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Plato, the Cave, and Marcus Rashford: A KS3 Experiment

It’s been a while since I uploaded a blog post — I’d hoped to do this every couple of months, but time seems to have slipped away from me. What I’d like to share today isn’t something I claim as entirely my own. As with many of my classroom ideas, it’s inspired by a whole host of sources, and particularly in this case, my fantastic school RE colleagues.

Recently, we’ve been working hard to introduce more challenge to our Key Stage 3 RE curriculum — particularly for our Year 7 students. One of the ways we’ve done this is by introducing them to concepts we might not have tackled at this stage in the past. A notable example of this is our examination of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the Theory of Forms.

We introduced these concepts not by diving straight into ancient Greek philosophy, but by using modern examples that students could relate to. One of the key figures we discussed was Marcus Rashford.

Rashford and the Philosopher

Marcus Rashford is a familiar name to many students, not only because of football, but also because of his campaigning during the COVID-19 pandemic. He spoke out about child poverty, challenged the government on free school meals, and used his platform to bring attention to an issue that many were ignoring or downplaying.

We used Rashford as a modern-day parallel to Plato’s philosopher: someone who sees the truth behind society’s shadows and feels compelled to share that truth, even when it’s not popular.

Another example students brought up was Greta Thunberg, who has long challenged global leaders over climate change. Like Rashford, Greta is not universally welcomed. She provokes strong reactions — some supportive, others dismissive or hostile. Yet she continues to raise awareness and demand action.

Plato in the Classroom

We compared these modern figures with the philosopher in Plato’s Cave — the one who escapes the cave, sees reality, and tries to return to help others see it too. In the allegory, this truth-teller is met with resistance, even aggression — a theme echoed in the public treatment of figures like Rashford and Thunberg.

In class, we didn’t dive too deeply into Plato’s Theory of the Forms. Instead, we focused on the concepts of truth and illusion, as well as the challenge of teaching others who may not want to listen. We posed key questions:

  • Are Rashford and Thunberg really sharing "truth" with us?

  • How do we decide what is real or fake in an age of fake news and political spin?

  • Why do some people reject those who try to show us what’s real?

We encouraged students to explore arguments for and against, and to come to their own conclusions.

Why It Worked

This lesson was a genuine challenge, but in the best possible way. It sparked thoughtful discussion, drew connections between ancient philosophy and modern social justice, and encouraged students to think critically about the world around them.

In linking Plato with public figures, we found a way to make timeless philosophy relevant, accessible, and deeply engaging for our students.

Dr Kristina Shakeshaft 

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