

In the UK, it is estimated that about one in six people live in relative poverty.

And about 9.

5 million people in the UK live in absolute poverty.

So I would like you to do your first practise task of today's lesson, and that is to define poverty.

Make sure you demonstrate your understanding of the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty.

And aim to include some statistics in your definition.

So pause the video whilst you complete that task.

Well done for completing that task.

So I asked you to define poverty and your definition could have included absolute poverty means being deprived of the necessities of life, such as clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare.

It is measured by a fixed income threshold, which the World Bank has set at $2.

15.

Anything below this means people cannot meet their basic needs.

Relative poverty defines poverty differently.

It takes into account a person's standard of living in comparison to others In the same society.

In the UK, this means anyone earning 60% or less than the average income of 37,430, would be seen as living in poverty, leaving them unable to afford things most people in the UK can afford, such as housing, leisure activities, and transport.

Well done for completing that task.

So that's the first learning cycle done.

Now onto our second learning cycle.

Why does global poverty still exist? So poverty is an undeniable reality that occurs across the globe, regardless of how it is defined or measured.

Why do you think this is? Again, pause the video and have a conversation with your learning partner about why you think poverty is still an undeniable reality.

So you may have come up with the following answers.

A lack of access to formal education.

In some countries, children may need to work instead of attending school, limiting opportunities for the future.

So if they don't learn, they don't get good qualifications, then it limits what they're able to do in the future.

And globally, this disproportionately affects women and girls.

So women are more likely to be discriminated against when it comes to access to education.

Unequal wealth distribution.

Some countries and individuals are much wealthier than others.

In 2024, the richest 1% in the world controlled more wealth than the bottom 95% of the global population combined.

So 1% of the world's, the richest people in the world were richer than the bottom 95% of the global population combined.

Colonialism.

In the past, countries such as the UK, took political and economic control over other countries.

So they built their empire, they colonised other countries.

This had a long-term impact on their economy.

So let's check our understanding.

True or false, unequal wealth distribution is one of the reasons why global poverty exists.

Is that true or false? It is true.

So let's look at some of the other reasons why global poverty still exists.

Lack of access to healthcare.

Poor health, diseases, and limited healthcare make it harder for people to work and improve their lives.

Lack of access to jobs.

In economically deprived areas, there are fewer opportunities to get paid work.

And lack of economic resources.

Without resources like farming, land, fisheries, or minerals, countries struggle to produce food or generate income through trade.

Climate change can worsen this.

And finally, governmental corruption.

In some countries, political leaders misuse funds, failing to support their citizens.

War and conflict.

Wars destroy infrastructure, resources, and lives, pushing people into poverty and limiting access to basic needs.

And gender inequality, as we've already kind of talked about a little bit, in many communities, due to issues such as discrimination, girls and women face limited opportunities compared to boys and men, restricting their access to education, paid work, and healthcare.

So let's check our understanding.

I'd like you to fill in the gaps.

In countries with limited what, such as farming land and minerals, food production is difficult.

What can worsen this issue by affecting weather patterns and resources.

So in countries with limited resources, such as farming land and minerals, food production is difficult.

Climate change can worsen this issue by affecting weather patterns and resources.

Let's have a look at our practise tasks for this learning cycle.

So I would like you to consider the reasons why global poverty still exists, and use the diamond nine to rank them from most important to least important.

So you have first, the most important.

Then, you have the two next most important, then three, then two, down to your least important.

That's why it's in a diamond shape.

Maybe think about how some of the issues might link to each other when you're thinking about how to rank them in that diamond.

And secondly, I'd like you to give an explanation for your most significant reason.

So the reasons we have, the nine reasons we have are unequal wealth distribution, climate change, lack of access to formal education, lack of healthcare, too few jobs, governmental corruption, war and conflict, gender inequality, and colonialism.

So I'd like you to complete that task by pausing the video now.

So well done for completing that task.

I asked you to consider the reasons why global poverty still exists and use the diamond nine to rank them from most to least important.

Your diamond nine might look different to this, but this is just one example of a response you could give.

So at the top, lack of access to formal education, the next two, unequal wealth distribution, and climate change.

The three in the middle, colonialism, governmental corruption, war and conflict.

The bottom two, gender inequality and two few jobs.

And then the least significant, right at the bottom, lack of healthcare.

And then I asked you to give an explanation for your most significant reason.

You might have given the following explanation for your most important reason.

A lack of formal education or access to education makes it harder for many people to be able to access work and earn money, meaning they remain in poverty.

So well done for completing that challenging task.

Onto the third learning cycle in today's lesson.

So in the third learning cycle, we are going to be answering the question, what action has been taken against global poverty? There are many organisations worldwide who are taking action to tackle poverty.

One example is the UN, the United Nations.

The UN have taken action through Sustainable Development Goals, the SDGs.

Goal one aims to end poverty worldwide by 2030.

Through global partnerships, they collaborate with governments and non-governmental organisations, NGOs, to improve access to education, healthcare, and clean water.

The UN also take action through financial assistance.

They provide funding to help countries reduce poverty and improve living conditions.

Humanitarian aid provides emergency help during disasters to support people living in absolute poverty to rebuild their lives.

Advocacy and awareness, they raise awareness and advocate for better solutions to poverty.

So which of the following actions is the UN taking to tackle global poverty? A, creating policies to increase taxes for the wealthy, B, providing emergency help during disasters, or C, encouraging people to save money for retirement.

So which of the following actions is the UN taking to tackle global poverty? A, B, or C? The answer is B, providing emergency help during disasters.

Well done if you got that one correct.

NGOs, non-governmental organisations are non-profit organisations that operate independently from any government.

They normally focus on addressing social, environmental, or humanitarian issues.

NGOs have taken action to tackle poverty through emergency relief.

They provide food, water, and shelter during crises.

Education programmes, improving access to education for better future opportunities.

Healthcare services, offering medical care, including vaccinations.

And economic support, creating job opportunities or offering small loans to start businesses.

NGOs also take action through advocacy and awareness.

They raise awareness and urge governments to act against poverty.

Clean water and sanitation.

They provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to reduce health issues.

Empowering women, offering skills, training, healthcare, and financial support to help break the cycle of poverty.

And in addition to NGOs, there are other organisations such as charities and private organisations who also tackle poverty in similar ways, NGOs and other organisations who focus on tackling global poverty include Oxfam.

Oxfam works to reduce poverty and inequality by providing aid, supporting development programmes, and campaigning for change.

So they often put pressure on governments to help to reduce poverty.

Save the Children works to improve children's lives by providing education, healthcare, and protection in poverty-stricken areas.

The Red Cross provides emergency aid, disaster relief, and long-term support to communities in poverty, especially during crises.

And GlobalGiving, this supports grassroots, that means local, organisations working on poverty relief, development, education, and health in low-income communities.

So which of the following actions do NGOs and other organisations take to tackle global poverty? A, help people to access education to improve their opportunities, B, support government policies to increase wealth inequality, C, give loans, small loans to help people start businesses, or D, ensure everyone has access to luxury goods.

So which of the following actions to NGOs and other organisations take to tackle global poverty, A, B, C, or D? They do A, help people to access education to improve their opportunities, and C, give small loans to help people start businesses as examples of actions that NGOs and other organisations take to tackle poverty.

So onto our practise task for the third learning cycle.

I'd like you to list two actions that have been taken by the UN and two actions that have been taken by NGOs or other organisations to tackle poverty.

So pause the video whilst you complete that task.

So I asked you to list two actions that have been taken by the UN and two actions that have been taken by NGOs to tackle global poverty.

You could have included the following.

Actions taken by the UN to tackle global poverty; one, sustainable development goals.

Goal one is to end poverty worldwide by 2030.

And global partnerships works with governments and NGOs to help fight poverty.

And then for actions taken by NGOs and other organisations to tackle poverty, you could have included economic support, create job opportunities, or give small loans to help people start businesses and earn money, and clean water and sanitation.

Provide clean water, better sanitation and improved hygiene to reduce poverty-related issues.

Well done for completing that task.

So well done for today's lesson.

I hope that you've enjoyed it and found it challenging, that you've had to think hard, and that you've really considered why is poverty still a global problem? So why is poverty still a global problem? In summary, poverty, whether the absolute poverty, lacking basic needs like food and shelter, or relative poverty, having fewer resources compared to others in society, is a widespread issue.

Global poverty persists due to many factors, including inequality, lack of education, and limited resources, and is worsened by conflict, instability, and climate change.

Efforts to reduce poverty include international aid, development programmes, and initiatives, like the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Governments, NGOs, and communities work together to improve education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for those affected by poverty.

And it's really important that you make the link between poverty and human rights.

Poverty is an issue of human rights or a human rights issue.

So I really hope you've enjoyed today's session, as I've said, and I really look forward to seeing you again soon.