This paper was particularly interesting and relevant in that it was written from the perspective of someone who identified as Black and Irish. It showed development education in a local, national and global context and in doing so, showed its relatability to the Irish classroom.
Development education is a vital component of contemporary education that aims to raise awareness and understanding about global issues, such as poverty, inequality, social justice, and sustainability. It fosters a sense of global citizenship, encouraging individuals to take action and make positive changes. It is rooted in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As a teacher in an Educate Together school, development education has particular relevance in the context of the new Learn Together Curriculum that is coming on stream this year. It too, is rooted firmly in the SDGs and in global citizenship education. I always address issues of development education in my classroom both incidentally and explicitly through Learn Together lessons. Through my post, I oversee the promotion of the Ethical Education programme and have worked on revising the Whole School Plan in line with the Revised Curriculum. In the coming school year, this will be a priority in the school and I will use aspects from this course to promote it, including the youtube video on What is International Development.