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ASSIGNMENT
Review the paper: ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie, 2021) and consider why Development Education is important and how you would try to include it in your own teaching and encourage colleagues to plan development education activities throughout your school.
Post a reflective piece (150 words min) to this forum as a reply to this post.
Think about School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and how Development Education can feed into SSE.
Please also comment on at least one other participant’s post.
UPDATE JULY 25: Since July 1st our facilitators have occasionally observed that course reflections may be generated with the assistance of AI tools. While AI can be a helpful support for drafting ideas or exploring different ways to express your thinking, it is essential that your forum posts reflect your own understanding and engagement with the course content. This is in line with the Department of Education and Youth’s Summer Course guidelines.
Before posting to the forum, we encourage you to take a moment to review your contributions and, if necessary, revise them to ensure they are appropriate and authentically your own. -
Eric Ehigie’s (2021) article, powerfully advocates for the cultivation of empathy, awareness, and action in confronting global inequalities. Central to Ehigie’s message is the idea of a “common humanity” that the injustices others face, from poverty to racism, are also our concern. This vision aligns deeply with the aims of development education, to foster critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and meaningful participation in addressing global challenges.
Development Education is vital in today’s classrooms. It encourages students to think beyond borders, understand interconnected global systems, and see themselves as agents of change. Ehigie’s emphasis on the “system of self” reminds us that education is not merely about systems and policies. It starts with cultivating values in individuals.
In my own teaching, I would integrate DE through cross-curricular projects focused on global justice themes, encouraging pupils to investigate topics like climate justice, migration, and fair trade. Student led initiatives, such as awareness campaigns, peer workshops, or connecting with schools abroad can foster active global citizenship.
For school wide engagement, I would collaborate with colleagues during planning meetings, propose DE-themed weeks, and link activities to School Self-Evaluation (SSE) by setting targets for student voice, inclusivity, and intercultural understanding. DE naturally complements SSE domains like Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Teaching and Learning, especially in building a rights-respecting, inclusive culture.
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Hi Colm – enjoyed reading your response. I like that you mentioned critical thinking – children can often be highly engaged by material they see online. This can be an excellent motivator for children as they inform themselves about events around the world but it’s probably fair to say that children often don’t have the full complement of critical thinking skills to assess the credibility of sources, etc. Essential that we address this in the classroom to equip them with the information environment they’re living in.
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Your point about critical thinking really stood out to me. While online content can spark huge interest and curiosity in children, they don’t always have the skills to judge whether the information they find is reliable or accurate. That’s why I think it’s so important that we explicitly teach these skills in the classroom. Helping students to question sources and spot bias will better prepare them to navigate the fast-moving and often confusing digital world they’re growing up in.
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Hi Colm, loved some of your thoughts and ideas on how to integrate development education into the classroom. It’s so important for a student led approach and it can make learning a lot more meaningful for our students. Really loved your idea of linking up with another school, it’s so important to hear from other voices and I think it could be a very engaging way for our students to foster active global citizenship.
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Hi Colm,
I liked how you have come up with ways in which you would incorporate DE into your own classroom and how you emphasized that it should be ‘student-led’. I think it is really important to allow students to feel a sense of pride and ownership of their work, especially when it comes to the topics raised in the article.
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I agree with your statement that ” It encourages students to think beyond borders, understand interconnected global systems, and see themselves as agents of change. Ehigie’s emphasis on the “system of self” reminds us that education is not merely about systems and policies. It starts with cultivating values in individuals.”
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I think developing education in the classroom nowadays is of huge importance to upskill our pupils into understanding the many global issues that we encompass in our society. Key issues such as poverty, climate change and human rights come to mind when I think of this. We have the opportunity, as teachers to make pupils aware that prejudice and injustice should not be tolerated in society and that every individual should be treated the same no matter what race or colour you are.
We can teach this in our classrooms through many different subjects including geography (climate change, migration); history (colonisation, resistance movements), languages (read stories from various cultures).
We can look at case studies of current events happening such as the war in Gaza. Debates and role plays could be used to develop their critical thinking.
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Hi Mel, I also believe that education plays a crucial role in shaping socially aware and empathetic young people. It’s a wonderful idea to integrate global issues such as poverty, climate change, and human rights into the everyday classroom learning. I think this is so important to help children understand the world around them. Your suggestions for using subjects like geography, history, and languages, alongside engaging activities like debates and role plays, are excellent ways to develop critical thinking skills and empathy in a cross – curricular way.
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Hi Shane,
Just reading through some threads here on this assignment and I agreed with your expression of how we, as educators, are shaping socially aware young children with empathy. It is a crucial trait to carry with you, so the more exposure to this at a young age the better.
I also like the idea of using debates and role play in the classroom to explore hard topics. This allows for factual information, being sought in a safe environment either adult supervision.
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I completely agree, embedding Development Education in the classroom is essential. Teaching global issues like climate change, inequality, and human rights through a variety of subjects and practical and active methods like debates allows pupils become empathetic, informed, and critically engaged global citizens, whilst becoming aware of current global issues taking place today.
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Hi Mel,
I agree completely with you that children should feel they have a voice and are heard when discussing global issues. It’s important to encourage this in them from a young age. I also acknowledge the importance of children being away of injustices happening at present in our world, for example in Gaza.
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I agree that there is an abundance of information for children in today’s world and this can be overwhelming. Many of our pupils have first hand information and understanding of the most horrific human injustices. We need to assist children to realise the impact of small actions and the importance of respect and empathy.
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The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World reminds us that we live in a very interconnected world, therefore it is hugely important that we foster a global outlook within our pupils. I really liked how the paper highlights that Development Education cultivates students’ critical awareness of global inequalities, climate challenges, and human rights issues, while also nurturing attitudes of empathy and resilience.
To teach development education in my class, I would start by weaving global case studies into existing lesson, looking at the global news. In previous years, we would often watch new2day which would highlight topical global issues that we would then discuss in class. I would encourage students to explore real-world problems—This supports SSE by strengthening the quality of learning and teaching—students engage in deeper, more meaningful work and develop higher-order thinking skills. Celebrating different cultures within our school and community would also be very important in development education. It is vital that children appreciate and experience other cultures and traditions.
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Hi Siobhán, I really enjoyed reading your review. You really emphasised the importance of fostering a global outlook in students and how Development Education plays a key role in promoting an awareness of global issues. I liked your approach of integrating global case studies and current affairs into classroom learning. I think this would prove to be both practical and engaging. The emphasis on celebrating cultural diversity within the school community is very important, helping students to appreciate different perspectives and become more informed, global citizens.
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I really like your focus on real-world issues and using News2Day to spark discussion. Including global case studies and celebrating different cultures is a great way to build empathy and awareness. Your link to SSE is strong Development Education clearly helps students think deeply and learn important life skills
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The Role of the Global Citizen In Today’s World was an interesting and thought provoking piece of writing. In one way, it celebrates how far we have come in identifying racism and calling it out. However, on the other hand, we have ways to go yet with acceptance. Quoting Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King was an excellent introduction to the piece, as they are well known and historical figures when it comes to human rights. They were well respected in their time, and are still seen as revolutionary figures in history. I also respect that Ethigie gave an insight into his own background and his own experiences.
I was delighted when I read on, to read a quote from Daniel O’ Connell, that I hadn’t heard before with regards slavery in America. I have always respected The Liberator, and I was delighted to read that he was aware of the plight of the slaves in America. His compassion for all human kind is evident in his quote, that, as Darwin said, we are “cut from the same cloth”.
This leads us to the importance of education across the globe and the right to education for all. There is a feeling of empathy from Ethigie, I feel, for the white supremacists. Not that he feels sorry for them, but that they don’t fully understand what they are doing. It’s lack of knowledge, or appropriate knowledge, that leads to their racism and undesired ideologies. I found it very interesting that he called the “victims”, which I would agree they are.
I would share this piece with my colleagues with a view to emphasising the empathy the author feels in the writing. If sharing this with the higher classes, I would pre teach who Daniel O’ Connell, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
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The Role of the Global Citizen In Today’s World was an interesting and thought provoking piece of writing. In one way, it celebrates how far we have come in identifying racism and calling it out. However, on the other hand, we have ways to go yet with acceptance. Quoting Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King was an excellent introduction to the piece, as they are well known and historical figures when it comes to human rights. They were well respected in their time, and are still seen as revolutionary figures in history. I also respect that Ethigie gave an insight into his own background and his own experiences.
I was delighted when I read on, to read a quote from Daniel O’ Connell, that I hadn’t heard before with regards slavery in America. I have always respected The Liberator, and I was delighted to read that he was aware of the plight of the slaves in America. His compassion for all human kind is evident in his quote, that, as Darwin said, we are “cut from the same cloth”.
This leads us to the importance of education across the globe and the right to education for all. There is a feeling of empathy from Ethigie, I feel, for the white supremacists. Not that he feels sorry for them, but that they don’t fully understand what they are doing. It’s lack of knowledge, or appropriate knowledge, that leads to their racism and undesired ideologies. I found it very interesting that he called the “victims”, which I would agree they are.
I would share this piece with my colleagues with a view to emphasising the empathy the author feels in the writing. If sharing this with the higher classes, I would pre teach who Daniel O’ Connell, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
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On review of the article, it outlines many different reasons why it is important to teach development education in schools.
Firstly its relevance in today’s day and age where social justice and activism is commonly seen as a norm and is particularly of interest to new generations as what Dr Martin Luther King Jr referred to as ‘moral arc’, this means it will be of personal interest to the children as well as help them to assimilate into today’s society.
Secondly, the article explains how social change and being a good citizen starts with learning. Interestingly this article describes two vulnerable groups in society, one aware (those experiencing social injustice) and one unaware (those who support harmful ideologies) and how learning can help both. Development Education can help people to see our shared humanity and liberate us in our ‘system of self’ to make real active change to those experiencing social injustice. Development Education also enlightens the ‘unaware vulnerable’ group and liberates them from regressive, harmful ideologies in which they could have fallen victim to.
I would encourage my colleagues to include development education by explaining to them the importance of education in promoting justice. I would remind them of their influence in the ‘system of self’ to drive change, starting at a small level but then spreading on pupil by pupil to progress the ‘moral arc’ further in confronting social injustice still faced today.
For development education to be as effective as possible I believe it should be a whole school approach. I would try to include it in my own teaching and encourage colleagues to plan with the focus of learning to be empathy and human connection. It should also give the children a sense of power and responsibility in making change. The article also pointed at how the curriculum has the potential to teach understanding of social issues through other subjects such as history to link perhaps problems that may seem distant to their own lived experiences. -
Development Education is vital in today’s classrooms and there is an enormous onus on us as educators to ensure it is an important part of our curriculum and is central to the ethos of our schools. We are in a privileged position to provide a safe and open environment where children can open their minds and develop their awareness of themselves as individuals within interconnected global systems. We must work on helping children to identify and develop values and empathy and help them develop a sense of responsibility towards others, realising that the injustices faced by others are of concern to all. I believe many of our children have an awareness of the challenges faced by others in their immediate environment and indeed on a global scale, but they must also be encouraged to realise their potential in having meaningful participation in bringing about change- the objective being developing their sense of a “common humanity”
Development Education can be discussed across the curriculum in subjects such as SPHE and SESE. Children can gain an understanding as to what they can do to be active global citizens. In our school we already participate in some initiatives such as Fair Trade. Having completed this module I would like to consider more opportunities for our pupils to reflect on and participate in further activities for discussion and action in this area.
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Hi Ann,
Welcome to the course. You’ve certainly captured the heart of Development Education. I particularly like how you’ve emphasised the role we as teachers play in helping our pupils see themselves as part of a wider, interconnected world, and in nurturing empathy and a sense of global citizenship.
It’s also good to hear that your school is already involved in initiatives like Fair Trade. Such exoeriences make the learning more real and meaningful for pupils. One idea, which I’ve championed numerous times acroos these fora and builds on what you’re already doing, is to reach out and make global classroom connections, possibly a shared digital project or pen(email)-pal exchange with a school in another country. It can really help pupils see different perspectives and deepen their understanding of what it means to be a global citizen If this is a route you would like to take your school is already involved with Green Schools, a next step might be to apply to join their Connected Classrooms initiative for the next academic year.
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The themes in the paper “The role of global citizens in today’s world” seem very pertinent for young people in our classrooms. Two forces have made this the case – the extreme events of war, poverty, hunger, climate change, etc. and the incredible immediacy of some of these events in people’s lives brought about by the connectivity of modern traditional/social media.
I have found that children in the classroom are very well informed on topics such as the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the climate emergency and more. This is particularly the case as I teach in a very multicultural school where children may be attuned to developments and events in the countries in which they or their parents were born.
I think a theme of the paper – the importance of action at both a global and local level – is very relevant for today’s classrooms. The overwhelming tide of information and the scale of global challenges can feel oppressive and encouraging local and global action is one way of regaining a sense of agency in a world faced with such challenges. There are many cross-curricular links with this aim – from SESE links with the climate to persuasive writing in English (as part of a letter-writing campaign or similar).
One way that this feeds into school self evaluation is that making children develop the skills to be empowered citizens is a goal of our school – we can reflect on whether the education we are providing is achieving that goal. Do the children feel empowered to take action in their school community (and beyond) to address issues that are meaningful to them? Working with colleagues in the school, we can decide on formal and informal assessments of this goal.
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I completely agree that the themes of the paper are especially resonant in today’s classrooms, and your point about the dual forces of global crises and media immediacy really captures the context in which our students are growing up. It’s powerful and sobering to think about how children are not only aware of events like the conflicts in Gaza or Ukraine, but often have personal or familial connections to them.
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Hi Patrick, I really agree with revalence of the paper’s themes in the classroom today. As a student teacher and subbing in recent years before qualifying I taught in many different schools and classes, I was astounded by just how many direct connections in the classroom there was to global crises such as the war in Ukraine. Secondly, I as an adult find myself overwhelmed at times with exposure we have to modern media and worry greatly on how children grapple with this. It is refreshing to see that even though these problems are so large and overwhelming we do have the power to make significant change.
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Hi Patrick, I agree with you that the themes are very important in classrooms today. The issues can seem very complex but children are very in touch with what is happening around the world nowadays. Many schools have students from Ukraine and they are so knowledgeable about their personal circumstances.
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Thank you for your insightful reflection. I completely agree that the immediacy of global events, amplified by social and traditional media, has deeply impacted how young people engage with the world. Like you, I’ve noticed that students are increasingly informed—and often emotionally affected—by conflicts, environmental crises, and inequality. The multicultural context of your school must add a particularly rich and personal dimension to these discussions.
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Hi Patrick,
I really agree with your point about how the overwhelming tide of information and global challenges and how we need to start by encouraging local actions is a way of regaining a sense of agency. I feel children have such ‘big ideas’ but like all of us become disheartened if they feel what they are doing is not enough. We need to encourage them to recognise that part of global citizenship is lots of people doing small local actions which add together to make an impact.
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Hi Patrick, I agree in that although the students ae aware on a global level it is also important to implement at school level and indeed a local level. Integrating such topics with SESE provides an efficient and interesting method to get across such information and encourage global and local citizenship in the classroom and school community.
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Hi Patrick,
This comment struck a chord with me while reading through the thread.
Mainly because you’ve mentioned the importance of action at a local level as well as a global level. I think it is important for children to understand how crucial local level action is and the difference that can be made there. It can feel very overwhelming for any of us, especially a child to implement action at a global level, however starting at school level or local level, allows for this natural progression. Interesting read, thanks.
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As educators, we have the privilege of expanding the minds of the youth and shaping them in a way that promotes inclusion, empathy and understanding. As mentioned in the article “The Role of Global Citizens in Todays World”, humans have a symbiotic connection, a sort of interconnectedness that should be utilized in a way that uplifts people rather then tear them down.
Classrooms today see children of all different ethnic and religious backgrounds and this multiculturalism is a prime example of why development education is extremely important. The themes raised in the article showed relevance to todays society and the issues that we are facing on a national and international scale. With the rise of social media and how accessible it is, I also think it is important children have a space where they can receive reliable and factual information on the sensitive topics of war, racism and many other pressing issues. This will ensure children have the time to ask questions and have conversations in a respectful and inclusive environment.
These topics can be discussed across the curriculum in subjects such as SPHE and SESE and here children can gain an understanding into what they can do to be active developmental citizens. This can expand to whole school initiatives that reflect children’s learning and allow educators to reflect on whether goals are being met within the school community. Children should be made feel as though they can make a difference in the world, but first they need to be given the tools to do so.
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Hi, enjoying the module and forum so far. This is such an important topic in primary schools .Global Citizenship Education in primary schools focuses on developing the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that empower students to:
Understand global issues (e.g., poverty, climate change, inequality).
Respect cultural diversity.
Develop empathy and a sense of responsibility.
Take action to make the world more equitable and sustainable.
UNESCO defines GCE as aiming to “empower learners of all ages to assume active roles, both locally and globally, in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies.”These are some of the activities I have initiated in our school . It’s a start!
Pen Pal Programs: Connecting with students in other countries.
Global Fair: Students present different cultures, foods, and traditions.
Classroom Debates: On topics like “Should everyone have access to clean water?”
Art Projects: Expressing hopes for a better world.
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Thanks for the examples of activities Orla. I used to do a lot of debating when I thought fifth and sixth class in particular and I agree that it is a very effective way to help pupils develop their critical thinking skills . Debating can provide ample opportunities for pupils to analyse and discuss global issues and identify how complex they are.
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I found Eric Ehigie’s paper extremely thought provoking and insightful. He speaks of an innate common humanity and how we can easily ‘become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in’. Development Education is important for so many reasons. We are living in very uncertain times and can often feel helpless to make a difference. By encouraging independent and critical thinking we can help our pupils to develop their system of self that Ehigie talks about. This is vital in order to continue to motivate our pupils to take social action no matter how small.
This year I took part in a ‘Nature Explorer’ programme. We explored our school garden and our local environment. I found this a great starting point for the younger classes to begin to develop a sense of global citizenship. The key three rules were to look after yourself, nature and each other. I believe these tie in well with the ethos of Development Education.
Encouraging colleagues to plan development activities throughout our schools can be a challenge. Teachers are under huge pressure with overloaded curriculum’s and packed timetables. I think that croke park hours can be a great time to start the conversation around global citizenship. It can seem like a very daunting topic but it is important to start small and then build on the progress. Highlighting to teachers that Development Education focuses on process rather than progress is very important.
In our school, we hold two knowledge-sharing weeks a year where we demonstrate and observe each other’s lessons. These sessions not only inspire and motivate teachers, but also highlight practical ways to embed Development Education into the existing curriculum.
Development Education feeds naturally into SSE. It is a great opportunity to allow the student voice to be heard. SSE focuses on how to improve learning environments and uses a collaborative approach to achieve this. By helping our pupils to develop their independent and critical thinking skills we are actively contributing to this improvement .
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I found Eric Ehigie’s paper extremely thought provoking and insightful. He speaks of an innate common humanity and how we can easily ‘become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in’. Development Education is important for so many reasons. We are living in very uncertain times and can often feel helpless to make a difference. By encouraging independent and critical thinking we can help our pupils to develop their system of self that Ehigie talks about. This is vital in order to continue to motivate our pupils to take social action no matter how small.
This year I took part in a ‘Nature Explorer’ program. We explored our school garden and our local environment. I found this a great starting point for the younger classes to begin to develop a sense of global citizenship. The key three rules were to look after yourself, nature and each other. I believe these tie in well with the ethos of Development Education.
Encouraging colleagues to plan development activities throughout our schools can be a challenge. Teachers are under huge pressure with overloaded curriculum’s and packed timetables. I think that Croke park hours can be a great time to start the conversation around global citizenship. It can seem like a very daunting topic but it is important to start small and then build on the progress. Highlighting to teachers that Development Education focuses on process rather than progress is very important.
In our school, we hold two knowledge-sharing weeks a year where we demonstrate and observe each other’s lessons. These sessions not only inspire and motivate teachers, but also highlight practical ways to embed Development Education into the existing curriculum.
Development Education feeds naturally into SSE. It is a great opportunity to allow the student voice to be heard. SSE focuses on how to improve learning environments and uses a collaborative approach to achieve this. By helping our pupils to develop their independent and critical thinking skills we are actively contributing to this improvement .
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Hi Harriet,
I am very interested in some of the initiatives that you have outlined in your post. Firstly, I haven’t heard of the ‘Nature Explorer’ programme before. It sounds very interesting and is something that I must look into for the school year ahead. I also love the ideas of your ‘knowledge sharing weeks’. This is something I would love to do in our school and is certainly something I will bring to our staff as it is through observing others and sharing ideas that we learn the best.
We work in ‘Policy/ Subject groups’ in our school and I find that these were quite effective for us when we are tyring to introduce a new concept to our teaching. A smaller group of teachers work together, discussing the topic and then ideas are brought to staff as a whole. This would work well with the introduction of development education but again it would have to take place during Croke Park Hours as you suggested. That said, start small and great things can be achieved.
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Hi Harriet, I really love the key rules of looking after ‘yourself, nature and each other’ in your ‘Nature Explorers’ programme. I think this really demonstrates how easily you can help the younger children to develop their understanding of the concept of global citizenship. I will definitely be researching this for my future class.
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Consider why Development Education is important and how you would try to include it in your own teaching and encourage colleagues to plan development education activities throughout your school.
Development Education is important to empower the future generations with the understanding and knowledge that is needed to continue reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. As stated in the article, ‘there has been an increase in concern for issues pertaining to inequality and the mistreatment of humans across the globe’ (Eric Ehigie, 2021). This shows that Development Education is having a positive impact amongst people and continuing to deliver Development Education will further this increase for concern.
In my teaching, I would continue to encourage the children to become proud global citizens. This would be achieved by modelling behaviour for the children and explicably teaching what being an active global citizen looks like. I would ask the children what they believe needs to be achieved in the world and encourage them to fight for that. This would be the same for my colleagues, oftentimes it just takes one person to initiate a task such as development education activities and others will join in.
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I really enjoyed reading Eric Ehigie’s paper and found it extremely thought provoking and left me with many insights and that I was left deeply reflecting on. It truly never dawned on me as an educator the profound impact I have on the students to encourage their global consciousness and develop their critical thinking. Development Education is important for shaping students into informed, empathetic, and proactive citizens in today’s world. I would use many ways to teach development education such as through cross-curricular links and project-based teaching. I would encourage critical inquiry in lessons, use real-world links, and reflective assessment. I think it’s important that as educators we embed global citizenship into daily learning in the classroom and school.
Here as some specific things I would implement in my school
Organise a “Global Citizenship Week” with debates, film screenings, guest speakers, art displays. Trips- organise trips to local services that let children experience developmental education.-
Hi Harriet,
Welcome to the course. Just to pick up on your point “I think it’s important that as educators we embed global citizenship into daily learning in the classroom and school.” I couldn’t agree more and one classroom idea, you could try is getting your pupils to make a “Global Goals in Action” wall. Each week, they could explore one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through stories, examples, or class projects, and create artwork, reflections, or questions for inclusion on the wall. It’s a simple way to keep global citizenship visible and connected in your classroom.
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Ehigie’s (2021) paper, ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’, highlights the pressing need for Development Education (DE) in our increasingly globalised yet deeply unequal world. The paper underscores that fostering global citizenship goes beyond simply raising awareness—it involves empowering students to think critically and take informed, meaningful action. DE encourages learners to engage with complex global issues such as inequality, climate change, and human rights, while nurturing values like empathy, justice, and sustainability.
In my own teaching, I aim to embed DE themes across subjects such as SESE, English, SPHE, and the arts. Topics like fair trade (examining chocolate and coffee supply chains), climate justice, poverty, and social inequality are highly relevant and engaging for children. These topics would be explored through inquiry-based and self-directed learning, supported by carefully selected age-appropriate resources from UNESCO, textbooks, news articles, and digital media. I particularly enjoy using storytelling and class novels to explore challenging themes in a reflective and empathetic way. In our school, SESE is already collaboratively planned within year groups, and digital resource sharing is encouraged. Going forward, engaging in CPD focused on global learning could further enhance our whole-school approach to Development Education and help foster a more active and globally conscious school community.
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I would agree that development education is very important in schools today. The paper was very insightful and provided lots of points of thought. Today, Schools are very diverse. There are lots of opportunities to teach development education, in particular integration opportunities across a wide range of subjects. I would definitely focus on the SESE subjects as a starting point but could also make links to painting in visual arts and debates in English. As mentioned in this module, there should not be an emphasis on extra lessons and the focus should be on learner centred classrooms and process centered learning. These are two very important points I would take away. Students today are exposed to lots in social media and on the news. As a teacher, I think it is important to teach lessons and explore issues of development education that I would be confident in teaching. The global goals are a good starting point for lessons and provide a good focus. These could be incorporated into a whole school plan where a focus on a different goal or multiple goals occurs per term
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In reflecting on the “role of global citizens in today’s world”, I think that it is vital to help children to realise that THEY are global citizens, that they are part of the process – both part of the problem and part of the solution. Eric Ehigie talks about mental fatigue and defeatism– ‘what is the point of doing my little bit when everyone else is doing the opposite’ and I think that as primary teachers we are perfectly placed to help children realise that every person, no matter how small, can make a worthwhile contribution. That the contribution we make in our little community in our little town/village/city IS a contribution to the global solution.
Eric talks about leading by example -being the change we want to see – and this is what we as teachers/educators/schools can do. We can build our schools into places where global citizens can thrive.
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In his paper Ehigie (2021) highlights the many social issues that still exist in our society including poverty, hunger, inequality and political instability and how it is important that we as a society work together both at a local level and a global level to address these causes of social injustice. He outlines how we need to act as ‘global citizens’ and work together to offset the many current disadvantages that can be found in our world. One way of doing this is through education and that is why I would be strongly in favour of including the topic of Development Education in my classroom and throughout my school in partnership with my colleagues. As a very multicultural school I would explore this idea of global citizens by exploring and investigating where in the world all our students are from and identifying this on a map in the school hall. This would identify to students how ‘global’ a school we are and why it is important to work towards improving the global disadvantages that exist. One way I would introduce Development Education lessons into my classroom and the school as a whole is through the Plan Action resources, activities and lesson plans available online. Plan Action have set these lessons out so that they are suitable to all class levels, different topics are covered at each class level and differentiation and opportunities for integration are also provided. In this way, as a school we know that by 6th class the children have explored all the relevant topics within Development Education and this would feed greatly into a school’s SSE as it allows for more holistic development and also feeds into a learning environment that is more globally aware.
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Global education is important for schools in Ireland as it helps students understand interconnected global issues, promotes empathy and cultural awareness, and prepares them to be active, responsible citizens. It supports inclusion, aligns with Ireland’s commitment to sustainability and human rights, and enriches learning through diverse global perspectives.
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The paper “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World” (Ehigie, 2021) highlights the urgent need for education that fosters global citizenship. It argues that in an interconnected world facing issues like climate change, inequality, and migration, individuals must be equipped with knowledge, empathy, and critical thinking to act responsibly and ethically. Development education plays a vital role in this by encouraging students to understand global issues and take informed action.
Development education is important because it builds global awareness, promotes empathy, enhances critical thinking, and encourages sustainable, ethical behavior. It aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, which calls for education that supports peace, human rights, and sustainability.
To incorporate development education in teaching, educators can use project-based learning, critical media analysis, and reflection activities. Interdisciplinary approaches—such as integrating global themes into subjects like science, history, and literature—can help students connect local and global perspectives.
Supporting student-led advocacy and encouraging active participation are also key. Ultimately, development education transforms students into active global citizens who are aware of their role in shaping a just and sustainable future. This approach not only deepens learning but also prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the world.
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Ehigie argues that Development Education nurtures global citizens by fostering awareness of inequality, environmental issues, and social justice. In my own classroom, including Development Education topics in lessons helps students connect local actions with global challenges.
In my teaching, I’d embed Development Education through age‑appropriate, inquiry‑based projects.. for example, exploring the topic of fair trade, climate impact, or migration, and then designing student-led projects or perhaps a fundraiser or awareness initiative across the whole school. Integrating global themes across subjects such as English, geography, art would also ensure that empathy, critical thinking, and active citizenship is introduced and kept up with amongst the kids.
To encourage colleagues, I’d introduce whole‑school Development Education days, share resources and hold collaborative planning sessions to map global themes alongside the curriculum. We could establish a “development education” working group to introduce cross‑class projects and then maybe showcase student work when suitable. This would take some time to set up but in the end would show a school‑wide commitment to nurturing socially responsible children.
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In his introduction to the paper, ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World ’ (Ehigie, 2021), Eric Ehigie quotes Malcolm X on the abuse of power leading to inequality, and the consequent need for change and action to bring about a better world, advocating for the necessity of recognising the commonality of all humans, and of our common goals and struggles. In a world where, at local and national levels, and at an international, geo-political level, there is a shift away from shared goals, from the importance of rights for all, and towards discriminatory practices and ideologies and self-interest, education in global citizenship, and in understanding the power held by individuals and groups to improve our communities, local and global, is vitally important.
In my own teaching role, I would try to embed development education through, for example:
• researching a related area of interest to the children
• debating the topic, arguing for and against a viewpoint
• identifying ways in which we could act to bring about a change/improvement or just engage with the topic and deciding which path / action to take
• carrying out the action (eg a petition, a letter, an awareness campaign, poster competition etc)
At a school level, there could be a development education / global citizenship awareness week where either there could be one particular whole school focus, or different year groups could focus on different areas. Alternatively, it could also be something led by the school council.-
Hi Anna,
I enjoyed reading your post and was struck by how much the student voice is central. In our own school we have an ART Day, where students get to explore their creativity and students spend the day visiting different stalls and doing their own art. This year, one of the most popular stalls used broken toys to create new ones. It was led by a parent volunteer and was an amazing example of upcycling that came directly from a student suggestion. Another stall invited children to bring in old clothes and redesign them using paint and fabric markers. The creativity and ownership the pupils showed made it so much more impactful. Like you said, when students research, debate, and then take action, the learning becomes real and lasting. -
This is a fantastic idea. I imagine the children absolutely loved it. Children don’t seem to get a lot of opportunities for make and do but when they do they really enjoy exploring materials and using their imagination especially in groups. It is important to allow children to discover value and use in discarded or used material. It also promotes individuality in their ideas and designs.
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Ehigie’s paper highlights the need for students to see themselves as global citizens who can engage with real-world issues like inequality, climate change, and human rights. Development Education supports this by encouraging critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of responsibility—skills that align well with School Self-Evaluation (SSE) priorities such as wellbeing and learner engagement.
In my own teaching, I’ve explored Fair Trade with Second Class using laminated cut outs of bananas. The children mark what portion the factory, corporations and farmers receive of the profit per banana to highlight unequal pay for farmers. The children were really engaged, and it opened up discussions about fairtrade, choices in our shopping, and how we’re connected to others around the world. I’d encourage colleagues to get involved in cross-curricular initiatives such as the global goals for sustainable development. Development Education fits naturally into SSE as it promotes reflective, inclusive teaching and supports whole-school collaboration. It helps prepare students life in a connected, ever-changing world.
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Eric Ehigie’s article highlights the urgent need for development education in fostering empathy, social justice, and global awareness. He emphasizes that being a global citizen involves more than knowledge—it requires compassion, self-reflection, and meaningful action. As a teacher, I would integrate development education through critical discussions, global issue case studies, and pupil-led initiatives that link classroom learning to real-world problems such as climate change, inequality, and migration. I would embed values like respect and solidarity across subjects, encouraging students to reflect on their roles in a shared world. To engage colleagues, I would propose cross-curricular projects—such as themed weeks on global justice or partnerships with schools in other countries—and share resources and training on how development education enhances critical thinking and empathy. Creating a culture where global citizenship is woven into the fabric of school life can empower young people to become active, informed, and compassionate participants in today’s world.
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Development education can also feed meaningfully into our school’s self-evaluation (SSE), particularly when reflecting on how well we are equipping children to become active, engaged citizens. By making global citizenship part of school culture, we empower young people to take thoughtful action both locally and globally.
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The themes in the paper “The role of global citizens in today’s world” are very applicable to the lives of young people today. Children today are immersed in social media and technology and are constantly exposed to the effects of war, poverty and other global issues.
Over the past number of years children from war torn countries such as Ukraine and Lebanon have arrived to my school. These children are particularly aware of global developments and this has rubbed off on Irish children as well.
Children may feel powerless and overwhelmed to make an impact at a worldwide level so by encouraging them to take local action helps them regain purpose and attainable achievement. This can be completed as part of a class project and many cross curricular links can be created.
As a school community we can place suggestion boxes around the school for children to share their ideas/opinions about what the school should do to help local and global development. This would provide a safe space for the students to voice their ideas and concerns while also providing the staff a valuable tool for self evaluation.
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I completely agree that children today, particularly with their constant exposure to social media, are acutely aware of global challenges like war and poverty. Your experience with students from Ukraine and Lebanon further underscores this – their lived realities bring a powerful and tangible dimension to global developments that undoubtedly “rubs off” on their Irish classmates.
I particularly appreciate your focus on empowering children through local action. It’s so true that the sheer scale of global issues can feel overwhelming, leading to feelings of powerlessness. Breaking it down into achievable local projects is a brilliant way to cultivate a sense of agency and purpose. This not only offers attainable achievements but also creates fantastic opportunities for cross-curricular links, making the learning more integrated and meaningful.
The idea of suggestion boxes for children to share their ideas about local and global development is a fantastic, practical initiative! It provides that crucial “safe space” for students to voice their concerns and ideas, which is vital for fostering engagement. As you rightly point out, this also serves as a valuable tool for staff self-evaluation, giving us direct insight into our students’ perspectives and guiding our approach to Development Education within the school community.
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The principles outlined in Ehigie’s (2021) “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World” resonate deeply with the ethos of Development Education. Ehigie compellingly argues for a communal view of global society, highlighting how individual “self-reformation” is vital for addressing widespread injustices like poverty and inequality. This perspective underscores the importance of fostering global citizenship from an early age, making Development Education not just relevant, but essential.
For my teaching, integrating Development Education would involve embedding discussions around global issues and shared humanity across the curriculum. In SESE, we could explore environmental challenges and their global impact, linking local actions to worldwide effects. Through SPHE, we would foster empathy and critical thinking about social injustices, encouraging children to see themselves as active participants in creating a fairer world. Simple initiatives like exploring diverse cultures, understanding sustainable practices, and discussing current events from a global perspective can lay foundational awareness.
To encourage colleagues, I would share practical, age-appropriate resources and highlight how Development Education aligns with existing curriculum objectives. Demonstrating easy entry points, perhaps through collaborative projects or guest speakers, could demystify the approach. Furthermore, linking Development Education to our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process provides a clear framework for integration and assessment. SSE could identify areas where global citizenship can be enhanced, from curriculum planning to school culture. Development Education provides tangible evidence of our commitment to fostering well-rounded, responsible citizens, demonstrating impact on pupil learning and well-being within the SSE framework.
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I really like how you’ve connected Ehigie’s ideas to practical teaching strategies and the school’s SSE process. Embedding Development Education across subjects like SESE and SPHE is a great way to make global issues relevant and meaningful for students. Sharing easy-to-use resources with colleagues and showing clear links to the curriculum will definitely help build a strong whole-school approach. Your emphasis on empathy and active participation really highlights the true value of Development Education in shaping thoughtful, responsible learners.
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Hi Ciara,
Welcome to the course. I agree, Ehigie’s emphasis on self-reformation and shared responsibility fits so well with Development Education. One practical idea I’ve used in the past is sharing short stories from children around the world facing different challenges or successes, and use them to spark discussion on fairness, empathy, and action. It’s a simple way to build global citizenship. Also, like the idea of sharing ‘easy entry points’ with colleagues as sometimes teachers see DE as another thing to do in an already crowded curriculum where in reality it the themes can be integrated across the curriculum.
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After reading Ehigie’s paper, ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’, I understand why Development Education is important. It helps students learn about big world issues like poverty, unfairness, and climate change. It teaches them to care about others, think carefully, and take action to make the world better. In my class, I would include Development Education by doing projects that connect topics like the environment, human rights, and different cultures with subjects like geography, history, and SPHE. For example, students could learn about problems in their local area and around the world, then think of ways to help.
To get my colleagues involved, I would suggest we plan together to add Development Education into lessons across different subjects and classes. This will help make sure all students get these important lessons. Development Education also supports School Self-Evaluation by helping us focus on caring for others and the environment, making our school a better place for everyone.
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Hi Nicole,
Welcome to the course. Your plan to link global issues with subjects like geography and SPHE is a great way to integarte Development Education themes. I have taken a similar approach in the past using a world map circled by student printouts identifying local issues (like litter or access to green spaces) thatthen explore how similar challenges are faced in other parts of the world. I have found it a great way to build empathy and global awareness. I also agree that planning together makes DE feel more manageable, key message is, it’s not an extra, it’s embedded.
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In my opinion, exploring the notion of Development Education would be highly beneficial to any classroom or school setting. Children are now living in a world in which they are more exposed than ever to goings on around the world, largely due to access to internet, social media and television. In my experience I have noticed that because of this exposure, children are asking far more questions about inequalities and day to day life in other countries. For this reason I believe now is the time to really explore the concept of developmemt education to provide pupils with accurate information and to support them in their journey to become global citizens.
I teach Junior Infants and really like the lesson plan provided in this module on the topic of wants/needs. I think the tower building activity which highlights the different results produced in fair/unfair tasks would be a really interesting activity to try out in September.
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I believe Development Education is of utmost importance within a primary classroom. It is a vital tool in ensuring our learners become more rounded and considerate individuals who can move forward in their lives with an empathetic view of the world we live in.
I would include Development Education within my classroom by including it as a theme across as many subjects and topics as possible. I believe that by doing this we are showing our students that it is a practice we need to include across everything we engage with in our lives. Themes such as exploring other cultures, embracing differences and promoting equality are easily accessible through various subjects.
To ensure colleagues are engaging with Development Education practices, it is vital to give them some understanding of its importance in today’s world. If there is a whole school approach to these practices it can be very helpful in consolidating children’s belief that this is a part of how the world works and not a selective approach
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The themes in the paper “The role of global citizens in today’s world” seem very relevant for students in our classrooms. I teach in a multicultural school where children are well informed on current topics and issues related to their own countries such as war, poverty and climate change. As teachers we must help students understand the complex mixture of privileges and disadvantages within other societies and help children understand the importance to care and empathize with others. Our aim as a school should help children develop the skills to be empowered citizens and realize the importance of action both locally and globally for the good of common humanity through student led initiatives, such a projects and workshops, using the internet to connect with schools abroad to foster active global citizenship and partnership
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I agree it is important to give our students the opportunities to care and have empathy with others. I have found that using novels to help students to gain an insight into the lives of others less fortunate can be a nice stimulus to promote discussion and understanding. Books that my 5th and 6th classes have enjoyed in recent years are; New Girl by Sinéad Moriarty, Shadow by Michael Morpurgo, The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q.Rauf, No Country by Joe Brady, Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths by Maisie Chan and The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter.
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Ehigie’s (2021) paper, “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World,” explores the importance of global citizenship in creating a sustainable global community. It encourages humans to understand and consider global issues and to engage in sustainable practices for the greater good of the world.
Development Education (DE) is so important in today’s everchanging world as it provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to tackle global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. It encourages children to critically think, to become more empathetic and to be aware of all of the different cultures in the world.
I would integrate DE into my lessons by adding discussions on climate change in science lessons, human rights lessons in SPHE, multicultural days where children get the opportunity to educate their peers on their own culture. I would study different countries in Geography and create projects and presentations on various countries.
I would organize a Croke Park hour on DE to encourage collaborative planning and to create some DE resources among my colleagues. I would invite a guest speaker in to give us more information also.-
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I think this would be a great idea to organise a Croke Park hour. This is definitely something I’d consider doing. Especially if we could get a speaker to work with staff so we could organise a uniformed approach to topics across the school. A lot of staff would like to tackle some of the tougher topics of privilege and inequality but it can be challenging sometimes. We have pupils some coming as refugees themselves and it is how to be sensitive to that.
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I enjoyed the positive tone of Ehigie’s paper. He referenced Dr Martin Luther King Jr: the ‘arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice’ (Knight, 2021: 15). Ehigie states his belief; “I solemnly believe it can also be attributed to the impetus that is found in the activism of many of today’s young people. This impetus has enabled a significant number of today’s youth, and wider society, to recognise their role as global citizens, and play their part in positively bringing the global village forward, ethically”. This reminds me of how my role as an educator can inspire my students and how my choice of lessons can shape their understanding of global interconnectedness, diversity, climate change, inequality and human rights. His paper focuses on understanding, feeling, and acting which aligns with the principle of teaching to connect the head, heart and hands outlined in the Module 1 slides. Development Education equips students with factual knowledge, but rather than simply limiting them to just acquiring this knowledge it encourages students to connect classroom learning to real-world issues and take action. This classroom learning could be extended to promoting whole school initiatives such as reducing waste, fair-trade initiatives, litter picking, walk or cycle to school days, creating petitions, hosting school events showcasing music, dance, food, and stories from diverse cultures or having virtual pan pals to learn about other children from around the world’s daily lives. Children could take ownership and responsibility for leading these activities.
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Hi Elaine,
Welcome to the course and thank you for your post here. You have hit on a very important point regarding the role of the educator and the broad spectrum of influence we can have on young people’s development. As you move through this course, you will see topics such as global inequality and climate change covered, and will look at ways in which this activism and awareness can be fostered through classroom instruction. Ehigie’s article really gets to the core of this and is certainly a key reference point for educators seeking to develop this with their classes.
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Ehigie’s paper explains that we need to teach students to be global citizens. This means helping them to learn how to deal with worldwide problems likes climate change, inequality and conflicts. Education has a huge role to play in helping children become more informed and have a better understanding of the role they can play to ensure we create a healthy future for our planet and it’s people. Development Education can feed into SSE by focusing on areas in geography, SPHE, History and Science. Schools have a very important role to play in ensuring that children are equipped to be global citizens who can think critically, act responsibly, and contribute meaningfully in an interconnected and interdependent world.
In our school, through the Green School initiative we looked at the Global Goals for Sustainable Development as a whole school. We worked as a school to come up with ideas as to how we could achieve some of these goals in our school community. We’ve had poster competitions, guest speakers and global days to make children more aware of the world in which they live. -
Ehigie (2021) emphasizes that cultivating global citizens isn’t just theoretical—it’s about nurturing empathy, critical consciousness, and a readiness to act . Development Education is vital because it connects local classrooms to global realities—inequality, climate change, human rights—while helping learners question assumptions and see the impact of their choices . It aligns with SDG 4.7, which stresses education for sustainable development and global citizenship .
In my own teaching, I would embed Development Education through project-based learning: for example, students might research global supply chains behind everyday items (like chocolate), investigate working conditions, then design and run a school-wide campaign on ethical consumerism—linking local action to global justice. I’d also structure reflective activities—journals or digital forums—to deepen understanding of power, privilege, and responsibility, turning knowledge into empathy and action .
To encourage colleagues, I’d propose cross-curricular Development Days: collaborate with language, science, and arts teams to run workshops (e.g., on global health, climate activism, or migration), supported by CPD and sharing Irish initiatives like the WorldWise Global Schools passport award . These collective experiences help build a whole‑school culture of global awareness, reflective practice, and social justice in action.
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Hi Geraldine. I enjoyed reading your ideas on how to incorporate development education into your own classroom teaching. The use of chocolate production as a project to explore ethical consumerism would definitely appeal to most classes. I also thought your idea of cross curricular development days suppported by CPD would provide great opportunites for the staff to work as a whole on these areas.
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I think developing education in the classroom nowadays is of huge importance to upskill our pupils into understanding the many global issues that we encompass in our society. Key issues such as poverty, climate change and human rights come to mind when I think of this. We have the opportunity, as teachers to make pupils aware that prejudice and injustice should not be tolerated in society and that every individual should be treated the same no matter what race or colour you are.
We can teach this in our classrooms through many different subjects including geography (climate change, migration); history (colonisation, resistance movements), languages (read stories from various cultures).
We can look at case studies of current events happening such as the war in Gaza. Debates and role plays could be used to develop their critical thinking.
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Ehigie highlights the urgent need for Development Education in classrooms today, especially in preparing young learners to become active, responsible global citizens. Developing Education goes beyond awareness—it equips pupils with the tools to question inequalities, challenge stereotypes, and take thoughtful action in the classroom.
At a school level, a practical starting point would be an action research project focusing on challenging gender stereotypes, global inequalities and climate change issues in primary classrooms. This could involve gathering baseline data on how children engage during free play, group work, or subject-specific lessons. This data could be challenged and developed through storybooks, critical discussions using videos, or child-led inquiries. A key priority would be to ensure resources and language used are sensitive and inclusive, especially in classrooms with diverse family structures and lived experiences.
Developing Education naturally supports themes such as Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Pupil Voice. By embedding it in SESE, SPHE and Oral Language lessons and reflecting on its impact, we can promote empathy, critical thinking, and respect—key indicators in any quality school evaluation. To encourage whole-school uptake, CPD sessions could be implemented, with shared planning time, and creating a visible Global Injustice noticeboard to celebrate pupil-led initiatives. Building shared ownership makes the message more sustainable.
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Hi Ailish,
Welcome to the course here and thank you for your response here to Ehigie’s article. Taking the learning into the school and allowing children ownership over the direction it takes can be seen as central to embedding the learning and ensuring it becomes something they can take with them in life. The idea of ‘action research’ is particularly useful in this regard. Allowing the children to see just how prevalent these issues are in their school and locality can help provide the catalyst for change and activism on these fronts. The cross-curricular links that development education lends itself too allows us to engage in this deeper learning that action research would lend itself to.
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Hi Ailish,
I really like how you have discussed Developing Education being incorporated into themes such as Wellbeing, Inclusion, and also Pupil Voice. Also merging it in SESE, SPHE and Oral Language lessons can certainly help reflect on its impact, as you say, and promote empathy, which is so important as well as critical thinking and respect. Both of which are key indicators in any quality school evaluation. I like how you have talked about encouraging whole-school uptake with shared planning time, and creating a visible Global Injustice noticeboard to celebrate pupil-led initiatives, this is certainly something I would like to try in school.
Thank you.
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Development Education plays a vital role in shaping students into informed global citizens, this is clearly highlighted in Ehigie’s 2021 paper, “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World.” It encourages pupils to examine inequalities, reflect on power structures that surround them, and consider how they can create change.
In my classroom, I would integrate development education across subjects. In literacy lessons I would use books from marginalized voices or stories of migration as well as student-led research into the real-world contexts such as GAZA at the moment. In science, units on energy or ecology we would include discussions about the environmental practices of different countries and climate justice. I would encourage practical inquiry-based projects such as students investigating local supply chains of goods and proposing ways to reduce exploitation. I would create posters for display around the school about global injustices and coordinate a whole school “Global Awareness Day” where each class hosts interactive stalls or mini-workshops centered on a sustainable development goal. -
Reading Ehigie (2021) on global citizenship reminds me that our students must connect local actions to global challenges. Development Education isn’t just knowledge, it’s nurturing empathy, critical thinking, and responsibility . This aligns perfectly with SSE, where we reflect on how well our school promotes values like equity, sustainability, and intercultural understanding.
In my teaching, I’d embed global themes across subjects. For instance, in English, we’d read stories from diverse cultures and reflect on human rights. In Geography, we’d investigate climate justice and link it to the UN SDGs . These lessons would include action: students plan a mini-project, like raising awareness of plastic use or writing to local leaders about refugee support.
To involve staff, I’d propose a Development Education Week—colleagues would lead workshops or lessons on global issues in their subjects. We’d record these activities in our SSE plan under “Wellbeing & Global Citizenship,” using student reflections and class tasks as evidence of learning and school improvement.
By weaving Development Education into daily lessons and SSE, we build a school culture that values global awareness, critical thinking, and active citizenship.
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Hi Joan,
Thanks for sharing your ideas, I really like how you’ve connected Ehigie’s paper to real classroom activities. Using literature, science, and current issues like Gaza makes the learning meaningful.
The “Global Awareness Day” is a great idea and a fun way to involve the whole school. It would link well with SSE goals, especially around wellbeing, inclusion, and active learning.
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I found this module to be very informative and I decided that I would do this course as I was not sure as to what Development Education was about and it is something that I would like to introduce in my own school. After completing the module, my understanding is that the aim is to ensure that teachers and children are aware of what is happening around the world and to enable us as teachers to empower our pupils to take action and show them how they can make positive changes in the world.
In the article it says “Change is the mantra of the global citizen” and how the task of improving ourselves and taking small social actions is a sufficient starting point in embracing our role as a global citizen. I think that this is an important message to bring back to my school if we are to engage in Development Education.
I really found the input from schools in the module that are engaging in Development Education very interesting. Even though they were from post primary schools I could see how we could develop it in our own school. It was clear from the schools participating in Development Education that it was a positive experience and enabled students to understand and respond to challenges of global injustices. It promotes critical thinking. On one of the video clips, the teacher said the pupils were asking questions such as “why do we have things and they don’t”..looking at it locally, why in some parts of Dublin have they more and looking at social inequality.
I like that there is a resource to use at primary level from 1st to 6th that allows for differentiation and integration into other subject areas. As a teacher of 1st and 2nd class, I like the idea of using games to explore fairness and social inequalities.
In SSE , we will definitely look at how we can improve our teaching of SPHE in our school by introducing Development Education and taking small actions in our school to promote change as global citizens -
Ehigie’s reflections on injustice, racism, and shared humanity highlight why Development Education is more important than ever. It encourages young people to see themselves as connected to others across the world and to think critically about fairness, equality, and the impact of their actions. Development Education links naturally with the SSE process, especially around wellbeing, inclusion, and pupil voice. It can be built into everyday teaching through discussion of global issues, storytelling, exploring different cultures and traditions, or taking action on issues like climate justice or anti-racism. Planning across the curriculum makes it more meaningful—for example, combining geography, SPHE, and Learn Together. Encouraging staff to work together, share ideas, and make space for global citizenship themes in assemblies or projects can help create a shared vision and ensure Development Education becomes a strong part of the school culture.
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Hi Caitriona,
Whilst Shane’s post below focused on the importance of developing responsible global citizens,. you have highlighted another key point around global interconnectedness. Acknowledging and understanding the interconnected nature of the world is essential when looking at these development education themes. Global inequalities might be less apparent in Ireland than other countries in the world, but this does not mean that we don’t or can’t have a role to play in tackling these. Creating those links as responsible global citizens is a key aim of development education.
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Ehigie’s (2021) paper, The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World, emphasises the need to prepare pupils for past, present and future global issues. Development Education helps children to develop the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to become responsible global citizens. The paper highlights the importance of education taking on a broader role to develop higher order skills such as empathy and social responsibility.
I would incorporate DE by integrating global themes across all curricular subjects. I would have the children engage in project-based learning and debates to help develop other skills while working on DE topics. For example, in Geography, the children could explore topics such as climate change, migration, and sustainable development. In History, lessons on colonisation social justice struggles from different parts of the world. English lessons could include reading and discussing stories from other cultures to build empathy and understanding, while SPHE could focus on human rights, inclusion, and equality.
To encourage colleagues, I would suggest incorporating DE into our School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process by gathering student feedback on global issues they care about. I would then suggest we use this feedback to inform our school’s teaching and learning priorities. Linking DE to SSE would enable us to identify areas for development, set clear targets, and measure impact over time. This approach would help DE to become a meaningful part of school improvement.-
Hi Shane,
Welcome to the course and thank you for your contribution around Ehigie’s paper here. Your use of the term ‘responsible global citizens’ is one that I think hits the nail on the head – through equipping children with knowledge and understanding around these development education themes at an early age, we can only hope that they will be able to make informed decisions and actions when faced with these issues in their own lives and communities. The subsequent modules will all look at specific development education themes and how this can be developed throughout the school.
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This paper highlights the important role that Development Education plays in helping our children to become more informed, empathetic, and responsible global citizens. It emphasises the importance of children developing an awareness of global interdependence, social justice, and sustainable practices. It acknowledges the pivotal role that Development Education plays in nurturing critical thinking and ethical values.
In my own teaching, I would integrate Development Education across the curriculum. For example, in English, students would engage with texts that explore migration or climate justice; in geography, they could complete projects on water scarcity or renewable energy in different countries. A whole school approach could be encouraged through the organisation of a school fundraiser supporting a community initiative overseas such as Gaza. These experiences make learning tangible and empower students to take action.
To encourage colleagues, I’d organise shared planning sessions during Croke Park hours and highlight cross-curricular opportunities. We could establish a Development Education calendar, highlighting a global theme and SSE targets for each term. By linking DE initiatives to our SSE goals—particularly in areas like pupil voice, student council etc, it would highlight how global learning supports monitoring and evaluating school improvement.-
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Great ideas Aideen, thanks for sharing them.. I also like to integrate Development Education across the curriculum .English offers an abundance of ways to develop skills and understanding in Develop Education. I like to use books that focus on Development Education topics. I find they can often be the start to great debates and discussions in the classroom. SPHE is also another subject that I find I use for teaching a lot of Development Education topics and it really ties into the strand of the curriculum. SESE can also offer many opportunities for development education. There are really so many subjects where it can integrate. However I hadn’t thought of encouraging Development Education through an organisation or a school fundraiser supporting a community initiative overseas. That’s a really good idea. I think that this would develop so much learning while also giving the students an opportunity to really understand the impact.
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Ehigie (2021), in “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World,” explores the vital role global citizenship plays in building a more sustainable and interconnected world. The paper calls on individuals to become more conscious of global issues and to take responsibility through sustainable actions that benefit society as a whole.
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world, Development Education (DE) is more important than ever. It empowers pupils with the skills and understanding needed to address pressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and climate change. DE fosters critical thinking, nurtures empathy, and promotes an awareness of the world’s diverse cultures—qualities essential for nurturing responsible and informed global citizens.
In my classroom, I would embed DE across a range of subjects: In Science, I would incorporate topics such as environmental sustainability and climate action. In SPHE, I would explore human rights, equality, and global responsibility. In Geography, pupils would study a variety of countries, engaging in research, presentations, and collaborative projects. I would also organise multicultural days, giving children the opportunity to share their heritage and learn from one another.
Beyond the classroom, I would propose dedicating a Croke Park hour to Development Education. This would encourage collaborative planning among staff and provide time to create DE-focused resources. I would also invite a guest speaker to offer expert insights and inspire further engagement with global learning.-
I really enjoyed reading your post. I like how clearly you described practical ways to embed Development Education across so many subjects. Your idea of organising multicultural days is fantastic, it would give children a real sense of ownership and pride in their backgrounds while helping others learn and appreciate different cultures.
Dedicating a Croke Park hour to plan and share resources is such a good suggestion too. It would make Development Education feel more achievable for everyone and create a consistent whole school approach. Inviting a guest speaker would definitely bring it to life and show pupils how these issues connect to the real world.
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Teaching in an educate together school we have regular whole school projects. We use buddy system with the senior classes working with the junior classes and we use picture books to discuss topics. We have packs made based on the different picture books that are all labelled according to theme. We do project work and different year groups prepare and present on different topics in assembly topics such as fair trade, migration, refugees, global warming, women in society, injustice poverty, homelessness, exploiting of children in factories etc. We do projects on real world problems and watch news today. We have done projects on children’s rights and the developmental goals. In the senior classes, children take it in turns to research world news and present to their class. We celebrate cultural diversity and invite parents in for intercultural days and assemblies. Children present on their religions, their cultures and all celebrations are represented and explained so there is a mutual understanding and acceptance. We had a human rights walk this year where each class explored human rights and we called out the local newspaper.
It is so important to foster social aware, accepting young people as they are the future adults of the country. The children are required to think critically and celebrate the different cultures within our school community.
The article is so relevant to the classrooms in Ireland. Children are getting accurate information. The children in our school are very active participants in both our green school and student union as our school is democratically run. They are confident to ask questions and are generally very empathetic to others.We teach these topics through SESE, our learn together programme and through picture books, debates and circle time.
Development Education feeds naturally into SSE. It is a great opportunity to allow the student, parent, teacher and the suffer school communities voices to be heard. We regularly get first speakers in fishing croke Park hours and then work on follow up projects. We try to integrate into our SESE as much as possible so that it’s not extra work on teachers.
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Hi Audrey,
Welcome to the course and thank you for sharing some of the wonderful work you are doing in your school to promote inclusion and social justice, The incorporation of project-based work gives the children real ownership over the course of their learning, and it is clear that the learning experiences they are offered through these are rich and engaging – I love the sound of the work you completed around human rights. last year. The forging of close home-school links and developing these through regular interactions and events with parents provides the perfect opportunity for extending the learning into the home and community.
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Teaching in an educate together school we have regular whole school projects. We use buddy system with the senior classes working with the junior classes and we use picture books to discuss topics. We have packs made based on the different picture books that are all labelled according to theme. We do project work and different year groups prepare and present on different topics in assembly topics such as fair trade, migration, refugees, global warming, women in society, injustice poverty, homelessness, exploiting of children in factories etc. We do projects on real world problems and watch news today. We have done projects on children’s rights and the developmental goals. In the senior classes, children take it in turns to research world news and present to their class. We celebrate cultural diversity and invite parents in for intercultural days and assemblies. Children present on their religions, their cultures and all celebrations are represented and explained so there is a mutual understanding and acceptance. We had a human rights walk this year where each class explored human rights and we called out the local newspaper.
It is so important to foster social aware, accepting young people as they are the future adults of the country. The children are required to think critically and celebrate the different cultures within our school community.
The article is so relevant to the classrooms in Ireland. Children are getting accurate information. The children in our school are very active participants in both our green school and student union as our school is democratically run. They are confident to ask questions and are generally very empathetic to others.We teach these topics through SESE, our learn together programme and through picture books, debates and circle time.
Development Education feeds naturally into SSE. It is a great opportunity to allow the student, parent, teacher and the suffer school communities voices to be heard. We regularly get first speakers in during croke Park hours and then work on follow up projects. We try to integrate into our SESE as much as possible so that it’s not extra work on teachers.
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Hi Audrey,
I have not yet had the opportunity to teach in an Educate Together School but I love that your school takes a whole school approach/ buddy system to participate in project work.
Bringing in project-based work really lets kids take charge of their learning, and it’s clear that the experiences they get from these projects are fun and engaging. I loved hearing about the emphasis placed on building strong connections with parents through regular events. As this is such a great way to keep the learning going at home and in the community.
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Eric Ehigie’s paper on ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ really articulates the importance of global citizenship in our world. It highlights the importance of orecognising and embracing our responsibilities as global citizens, as Ehigie stated ‘we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in’.
Development education moves beyond the simplistic view that I would have grown up with where supporting global development was about charity and it it pushes us to think critically and challenge our assumptions, stereotypes and biases. In this age of technology where misinformation is so prevalent it is vital that we as educators equip our pupils to navigate a world that is grappling with climate change, poverty, social injustice and war, and that we teach them how to think critically, question and verify the information they come across online and in the media.Over the last two years I have held the role of Green Schools Coordinator in my school as we worked on our Global Citizenship- Litter and Waste flag. This provided us with lots of opportunities to explore the different global goals in appropriate ways across each level of our school, from our preschool to our staff. Our Green Schools committee led the way by making presentations about global citizenship and the global goals to each class. Each class level then had a global goal which they worked on through their SESE, SPHE, RE and English lessons. We found that we were already doing a huge amount of work on global development, however we weren’t integrating it together and in many cases we weren’t using the terms global development or global citizenship at all in our teaching! This led each teacher to explore how to further include development education in their teaching, as well as encouraging teachers to develop a whole school approach to development education.
Having our Green Schools Committe work with our Student Council and our staff to lead our development learning in our school was a great way to incoproprate and set targets for student voice and inclusivity. We also had a Day of Action which was organised by the pupils and focused on activities, quizzes and projects based on development education. We used these and other means such as surveys and polls among students, staff and parents to evaluate how well our school wasfostering global awareness, critical thinking, and active citizenship. This all contributed to our SSE for the year.
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Hi Niamh,
I agree that global citizenship can very much tie in with the Green Flag. At a recent workshop by the GIY Schools, the facilitator did a very simply lesson where she used ordinary veg from the shop and we read their labels, positioned where and how far they had come if the classroom was a world map. We discussed how you could co on to look at fair trade, the cost to the consumer, air miles etc. Thought it was a simple exercise that could grow exponentially in relation to development education and green flag foci
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Development Education seems to be more important than ever, given current global situations. We are all part of a symbiotic relationship, rather than individuals working alone. Children in our classrooms are used to working in groups and as part of teams. We can use these experiences to illustrate to them the importance of playing their part in the larger scale of being a global citizen.
As others have mentioned here, the children we teach often have unlimited access to information. Unfortunately, this information is not always reliable, or the author may have their own agenda for writing it. The formal education that we can give children in the classroom must not just foster desire to be active, positive global citizens, it must often counteract some of the disinformation they have already acquired.
It was encouraging to read that Ehigie’s personal experience was reported to have been mostly positive and, from his own perspective, that the Irish cultural attitudes towards racism seem broadly positive. I don’t think the role of teachers and education should be underestimated in this development.
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Hi Olivia,
Thank you for your post here. You are right to say that development education has an evolving importance in today’s society given the current unstable nature of global affairs. Being able to think logically and rationally around key global issues allows us to make clear decisions around what we can do to try to address this. The reliability of information we receive needs to be fact checked, and this theme of digital citizenship is becoming an increasingly important skill for children. This course will explore specific development education themes and how some of these ideas can be looked at through the lens of these specific themes.
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It is very important to encourage our children to look at things globally, to see how unequal things are in the world,to highlight the inequalities to them. It is also equally important to develop a sense of understanding and empathy in the pupils. Development Education does this and is essential to pupil’s learning. It is also important to allow the children to realise what they can do to help and make a difference. In an social situation we have to think about what we can do- a small role in our global community. There are so many examples of social inequality that we can study to raise awareness of this- at the moment the war in Gaza is an example. We can use a cross- curricular approach to global education- it is possible to include it in so many subjects. I find that RTÉ News2Day is a fantastic resource for this. It highlights so many issues and news around the globe. It is also an important part of this paper that issues are addressed locally- we can encourage the pupils to think locally also- is the local coffee shop using Fairtrade beans for instance?
In terms of School self evaluation we can ask are the pupils encouraged to take action about these issues. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to highlight so many issues to the pupils and raise awareness of them.
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Hi Agnes,
Welcome to the course. Thanks for sharing your post here and for raising the key point around seeing issues as global issues rather than local issues. Seeing ourselves as global citizens and highlighting how interconnected we are is key to seeing all issues as global issues. Just because we cannot tangibly feel the effects of some issues, potentially around global inequalities, can make it more challenging to see the need to take steps to address this. However, promoting global citizenship allows us to see all these issues as issues that ultimately have an effect on us.
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I agree with the opening of this piece that makes reference to the fact that among the positives in our world we have so many negatves in our world such as poverty, hunger, inequality and political instability. That author makes it clear that they want change and urgenty. The refenece she makes to us as being humans in a global family, shows how interconnected we really are. This really struck me as there are so many injustices within this global family right now, that it just does not seem one bit okay. She speaks of education as a way to begin to battle against this. Im an educator so I see this as a huge way I can help. Teaching development education is important to me and this paper has reaffirmed why it is important to me. Teaching fairness and equality is important for our youth. I want my students to understand how to be a cizizen in this world that acts in a way for the better good of those around them. I will share this with my colleagues by explaining what I learned on this course in a staff meeting.
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I would say that Development Education is important because it equips learners with the skills and mindset to engage with global issues critically and compassionately, at a local level. The Ehigie paper highlights how global citizens understand that people and our planet are interdependent and therefore motivated to create a fairer, more sustainable world. I am an admin principal, so not in the classroom every day, but the ideals outlined in the paper closely align with our school’s ethos (Educate Together).
My role in embedding Development Education in our school would lie in leading by example. Through the SSE process, we could, as a staff, identify meaningful links between the curriculum and global themes e.g. climate justice, inequality, and responsible consumption. This could involve creating a school-wide priority around sustainability or global citizenship, using the SSE framework to plan, implement, and evaluate progress.
Much of the above we do touch on as a school. We have had Irish Aid in to deliver workshops and some of our staff have done training on Global Citizenship, leading workshops in our school. However, the SSE process would help us to consolidate and improve our implementation of DE.
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I really appreciate how clearly you connected Development Education to key areas of School Self-Evaluation. Your examples – especially around student voice, wellbeing, and cross-curricular collaboration – are really practical. I like the idea of using DE to enhance inclusion and promote a more values-driven school culture. It’s encouraging to see how DE can be used not just in the classroom but across the whole school to make a meaningful impact. You’ve given me some great ideas to bring back to my own setting!
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Ehigie (2021) highlights the importance of nurturing global citizens who are informed, empathetic and ready to engage with the world around them. While this might sound like work for older students, it really begins with the youngest learners.
In my context in Senior Infants, Development Education means helping children understand fairness, kindness, difference and care for others and the environment. I do this in simple, everyday ways that fit naturally into our teaching.
Picture books like The Messy Magpie & What Can a Citizen Do? prompt rich discussions about fairness and change. In play, we explore global cultures. SPHE and Circle Time help children think about feelings, fairness and what it means to treat others with respect.
I link this learning with the Learn Together curriculum, especially the Equality & Justice and Environmental strands. Activities like planting, recycling, or class kindness projects help children see they can make a difference. I use strategies like Thinking Time in Philosophy 4 Children.
Development Education also supports School Self-Evaluation (SSE), particularly in areas like wellbeing, pupil voice and inclusion. It offers meaningful ways to embed these values across the curriculum, starting with our infants.
As Ehigie suggests, becoming a global citizen starts with awareness and empathy. In Senior Infants, that begins through stories, play and conversation i.e. small steps that plant big ideas.
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I found this text very enlightening and it shows the importance of development Education in school and in the wider world. It is not an add-on, it allows for globally aware citizens and students. In the article it says that global citizenship fosters critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of shared responsibility for local and international issues. We want our next generation to grow up with the above skills and mindset. In my own teaching, I would use real-world examples and practice linking them to the curriculum or SESE in particular. I would encourage the students to reflect on their personal responsibilities in the world, local area and school community. To further promote this thinking in schools I would facilitate awareness projects and events on topics such as food injustice, discrimination and climate change.
From an SSE perspective having Development Education in our school would create an inclusive environment for staff and students and enhance students sense of responsibility. Through regular teacher meetings and reflection we can ensure that global education remains a priority. We can continually access and reflect upon the way we impart the knowledge and achieve the learning outcomes in Development education.
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Ehigie (2021) emphasizes the crucial role of global citizenship in addressing global inequalities and promoting sustainable development. The paper highlights how we as educators must prepare students to think critically about justice, equality, and interconnectedness. Development Education is central to this aim, encouraging learners to understand global issues and empowering them to act responsibly. In my own teaching, I would aim to include Development Education by linking curriculum topics to real-world contexts—for example, integrating climate change discussions into science or using global trade in geography. Activities like debates, project-based learning, and partnerships with schools abroad can bring global issues to life. Promoting a whole-school ethos of global awareness can enrich the learning experience, helping students develop empathy, critical thinking, and agency.
Development Education supports School Self-Evaluation (SSE) by promoting active, reflective learning and global awareness. It enhances key areas like student engagement, inclusion, and wellbeing—fostering a school culture focused on values, participation, and continuous improvement in a changing world.
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Ehigie’s paper really struck me because it reminded me that education is not just about passing on facts but about helping children see themselves as part of something bigger. Development Education feels more important than ever. We have pupils in our classrooms who already know so much about the world through social media and news, yet they often feel powerless to change anything. I think our role is to show them that small actions matter and that they can be part of the solution.
In my own teaching, I would start by weaving in global themes through SPHE and SESE, like looking at climate justice or fair trade. Class discussions, projects and even simple activities like tracking where our food comes from can build understanding.
To encourage colleagues, I’d suggest we pick a shared focus for a term, maybe linking it to a global goal, so we are all working together. This makes it feel manageable and more meaningful.
SSE provides a perfect framework for this. We could set targets for inclusion, empathy and pupil voice, then use observations, pupil feedback and samples of work to see the impact. Development Education is not an extra subject, it is a mindset that supports all areas of school life.
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Hi Michelle,
I was struck with the same thought about our role as educators being about helping children to see themselves as part of something bigger, teaching them to ask questions and critically analyse information rather than just feeding them facts. I also agree that it is important for us to show that it is worth taking action even if we think we are only one person and that every little action matters. You are absolutely right that Development Education should be seen as a mindset that supports all aspects of school life and not looked upon as another subject to teach.
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Hi Michelle,
I agree with what you have said here. The children of today are a lot more aware due to social media. We should not shy away from this. We need to take this knowledge that they have and work with them to develop their understanding of the world. This could create interesting classroom discussion, especially with the senior classes.
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“The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World” by Ehigie (2021) outlines the critical competencies and mindsets needed for individuals to engage ethically and effectively in an interconnected world. Ehigie emphasizes values such as empathy, cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, global justice, and equitable participation. The paper argues that by cultivating these skills in learners, educators can prepare them to navigate global challenges like poverty, climate change, migration, and inequality.
Development education is vital as it fosters global awareness by broadening students perspectoves and helps them see how their lives can influence global systems and how their choices can have an impact. It also builds empathy and solidarity by encouraging pupils to relate to experiences beyond their local context giving them a sense of global community. Development education challenges students to analyze root causes of global issues and empowers them to become responsible citizens who take informed action—locally and globally. Finally, developing education connects learning to real-world goals like reducing inequality or climate action, DE aligns classroom activity with global efforts.
Development Education in my teaching could include SESE E.g., in geography: exploring why water or food insecurity exists; in history: examining colonial legacies; in science: discussing environmentally sustainable practices. My school is bog into themes and topics, this would be an idela opportunity to use project-based & inquiry-led learning. Students might investigate local waste systems, compare them to those in other countries, and then propose community improvements—linking local influence with global relevance. As part of any teaching reflective practice is key to embaedding the students undertanding of what they have learned. Ask students regularly: “What did I learn about other cultures?” or “How has my worldview shifted?” This awareness of their own positioning builds deeper understanding as well as possibly promoting action and advocacy such as initiating recycling drives, fundraising for global education, or campaigning for reduced plastic in school lunches, the emphasis is on tangible, student-led impact.
Development Education can play a powerful role in School Self-Evaluation (SSE), particularly in areas related to wellbeing, teaching and learning, and student voice. When integrated effectively, development education not only enhances curriculum delivery but also supports a whole-school culture of inclusion, justice, critical awareness, and global citizenship.
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Hi Louise,
Welcome to the course. It’s clear from your post that you have connected Ehigie’s framework to practical classroom strategies and whole-school approaches.
One suggestion to build on the inquiry/project-based learning you are alreadfy engaged in might be to consider buidling/fostering connections with other schools/classrooms around the world. Simple things like exchanging letters/emails or video messages with a class abroad. This can deepen pupils understanding of global interdependence and give context to their learning. It also supports the development of empathy and cultural awareness.
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Development education is important in order to nurture the development of global citizens who care about their peers and can empathise with those who may not be as well off as them or may face different challenges. Global citizens have an interest in and care about their society and community and don’t just think about how things directly affect them but rather can take consideration of how others are affected by social inequalities and injustices.
In order to include it in my own teaching I think it would be best to model the behaviour so my students can see that I show empathy and respect to staff and pupils, that I strive to include everyone and don’t judge. I would also do some explicit teaching around global citizenship but I think modelling the desired behaviour is very effective. I would also ensure to make space to allow and encourage discussion amongst students and encourage them to question things. I would try to create a classroom where students are able to connect head, heart and hands so they can take in information, express how it makes them feel and come up with an actionable response to it.
Again, in relation to encouraging colleagues to plan development education activities throughout my school I think actions speak louder than words so I would lead by example. I would also create a bank of resources/lesson plans from this module that could be shared on our collaborative drive so that my colleagues could access them and adapt for their own classes.
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Hi Mary,
Welcome to the course, and thank you for sharing how you plan to embed Development Education in your teaching and across your school. Your focus on modelling empathy and inclusion through your daily interactions is a powerful approach, teachers are influencers in their own right, and being mindful of that impact is key.
You also highlight the importance of developing pupils’ global citizenship skills. As I’ve mentioned before on this forum, a helpful strategy here is introducing a pupil-led DE journal or reflection wall. This can be a physical or digital space where students share thoughts, questions, or actions related to global citizenship. It encourages ongoing reflection and supports student voice, very much in line with the ‘head, heart, hands’ approach you referenced.
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Review the paper: ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie, 2021) and consider why Development Education is important and how you would try to include it in your own teaching and encourage colleagues to plan development education activities throughout your school.
Think about School Self-Evaluation (SSE) and how Development Education can feed into SSE.
The Ehigie paper is important because it makes us more aware of how to address of the causes social injustices both locally and globally. It looks at the wider, societal systems that may facilitate a lot of the social challenges. Lastly the paper challenges ideologies of illiberalism in the overall attempt to enhance society.
The article highlights the fact that we should extend our solidarity to others and do as much as we can to uplift those around us. The article also highlights the fact that in order to become a Global Citizen that we must rectify the presence of oppression within other people.
I would try to include the above in my teaching by instilling in my students on how to become a global citizen and that they can make a difference in the world.
There are many resources and lessons available to help children become independent thinkers and to learn about their rights as a child.
I would refer to the Plan International Handbook that contains many useful resources as follows;
4 modules
• 5 lessons in each
• Gender aimed at 1st and 2nd class
• Inequality aimed at 3rd and 4th class
• Migration and Refugees aimed at 5th and 6th class
• Climate Change aimed at 3rd and 4th class -
Development education is essential because it helps students understand how global issues like poverty, climate change, inequality, and human rights are all connected. According to the article “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World” (Development Education Review, Issue 33), global citizens must be aware of these challenges and recognize their responsibility to act with empathy, fairness, and a commitment to justice. Development education supports this by encouraging young people to think critically, understand different perspectives, and reflect on their role in creating a better world.
In the classroom, development education can be brought to life through storytelling, debates, and projects linked to real-world issues. Teachers can connect these ideas across the curriculum—in subjects like geography, history, or literacy—while using activities such as role-play or class discussions to deepen understanding. As highlighted in the article, education should go beyond knowledge; it should empower learners to engage in their communities and take meaningful action, helping them become active global citizens who can contribute to positive change locally and globally.
Development education can feed into a school self-evaluation (SSE) plan by supporting key areas such as wellbeing and inclusion. Through integrating global themes across the curriculum, promoting the voice of the child, and fostering a school culture based on justice and respect, as a school we can set meaningful SSE targets that reflect a commitment to developing active global citizens.
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It is interesting reading this article in the context of today’s political landscape. The direction to row back on diversity and inclusion programmes coming from the US impacts us here. Just last month more than a quarter of large corporates cut their sponsorship of Dublin Pride. The language of exclusion has become more widespread with an increasing number of anti-immigrant protests. The author calls for us to “extend our solidarity to others and do as much as we can to uplift those around us. Behaviour which alienates, ostracises or isolates groups of people is an undesirable deviation from the truth of our commonality”. Students need the skills of critical thinking to help them navigate some of the unhelpful language and information/misinformation surrounding them.
In terms of School planning, this fits into Wellbeing and Inclusion. Our school has a emphasis on action. We follow the ethos of ‘Deeds not Words’ and encourage students to be active within our school community to support one another. Where we could improve is to bring the local to the global and look at how our school supports others outside this sphere, in something more meaningful than just Christmas or seasonal collections. We have a strong student council and I think its worth exploring where they might see action potentials, especially as we have a very globally diverse school population.-
I completely agree with your point Fiona about the strong connection between Development Education and the new Primary Curriculum Framework. It’s inspiring to see how SSE can be used as a practical tool for embedding global citizenship and sustainability into everyday teaching. Highlighting this link really emphasises how schools can be proactive in addressing both curriculum goals and broader societal challenges.
We’re not doing this systematically yet in our school, but your reflections have given me ideas for how Development Education could become part of our SSE processes in the future. I can see how linking these initiatives to our evaluations and planning could help strengthen Social and Environmental Education and ensure that global citizenship becomes an integral part of our school’s vision and practice.
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I completely agree with you Fiona this reflection. The current political climate, both globally and locally, makes it more important than ever to foster inclusion, empathy, and critical thinking in our schools. As the article highlights, the retreat from diversity and inclusion efforts—even seen recently in the corporate response to Dublin Pride—reflects a worrying shift in public discourse. Schools have a vital role to play in countering this by promoting solidarity, respect, and shared humanity. Embedding these values within Wellbeing and Inclusion is essential, and I really admire your school’s proactive ethos of “Deeds not Words.” Encouraging student-led initiatives through a strong student council is a brilliant way to empower young people to think globally while acting locally. Expanding this approach beyond seasonal giving to more sustained, student-driven projects could build deeper awareness and connection. It’s through these kinds of efforts that we help students grow not only as learners, but as compassionate, informed global citizens.
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I think Development Education in the classroom nowadays is of huge importance to upskill our students into understanding the many global issues that we encompass in our society.
Key issues such as poverty, climate change and human rights come to mind when I think of this.
We have the opportunity, as teachers, to make pupils aware that prejudice and injustice should not be tolerated in society and that every individual should be treated the same no matter what race or colour you are.
We can teach this in our classrooms through many different subjects including geography (climate change, migration); history (colonisation, resistance movements), languages (read stories from various cultures).
We can look at case studies of current events happening such as the war in Gaza and climate change. Debates and role plays could be used in the senior end of the school to develop the children’s critical thinking.
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Hi Norma,
Welcome to the course. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here, Development Education is squarely about developing pupils understanding of global issues like poverty, climate change, and human rights, while also encouraging empathy, critical thinking, and action.
I also like the croos-curricular approach you’re planning through geography, history, and languages. As I’ve mentioned many times on these forums, Development Education, is not an additional subject, instead DE themes can be integrated accross the curriculum. The idea of using debates and case studies like Gaza or climate change is particularly powerful and engaging for pupils up the senior end, giving them space to explore complex issues and form their own views.
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I like your ideas of using debates and roleplay as the children will have to put themselves in “the shoes” of people living in such regions and in certain conditions. This might evoke more empathy and the want to take some kind of action. Often I find adults try to shield children from such inequality and issues occurring throughout the world instead of allowing children to see the injustices and how as global citizens we all have a role to play.
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Having read *“The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”* (Ehigie, 2021), I am convinced that Development Education is essential for nurturing informed, empathetic and active global citizens. Ehigie underscores the interconnectedness of global issues—inequality, climate change, migration—and how individuals, through critical thinking and action, can contribute to solutions. This resonates deeply with my belief that education should not only impart knowledge but empower students to see themselves as agents of positive change.
In my own teaching, I would integrate Development Education through inquiry-based projects, linking curriculum topics to real-world global issues. For example, in geography lessons, we could examine the impacts of climate change on different communities, encouraging pupils to propose practical local actions. I’d also use diverse voices and global perspectives in texts and discussions to challenge stereotypes and promote cultural understanding.
To encourage colleagues, I’d propose cross-curricular projects, share practical resources, and have whole school initiatives. Together, we can create a school culture where global citizenship is not an add-on but central to our educational mission.
Integrating Development Education aligns perfectly with Ireland’s new Primary Curriculum Framework, supporting school self-evaluation and improvement in Social and Environmental Education by fostering critical thinking, sustainability, and global citizenship. Embedding these themes into teaching not only meets curriculum aims but also provides clear evidence for SSE processes, demonstrating how schools are actively responding to pupils’ needs and societal challenges. This approach ensures continuous school improvement while preparing pupils to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
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Hi Orla,
Welcome to the course. Your approach to integrating Development Education through inquiry-based projects and global perspectives is a great example of how we can make learning more relevant for pupils. Linking geography topics to real-world issues like climate change and encouraging practical local actions, really helps students see themselves as active participants in their communities.
I also liked your ideas for encouraging colleagues. The cross-curricular projects, resource sharing, and whole-school initiatives you mentioned are excellent ways to embed global citizenship across the school. To build on this, you might also consider getting your pupils, or even the whole school, involved in a global classroom exchange. This could be something simple like a digital pen-pal projectwith a school in another country. These kinds of exchanges are a great way for pupils to explore global issues through the eyes of their peers and build meaningful, real-world connections.
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Development education plays a crucial role in fostering empathy, critical thinking, justice, and sustainability in young learners. Ehigie (2021) argues that global citizens understand interconnectedness, respect diversity, and feel responsible beyond their immediate context. UNESCO and the United Nations likewise emphasise that education must go beyond literacy and numeracy, nurturing values, attitudes and competencies needed to address global challenges like inequality, climate change and human rights.
In a 6th class setting, I would integrate short lessons on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), followed by project based learning where students choose one goal—such as clean water or fair trade—and research, present and take small actions (e.g. a fundraising letter or awareness poster). Role plays and global pen pal exchanges can build empathy and communication skills. To encourage colleagues, I would propose an “International Week” where each class presents a global theme or culture, and collaborative planning meetings focused on embedding development education across subjects—art, geography, science. Together we could map SDG linked activities through the school year—from classroom debates on justice to biodiversity poster fairs—ensuring development education becomes an inclusive, whole school commitment.-
Hi Maura, I really enjoyed reading your post. I think your idea of using project-based learning around the SDGs is so practical and engaging, especially for 6th class. Giving pupils ownership of a goal and encouraging them to take small actions really captures the spirit of active citizenship that Ehigie highlights. I also love the idea of an “International Week”, sounds like a brilliant way to make development education visible across the school and to get everyone involved, not just in isolated lessons but as a whole-school approach.
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Hi Maura,
I think your idea of ‘International Week’ would be great. It would provide an opportunity for the whole school to get involved in some form or other – be it project / fairs / cooking various dishes from around the world, etc. We do an Erasmus exchange programme in our school so we could incorporate International Week with the visit from the students and teachers on Erasmus here. It would really highlight development education in the school.
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Development education is important in the classroom as it helps children understand issues in the world such as climate change, poverty, inequality and human rights. All of these topics are major concerns in this day and age. The primary school classroom has become quite diverse. Children in the classroom are dealing with all these issues and some of the children are living in poverty. This is seen in the class I am working in.
To include this in my teaching I could link SESE subjects to global issues like sustainability, human rights, and inequality. I could also use real world resources in my teaching by brining in news articles, documentaries, or guest speakers to connect learning with real-life experiences.
To encourage colleagues to plan development education activities a staff group could be set up where these staff members could come together and come up with some activities and initiatives to introduce into the school. This could lead to a culture day or an international day where children get to celebrate their nationalities and different cultures in the school.-
Hi Odhran,
I think the same with regards to the integration of development education and SESS subjects. Global issues like sustainability, human rights, and inequality definitely encapsulate what development education is all about and how to foster an empathy with these issues. I like your ideas about using real world resources in your teaching such as brining in news articles, documentaries, or guest speakers as it allows learners to make that connection between their learning and real-life experiences.
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Eric Ehigie’s paper was both interesting and thought provoking. The paper recognises how far we have come in recognising racism and reacting to it. The piece reflects on the interconnectedness of the world. It explores the different reasons why development education is important to teach in schools. As teachers we can make pupils aware that prejudice and injustice have no place in today’s world. We need to educate pupils on global issues such as human rights, poverty and climate change and that these injustices are all our concerns whether we directly experience them or not. pupils need to be able to recognise they are not powerless to change such issues. this is a key message in Ehigie’s paper.
I feel English, S.P.H.E. and Science provide many opportunities to teach Development Education. The last school year I taught 4th class. Starlight English reading programme had lovely pieces about children around the world and our environment which naturally lent themselves to exploration in these areas. We also took part in a STEAM climate change action activity programme where the pupils took a hands on look at climate change.
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Hi Barbara,
Welcome to the course. You’ve provided a an excellent summary of the key messages in Eric Ehigie’s paper, particularly the idea that injustice, even when it doesn’t affect us directly, is still something we all have a responsibility to challenge.
As mooted many times on these fora, DE themes are cross-curricular but as you’ve outlined subjects like English, SPHE and Science are particularly suitable. In SPHE for instance, one suggestion might be to give pupils a chance to lead their own mini action projects, maybe something simple like a class campaign, poster display, or a short video. It’s a great way to help them connect what they’re learning to real-world action and feel like their voices are being heard.
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Reading Eric Ehigie’s article really made me stop and think about what it means to be a global citizen and how that idea can be encouraged in my own classroom. It was eye openeing as he opened the piece by sharing his own context and the struggles and challenegs he experienced growing up in Ireland. I found his emphasis on shared humanity very powerful, the idea that we can’t look at issues like poverty, racism or inequality as things happening to “others”. These are global challenges and we all have a responsibility to care and respond. What also struck me was his point about moving away from seeing global issues as abstract or far removed. He talks about the importance of developing empathy and awareness, not just through facts but by encouraging critical reflection and real engagement. That fits closely with how I see Development Education as something that helps children and teachers make connections between their own lives and the world around them. In my school context, a DEIS Band 1 in North Dublin, these ideas feel especially relevant. Our pupils are already tuned into fairness and justice, and Ehigie’s article reminds me that helping them to explore these values in a global context is not only possible but necessary. He challenges us as educators to go beyond surface-level conversations and help students develop a deeper sense of purpose and responsibility. This reading has encouraged me to think more intentionally about how I can create space in my teaching for that kind of reflection. Not just teaching about the world, but helping children see their place in it and their power to shape it.
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As you mention,global issues and development are somewhat abstract, something the politicians speak about. You are priviledged to experience the rich diversity in a DEIS school. I too work in a school where we have students from numerous heritage countries and varying socio-economic situations. Development education has a place in supporting these students in terms of their self worth and value in the world. Many are isolated in their communities and unaware of their sense of purpose. I agree that it offers students an opportunity to connect with the world around them and see their place and value in it.
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This article by Eirc Ehigie was really thought provoking. It got me thinking and questioning my own inclusive practices and general curriculum content. If I were to introduce Development Education in my class and across the school, the aim would be to give children a meaningful foundation in empathy, solidarity, and our shared humanity. Through themes like social justice, equality, and active citizenship, pupils begin to understand that they are part of a wider global community, and that their voices and actions matter. I see real value in how this approach fosters not only academic growth, but personal and moral development too. By bringing this into our school’s culture and practice, I believe we can meaningfully contribute to our School Self-Evaluation Plan. Development Education aligns with areas such as wellbeing, inclusion, and ethical engagement, and enhances subjects like SPHE and Geography. Embedding these ideas helps us create a more respectful, reflective learning environment, one where pupils are empowered to think critically, act with conscience, and engage with the world in an informed, compassionate way.
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After reading Ehigies paper, I see how important it is to help students become global citizens. Development Education teaches students about fairness, justice, and the world around them. It helps them understand issues like poverty, climate change, and inequality. This is important because students will grow up in a world where they need to work with others and care about global problems.
In my teaching, I would use real-world topics and projects. For example, I might ask students to research where their clothes come from or how climate change affects people in other countries. I would also encourage group work and critical thinking. To involve other teacher, to suggest joint projects or global-themed weeks.
Development Education fits well with School Self-Evaluation. It helps us focus on inclusion, student voice, and active learning. We can use student feedback and classroom examples to track progress and make real improvements.
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I found Eric Ehigie’s paper inspiring and thought provoking. He speaks of how we can easily ‘become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in’. This is very real as we often feel removed from what’s going on in other parts of the world if it is not directly affecting us or we feel helpless to make a difference. We need to encourage pupils to take social action no matter how small it may seem. As teachers we should try to embed global citizenship into daily learning.
Development Education can be focussed on with School Self Evaluation. Debates, class research projects, artwork and integrating it with our Intercultural Day in our school are ways in which to bring Development Education to the forefront in the classroom.
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Hi Aisling,
Welcome to the course! I agree, Ehigie’s point about how we can “become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in” is powerful and really makes you think. Encouraging pupils to take social action, no matter how small, is such an important message to share.
Your ideas for integrating DE through SSE, debates, projects, art, and Intercultural Day are good ways to make it real and relevant. One more idea, I’ve mentioned previously on this forum is the creation of a “Global Voices” wall in your classroom next year. Here pupils could post news stories, quotes, or artwork that connect to global issues they are aware of/care about. It’s a simple way, as you put it, “to embed global citizenship into daily learning”.
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Eric Ehigie’s The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (2021) is a powerful appeal for a renewed sense of shared humanity, activism, and moral responsibility. Central to his argument is the idea that global citizenship involves a deep recognition of our interdependence and a call to action to address injustice both locally and globally. This provides a compelling foundation for Development Education (DE), which aims to foster critical thinking about global issues, inequality, sustainability, and justice.
DE is crucial in helping learners see beyond their immediate environments and understand the systemic roots of problems such as poverty, racism, and climate change. Ehigie’s emphasis on the “system of self” reinforces the idea that small, values-driven actions by individuals can influence wider systems. This is particularly empowering in education, where we have the opportunity to nurture globally conscious, reflective young people.
In my own teaching, I would integrate DE through cross-curricular projects tied to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using real-world case studies to promote empathy, debate, and action. Activities could include critical analysis of media, local community action days, and collaborative partnerships with schools in the Global South. I would also encourage colleagues to embed DE into their subjects through CPD sessions, shared planning time, and highlighting links with existing curriculum strands such as SPHE, CSPE, Geography, and English.
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I really like your suggestion of using real life case studies to promote empathy. I previously took part in the Irish Aid rewards and we used resources from Trocaire to explore the day in the life of a coffee worker. One part of the workers life was walking a kilometre to a well to get water so I took my class on a one kilometre walk at different times throughout the week and it really helped them understand the life of the coffee worker. The case study and living a part of their life created a connection between the pupils and the coffee workers.
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While reading The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World one thing really struck out to me and that was the need to recognise the deep connections between people. I have found in my school setting there can be an us and then approach. The lives of those in the Global South don’t affect us and that we are there to “help”. Module one outlined how we have to move away from this saviour type of mentality and I think fostering a deep connection between students and those in the Global South would greatly help remove this savour type of thinking and to help move to a head, heart and hand approach. I think there would need for a whole school approach but I do think teachers are overloaded so it would be great to incorporate into structures a school may already have in place. In our school we have a student council as part of the UNICEF rights respecting schools and we are beginning to work on the Green School flag of Global Citizenship litter and waste so we could work on global citizenship through these structures we already have in place.
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Hi Naomi,
Welcome to the course! You have identified a key issue, the “us and them” mindset that often shapes how pupil’s perceive the Global South and as you’ve outlined, this Module details the importance of moving away from a ‘saviour’ mentality by encouraging deeper connections and a more empathetic, informed approach, using head, heart and hand.
Your point about overloaded teachers is very true, so using existing initiatives, such as the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools and the Green Schools Global Citizenship, Litter and Waste, is both practical and sustainable. Green Schools is an excellent programme for embedding global citizenship without significantly adding to teacher workload. As a next step, you might consider initiating a pupil-led awareness campaign or a collaborative project with a school in the Global South. Staying with Green Schools, their annual A Week of Global Collaboration is a great jumping-off point for this kind of engagement.
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Development education is important because it empowers individuals and communities to understand and engage with global issues in a critical, informed, and transformative way.
It builds global citizenship by helping people see themselves as part of a global community, with rights and responsibilities that go beyond borders. It promotes solidarity, empathy, and a strong commitment to justice, equality, and human rights.
It raises awareness of global inequalities by highlighting the root causes of poverty, climate change, migration, conflict, and injustice—rather than just focusing on the symptoms. It encourages critical thinking about power structures, colonial histories, and the ongoing role of the Global North in sustaining global injustices.
Development education also promotes active citizenship. It moves beyond charity and saviourism, instead fostering long-term, justice-based action. It inspires people to advocate, campaign, vote, volunteer, and make ethical decisions in their everyday lives.
I plan on using the lessons in this course to create a short course for the level 2 learning programme. I will teach it as an individual course but also link it to other areas of the curriculum. In literacy you can explore many different areas of this topic using novels, reading comprehensions and research projects. In science, topics such as energy and ecology provide opportunities to explore the environmental practices of different countries.
I would encourage other L2LP teachers to use the short course and also speak with other class level teachers about the course and explain how it can benefit all students in our school.
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Hi Caroline,
Welcome to the course. Great to have the reflections of a second-level teacher on the course as the vast majority of participants are naturally viewing DE thtough the lens of primary teaching, learning and assessment. I wasn’t aware of Personalised Programmes for Junior Cycle, but DE themes are certainly well suited to a short course structure.
Your focus on encouraging collaboration with other L2LP and class-level teachers is also commendable. Sharing the purpose and potential of the course will help build a more inclusive and consistent approach across your school.
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This was an interesting article to read. I really liked the part where they wrote about “focusing on the more immediate task of improving ourselves incrementally and acting in accordance with the aspirations we have for our local community, and the global community, is the sufficient starting point in embracing our role as global citizens.” This shows us and the pupils that changing our thoughts or becoming more educated about justice and equality is a stepping stone in the right direction.
This article also makes the connection between education and global citizenship. It is therefore our responsibility to educate in relation to social and civic responsibilities. I would share this article with my colleagues and try to form a discussion around what we as a school can in relation to education development. As with all schools we are extremely diverse and do celebrate everyone in our school through various days such as intercultural days, inclusion days etc. But there is always room to do more and build on what we have done already -
I found the paper ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie, 2021) a really insightful and eye-opening demonstration of what exactly Global Citizenship is and what this looks like in our society today. I really liked the quote ‘We, as human beings, are truly bound to one another, and the job of the global citizen is to recognise this, find their place in today’s world, and see where they can use their unique abilities to improve it for those who are less fortunate’ (Ehigie, 2021). This simply encapsulates what it really means to act in Global Citizenship and why it is important.
As educators it is imperative for us to include Development Education and activities in our classrooms to ensure that the future generations of adults are firstly aware of the issues in the wider world such as poverty, gender inequality, humanitarian need, climate crisis and racism but to name a few but also understand their role as global citizens. I think it is important for us to give students ownership over their own education, providing them with the structure and resources to research and consider causes they feel passionate about and to work together to think of ways they act as global citizens.
As a teacher, at times it can feel overwhelming and almost impossible to cover all of the topics and areas across the different curricular areas. I think I would try to encourage colleagues to plan development education activities by showing them how easily and cohesively this aligns with the SESE and SPHE curriculum. The resources and lessons signposted in this module would be really beneficial for colleagues in order to show them how easily this work can be integrated. In particular, I would guide them towards the ‘Irish Aid’ resources as these are really well laid out and accessible for all teachers. Having Development Education integrated into the School Self Evaluation would aid in making Development Education a core aspect of our school.
Ehigie, E (2021) ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’, Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Vol. 33, Autumn, pp. 135-144.
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Ashling, I like how you explained that you would encourage colleagues to plan by showing the linkage that this topic has with SPHE and SESE. As you mentioned, finding the time and area to fit the topic of becoming a global citizen and global citizen education into the average primary school classroom can seem overwhelming. However, taking a step back and brainstorming these allows us to begin forming lesson plans and topics for teaching these areas, as well as seeing the clear need for global citizen education in the primary school classroom. As a junior class teacher, there is still a definite need and importance for global citizen education, integrated through SPHE and SESE, as well as other subject areas such as visual art, drama and English. I also agree that the School Self Evaluation would aid in making Development Education a core aspect in Irish primary schools.
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Reflecting on Ehigie’s (2021) argument in “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”, global citizenship is more than awareness—it requires rooted action to challenge injustice and affirm shared humanity. Development Education nurtures this transformation by cultivating critical thinking, empathy, and civic engagement—essential skills for our students.
Incorporating Development Education into SSE strengthens our school’s improvement planning. For example, under our chosen SSE theme—well‑being—we can gather evidence on students’ empathy, fairness, and sense of global belonging. This supports crafting improvement targets that go beyond local wellness to include actions like service‑learning partnerships with global causes.
To embed Development Education, I’ll propose interdisciplinary projects: linking Geography with ethical trade case studies, or English with storytelling from global perspectives. I’ll invite colleagues to:
Collaborate on student-led action, such as researching and campaigning on a global justice issue
Evaluate impact through reflective journals, surveys, and evidence for SSE
By marrying Development Education and SSE, we ensure our school’s improvement journey is not only reflective and data-driven, but also ethically engaged and globally conscious—preparing learners to act for justice at every level. -
Ehigie’s paper; The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World, highlights how in our interconnected world, global citizenship is essential. It emphasizes our shared humanity and the need to address global challenges together. Global citizens advocate for justice, sustainability and peace beyond national and cultural boundaries.
Development education is crucial in fostering global citizenship to help students to develop awareness, empathy and critical thinking skills that are necessary for addressing global issues.
To integrate development education into my teaching, here are some activities that would be applicable for primary schools;
Cultural Exchange Projects; Students each choose a country and do a project based on that country, highlighting their traditions, food, customs, etc and share these with their classmates.
As a way to collaborate with colleague, a cultural fair could be organised at a whole school level or junior / senior end level whereby children present their projects to their peers, providing a wonderful learning opportunity and creating awareness.
Global Storytime – Reading stories / class novels from different cultures and discussing the similarities and differences in values, traditions and lifestyles. This can be done right from Junior Infants up to 6th class with age appropriate texts.
Eco- Friendly Projects; Engage students in activities like recycling initiatives – junk art projects / creating a school garden to teach sustainability.
Pen Pal Programme – Pupils could be given the opportunity to connect with a classroom in another country to exchange letters / emails, helping them to learn about different perspectives and make new friends on a global level.
Global Issues Discussions – Issues such as climate change or poverty could be discussed followed by brainstorming sessions and possible debates about how best to address these issues.
Development Education could be be incorporated into SSE by including it in monthly newsletters to parents, discuss it at school assemblies and have it as a regular feature on the agenda for Croke Park meetings to ensure all staff and pupils are familiar with the topic. Setting up a committee for Development Education and having monthly meetings to discuss ideas / reflections would also be a good target as part of SSE.
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Eric Ehigie’s paper “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”, emphasises the role that we as a society hold in creating positive change. Ehigie discusses the issues in todays world and highlights how change is possible. The paper reinforces our role as individuals to become aware of the global issues and to work collectively as a community to make a brighter future.
The sentence “trying to be the change we wish to see in the world is both accessible and powerful, no matter how big or small one feels their contribution is” carries a deeply inspirational tone. It empowers us to recognise that everyone has the ability to make a difference. No matter the size of our actions, they hold meaning. This idea motivates us to recognize the issues in the world and take part in creating positive global change.
As a teacher, this paper has solidified my commitment to help children understand the role they play as global citizens. Developmental education is vital in today’s classroom. I strive to ensure developmental education is incorporated across the curriculum, ensure that ideas are voiced and action is taken for a better world.
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Hi Leanne,
Welcome to the course! You’ve certainly captured how DE can inspire both personal and collective responsibility for global change. I agree, the quote trying to be the change we wish to see in the world is both accessible and powerful, no matter how big or small one feels their contribution is” is a strong reminder that every action matters, and that developing this mindset in your classroom will have a lasting impact.
Developmental education is indeed vital in today’s classrooms as it challenges pupils to think critically, be empathetic, and understand fully what is means to be a global citizen.
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Where you mention:
“trying to be the change we wish to see in the world is both accessible and powerful, no matter how big or small one feels their contribution is” carries a deeply inspirational tone.
I copied this same quote to reflect on in my piece and couldn’t agree more. Any change is good change, big or small. Even small changes lead to bigger ones over time and the important thing is that change is happening. It gives me such motivation to help be apart of these changes!
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I am complete agreement with Eric Ehigie’s idea that there are lots of positive things in regard to how far we have come ethically as a global society. Also I believe that it is true to say that we are still plagued by the existence of many issues such as shortage of food, poverty of one kind or another, disparity and political volatility. Therefore we must work towards appreciating the role that we can play to improve the reality for us as individuals, as well as our global community. Eric discusses an innate common humanity and how we can ‘become distracted from the fact that we are living in a global village that we all have a stake in’. Development Education is certainly of more significance now as we are in a time where many things no longer remain certain. For many they may feel destitute in order to make a change. Through the encouragement of critical thinking we can help children cultivate a system of self that Ehigie discusses. This is fundamental if we wish to persuade children in some ways to take social action however small (although for some it may appear insignificant now).
As with any development activity in school, sometimes it can be a challenge to encourage other teachers to become involved as it appears an additional task or activity that has to be squeezed into the timetable. As the workload continues to increase teachers find it difficult to put time aside to plan however using monthly meetings and other CPD time is a good starting point. Beginning the conversation around global citizenship should consist in firstly helping staff recognise its importance. Stressing that Development Education should focus on process rather than progress is huge also. Development Education feeds naturally into SSE. It is a lifelong educational process which aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of the rapidly changing, interdependent and unequal world in which we live. By challenging stereotypes and encouraging independent thinking, development education helps people to critically explore how global justice issues interlink with their everyday lives. –Irish Aid Development Education is about really getting to the root of inequality and injustice in the world today and doing something about it. Educating the staff about this first is key. SSE focuses on how to improve learning environments and uses a collaborative approach to achieve this. By helping our pupils to develop their independent and critical thinking skills we are actively contributing to this improvement. Children and young people in Ireland are regularly exposed to global issues via television and the internet. Misinformation and misrepresentation is rife. Within the educational setting we have a duty to ensure learners have the tools to critically analyse the information that they receive. Most importantly, children should be made to feel that they can make a real difference significantly in the world, and that they can take action, however big or small, on local and global issues that matter to them.
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In schools, education on development holds significance as it aids students in grasping concerns and fosters critical thinking while urging them to participate actively in civic matters. Through the study of development along with human rights and social justice issues, students are empowered to be well informed and involved citizens who play a role in fostering positive transformations within their communities and worldwide.
To incorporate this teaching approach effectively, I would use case studies along with group discussions and hands on projects that delve into subjects such as poverty alleviation efforts and environmental conservation. Additionally, I would encourage students to take the lead in creating initiatives and fostering partnerships, with international organizations that will offer practical learning opportunities outside the classroom setting.
To motivate my coworkers to plan activities for development purposes I would begin with sharing proven instances and available materials that have been successful before diving into a workshop showcasing hands on methods of incorporating development education across various subjects. I would host joint planning sessions which would streamline the process and make it more attractive, for everyone involved.
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I completely agree with your perspective on the importance of Development Education in schools. I agree that it goes beyond simply teaching facts—it’s about nurturing values, critical thinking, and a real sense of global responsibility. I feel the emphasis on student-led initiatives and real-world partnerships give students ownership of their learning and can make the impact so much deeper and more lasting.
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After reviewing The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (Ehigie, 2021), I was reminded of the powerful role schools play in shaping children not just as learners, but as thoughtful, active global citizens. Development Education is essential in today’s classrooms because it encourages pupils to think critically about real-world issues like inequality, sustainability, and social justice. These are not abstract topics—they affect our students’ lives now and will continue to shape their futures.
In my own teaching, I plan to integrate Development Education through cross-curricular activities—for example, exploring water access through SESE and Maths, or creating digital presentations on local and global environmental actions using Google Slides. I also want to build class discussions around empathy, fairness, and interconnectedness, even from junior level.
To encourage whole-school engagement, I would propose starting with a simple shared theme like “Fair Trade” or “Global Goals” during monthly assemblies. It would be valuable to document how pupils engage with these themes as part of our School Self-Evaluation (SSE), particularly in the wellbeing and pupil voice domains.
Development Education fits naturally into the SSE process as it promotes inclusive, reflective, and active learning. I believe that with small steps and shared planning, we can build a school culture where global awareness and social responsibility are nurtured from the earliest years.
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Eric Ehigie’s paper “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”, is a thought provoking, offering personal insight of the immigrant in Ireland, of the past and the present. As a nation we have been used to emigration, through famine times and the economic migration of the eighties and now we have experienced immigration in the last 30 years to our shores. We see the effects of the changes in his personal experience and that of the generation before him.
Also, through his use of quotations from Marx and King how the idea that we ‘’are all cut from the same cloth’’ and how powerful this message should be to those who chose to actively deny that solidarity to others. In speaking of Daniel O Connell Ehigie highlights this message that the oppression of one is a repression of all.
Therefore Development Education is vital to address the inequality of people in the world around us. I would begin address DE throughout the SESE programme to highlight inequalities around the world. I have in the past used Action Aid resources while teaching about famine and poverty globally, while also using The Irish Famine resources to highlight the social, economic and political failures of the past that led to this part of our history.
Social justice issues can be addressed through the SPHE curriculum. The children could debate topics and through Drama activities investigate them further.
As a school community, using topical issues or concerns from news items, these could be addressed at assemblies through story and songs. Class levels could study countries that have humanitarian need and present posters with simple steps to address inequality by linking the individual to the global, that is, highlighting manageable steps we can take to work to eliminate climate change for the benefit of others not just ourselves, ways to address gender inequality or ways to protect the human rights of others.SSE
DE can be addressed by firstly surveying student knowledge on what it is and to see how aware they are of global issues. As teachers we can look at our teaching and learning environment and assess how we can better promote the values of DE in the classroom ie fairness and equality and climate action. The whole school can review how we support sustainability in the classroom and school environs. -
The paper provides a clear reminder of the world we live in today and the role each one of us has. I like how the paper introduces children to topics such as clinate challeneges and global inequalities because I feel these are topics that involve everyone no matter what age or background. It allows chidren to develop a sense of empathy and understanding of the world around them. It also teaches the importance of being resilient. I would incorporate this into my teaching by introducing topics such as migration and human rights. The pupils would work in small groups and investigate local and global case studies on the above topics. This would open up discussions on the similarities or differences on migration and human rights in their own community and communities around the world. I’d encourage whole school involvement by presenting a croke park hour to bring colleagues up to speed with the importance of global citizenship. I would then try and organise a multi cultural day in the school that would showcase the different nationalities in the school.
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Ehigie (2021) highlights how important it is to help young people become global citizens—aware of what’s happening in the world and willing to make a difference. Development Education is really valuable because it helps students understand big global issues like poverty, climate change and inequality. In my own teaching, I’d bring in topics that connect local and global issues, use real-life examples, and get students thinking about their role in the wider world. Things like group projects, debates or linking lessons across subjects would work well. When it comes to my colleagues, I really think they would be interested in numerous things. We are quite an open staff who are happy to try anything. I’d suggest themed days or cross-curricular activities and encourage us to share ideas in staff meetings. Development Education helps build a school culture where students care about others and want to make a positive difference. This paper is an excellent read which deepened my understanding of global citizens and making a difference.
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Hi Maria,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Ehigie’s article here. It could be argued that global citizenship and awareness around this is more important than ever in present times. When you see some of the horrible atrocities going on across the world, it does call into question a range of issues that can be looked at through the lens of development education. Looking at inequalities and migration through the Sustainable Development Goals could be particularly useful and would knit really well with the theme of citizenship.
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I really enjoyed this piece and it opened my eyes to many ideas that I can bring to the classroom and share with my colleagues.
Developmental education is very important as we have made great progress so far and there is no reason why we can’t continue making progress and breaking down barriers.
I agree with the article where it said that “many number of today’s youth recognise their role as global citizens”. This is very clear in school as I see many of the pupils I teach questioning issues in the world, sharing their thoughts and wondering how they can help or make change. I believe it is very important as their teacher to encourage these questions and ideas even further and to provide the pupils with tools and supports to make changes no matter how big or small.
Sometimes I am asked the question of “How can we make a difference as a 10 year old and who do we need to get to help us?” This is an area that I want to work on with my pupils. A quote I liked from this piece was “viewing our problems of our neighbours as problems of our own”. I want to highlight this to my pupils and spend sometime exploring this with them, figuring out what that means for them and our school community.What I will share with my colleagues is the importance of inspiring all pupils in the school to strive to make change no matter how big or small. “Trying to be the change we wish to see in the world is both accessible and powerful”.
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Reading The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World by Ehigie really affirmed for me the importance of Development Education in the classroom. The paper highlights how global citizenship is not just about knowledge, but about nurturing values like empathy, responsibility, and a willingness to act. In a world where issues such as climate change, inequality, and migration are becoming increasingly relevant to young people, it’s vital that we help them understand their place in the wider global community and empower them to take informed action.
In my own teaching, I would try to include Development Education by using cross-curricular themes such as global justice, sustainability, and human rights—in everyday lessons. Projects based on real-world issues can help students make connections between local and global contexts, and encourage active citizenship.
To involve colleagues, I would propose collaborative initiatives like themed weeks (e.g., Fairtrade Week or Climate Action Week), invite guest speakers, and share ready-to-use resources. Importantly, Development Education can feed into School Self-Evaluation by supporting areas such as wellbeing, student voice, and intercultural understanding. By gathering pupil feedback and documenting engagement with global issues, we can build a more reflective, inclusive school community that prepares students for the challenges of today’s world.
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Hi Kevin,
Welcome to the course and thank you for your post here. You have identified a very relevant point around the importance of a cross-curricular approach to development education. The subsequent modules will outline how some of the key themes of development education can be brought to life in the classroom. However, looking at these in an integrated manner is key and ensuring the learning across different disciplines is reflective of this will allow for deeper learning and engagement with these key themes.
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Ehigie’s The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World reinforces the value of Development Education in fostering not only knowledge but also key dispositions like empathy, global awareness, and social responsibility. As global challenges such as climate disruption, inequality, and displacement increasingly affect young people, education must help them understand global interdependence and their capacity to contribute positively.
In my classroom, I aim to embed Development Education through topics that cut across subjects, like sustainability, equity, and human rights, making space for critical thinking and real-world relevance. Inquiry-based projects and discussions on current global issues can deepen pupils’ understanding and promote meaningful engagement.
To promote whole school involvement, I would encourage shared planning for events like Global Goals Week or Intercultural Week, and use guest speakers or digital tools to bring diverse perspectives into the school. Development Education also links well with school improvement goals, supporting inclusion, wellbeing, and active student voice through reflective, participatory practices.
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Gender stereotypes can shape children’s self-perception, aspirations, and peer relationships from a very young age. In my classroom, I observed a scenario during role-play where a group of children were assigning jobs in a “hospital” setting. One girl who volunteered to be the doctor was told by a boy that “only boys can be doctors – girls have to be nurses.” Despite her protest, the group insisted she take the nurse role. This moment highlighted how early and deeply gender norms can be internalised.
Development Education (DE) methodologies encourage critical thinking, empathy, and global citizenship. Through stories, discussions, and project-based learning, DE creates space to challenge stereotypes and explore diverse perspectives. For example, exploring women leaders globally or discussing the rights of all children can help dismantle limiting beliefs.
In terms of School Self-Evaluation (SSE), DE feeds into the Wellbeing and Equality and Inclusion dimensions. It supports reflective, inclusive practices and can be used to inform whole-school goals around equity, respectful relationships, and global justice. It also encourages staff to reflect on their own biases and classroom resources. Embedding DE in SSE empowers schools to foster a more just and inclusive environment from the earliest years.
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Apologies for the confusion—my previous post was intended for a different module. Here is my reflection for the current module as requested.
The article ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie, 2021) highlights the urgent need for development education to prepare students as responsible, informed global citizens. Development education encourages critical thinking about global issues such as inequality, climate change, and human rights, helping students understand their role in a connected world. I believe it is essential to integrate development education across the curriculum rather than treating it as an add-on. For example, through project-based learning, storytelling, and discussions about real-world challenges, students develop empathy and a sense of agency.
In my teaching, I would embed development education themes in subjects like SPHE, Geography, and History, using local and global case studies. To encourage colleagues, I would advocate for whole-school planning where development education is linked to school values and the SSE process. This approach supports continuous reflection and improvement on how the school promotes global citizenship, equity, and sustainability, aligning well with SSE priorities for wellbeing and inclusion. Together, we can create a more socially conscious and active school community.
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Hi Lina, I completely agree with your thoughtful reflection. You’ve captured the essence of Development Education perfectly—it’s not just about knowledge, but about fostering empathy, agency, and a deep understanding of global interdependence. I especially like your emphasis on integrating it across the curriculum and linking it to SSE. Using real-world case studies and project-based learning makes these issues real and relatable for students. Your approach to encouraging whole-school planning is both practical and inspiring. When development education is part of a school’s ethos, it can truly shape a generation of informed, compassionate, and active global citizens.
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I think this paper is an important and thought-provoking article. I note that it was written in 2021 and unfortunately, I feel the writer’s message that he has
“observed a change in cultural attitudes towards the issue of racism and bigotry amongst Ireland’s citizens, particularly Irish, young people.” has unfortunately, likely taken a turn in more recent times with all the scare-mongering and inaccurate spreading of mis-information online regarding migrants and racism.
I do believe there are many young people that are active global citizens and conduct themselves accordingly but I think there needs to be greater education around critiquing information that is accessed online and the ability of our pupils to assess the information they are accessing, particularly online and critiquing the sources that are sharing this information. I think this would be a key area to tackle in terms of developing global citizenship in schools.Schools have a great opportunity to develop connectedness among pupils of diverse backgrounds and with diverse needs. This lends itself to developing, as the author mentioned “our deep, symbiotic connection with all humans within the global family. This is an epiphany that sees us viewing the problems of our neighbours, as problems of our own.” I believe that, as educators, it is our responsibility to encourage children’s natural curiosity about the world. Often, we try and shield children from the sometimes horrific realities and struggles going on in the world but if we can learn about the hardships of others and look for small ways to make an impact or build awareness of the wider world, we are sowing the seeds for creating a future generation of young people that will see themselves as capable of recognising themselves as inextricably linked to all those on the earth and capable of eliciting change from government and world leaders.
I believe that a whole school approach to development education would be needed in a school. There are elements that complement the SESE, SPHE and wellbeing curricular areas. Recognising this fact and looking at how schools could add development education lessons across these curricular areas would assist with buy-in from school staff. Developing A Development Ed team in school could be one way to tackle this.
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Hi Grace,
Welcome to the course and thank you for this post. As educators and parents, you are correct to point out that we often try to shield children from some of the horrific events occurring around the world. Whilst this undoubtedly comes from a good place, you are right to question if it is the right thing to do. Can we expect children to grow into adults who truly wish to prevent inequalities, both locally and globally, if they have no experience of what is happening in the world and how we are all connected as global citizens. The subsequent modules may provide some thought-provoking content on certain themes in this regard.
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Hi Lina,
You have made some interesting points. I absolutely agree that it is vital to link development education across various curricular areas to allow the depth and richness required to cultivate that interconnectedness among our pupils. I think your point regarding having a whole-school approach and linking to the school’s values is integral to the success of developing a development education approach. It would be important for colleagues to recognise that this is not an add-on to our already overloaded curriculum, but rather an area that will develop our pupils critical thinking, empathy and social awareness.
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Ehigie (2021) highlights the increasingly vital role of global citizenship in our interconnected world, where climate change, inequality, and social justice issues transcend borders. Development Education empowers learners to understand these global challenges critically, recognise their interdependence, and take informed action. In light of this, Development Education is not an optional extra—it is essential for preparing young people to be active, responsible global citizens.
In my own teaching, I would embed Development Education by linking it to the SPHE, SESE, and English curricula. For example, using storybooks that highlight social justice themes, exploring case studies on climate action, or initiating classroom debates on global inequality. I would encourage colleagues to collaborate on cross-curricular projects such as Fairtrade Fortnight or climate awareness weeks. Whole-school approaches like these make Development Education visible and meaningful, while also creating a shared vision for change.
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From the video in the slide previous to the paper on Global Development I learned that the aim of Irish development aid and programmes is to create a fairer playing field where people receive the supports and resources needed to help themselves. I think this is an important message for Global Development education. Children are naturally acutely aware of fairness and everyone being given a chance. Showing them that people are not different but that their circumstances are is important especially with the rise of racial right wing rhetoric.
The paper on Global Education emphasised the need to foster a sense that we as humans have a natural connection with each other and a symbiotic relationship. Exploring similarities between the lives of children in other cultures and countries is a central theme in the junior classes SESE subjects. Exploring how resources such as water and power are managed in other countries could help children understand their value and our role in using these resources responsibly. This could tie in with Global development education. The extreme weather events now in Europe also reinforces that this is a global issue needing a global cooperative solution.
As a whole school we teach the Croi na Scoile programme which educated and celebrates festivals, religion and cultures from around the world. I think it is an important part of Global Education to be exposed to the wealth and variety of joyous celebrations around the world. Many of these celebrations have common themes and celebrate the natural world.-
The Croi na Scoile program is an excellent idea, Niamh. The celebration of events and cultural traditions from different parts of the world plays a crucial role in Global Education. The program enables children to discover that the world is a diverse place while revealing the fundamental connections that also exist between all people.
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After reviewing the above article, I’m reminded that education should not only prepare students for academic success but also equip them to engage ethically, compassionately, and responsibly in our increasingly interconnected world. Development Education is essential because it nurtures empathy, critical thinking, and a strong sense of shared responsibility for addressing global challenges such as inequality, climate change, and human rights. In my teaching, I would integrate global themes across a variety of subjects, for example by exploring environmental sustainability in SESE Science and promoting cultural diversity and intercultural understanding through Art and Drama activities. I would also collaborate with colleagues by sharing resources, co-planning cross-curricular projects, and developing activities that make Development Education engaging, relevant, and age-appropriate for all pupils. Through the School Self-Evaluation process, we can monitor how effectively these themes are embedded in our practice, set measurable whole-school targets, and ensure that Development Education remains a meaningful, reflective, and sustained priority across the school.
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Hi Marie,
Welcome to the course, and thank you for this post. As you rightly say, development education is not just about academic success but about preparing students to be ethical, compassionate, and responsible citizens. Your examples of integrating global themes into SESE Science, Art, and Drama are perfect, and it shows that these ideas don’t need to be a separate subject but can be integrated into a variety of curricular areas in our daily teaching. I really like how you highlight the focus on collaboration and school self-evaluation. A whole-school approach is the most effective way to make sure the key themes of development education are a priority. Co-planning and collaboration with fellow teachers creates a shared vision and goal, and using the self-evaluation process makes sure that there is constant review and planning. It’s a very practical and powerful way to make sure development education is embedded into school practices.
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Ehigie (2021) makes several important arguments, highlighting why Development Education is important in the primary school classroom today.
Firstly, it is explained that all humans are members of a ‘global family’. Therefore, we all have an innate connection, as well as a natural need to help each other and assist those in less fortunate circumstances than ourselves. Development Education gives students the tools to work with each other and with those around the world. Aside from this, Ehigie (2021) also highlights that ‘a lack of knowledge…can open doors to unhelpful ways of thinking’. When one is not educated in different matters, they are at risk of forming negative and biased opinions about them (e.g. refugees). In order to be a global citizen, and prevent this stagnant way of thinking, Global Development Education is necessary.
There are different ways which I would include Development Education in my own teaching. I feel that it is important to teach to the particular group of children you have in front of you. Therefore, I would plan my lessons according to the interests and needs of my current students, as well as working with any gaps in their knowledge and education. At primary level, I would try to use games and active learning to teach these (e.g. diamond 9 ranking in groups).
I would encourage my colleagues to incorporate Development Education into their teaching by asking to and offering to share resources, such as picture books, and ideas such as games. Starting off teaching a unit of work without any materials can be daunting, so working together to create a library or inventory would be helpful. The School Self Evaluation (SSE) is also an important tool to encourage Development Education. This allows us to see our areas of weakness and focus on them for future education.
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Module 1- Assignment
Review the paper: ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ (Ehigie, 2021) and consider why Development Education is important and how you would try to include it in your own teaching and encourage colleagues to plan development education activities throughout your school
I found the paper by Ehigie as a read that left me thinking about my own approach on how to teach development education in my class and bring it to the pupils in a thought provoking, balanced and informative way. I think it is also important that pupils are encouraged to become aware and encourage a grateful mind-set for the privileges we have been given due to where we live in the world (a peaceful country, a democracy, education, healthcare) but not for them to feel guilty about it in comparison to where other live. Development Education has an important place in many areas of the curriculum, I believe that its first home in my class would be in developing skills in areas of personal growth and awareness such as empathy, moral code, compass/ direction, awareness of self but also of others. Empathy can be taught as a skill and in terms of DE, helping pupils understand that we are all connected in the world as humans with the same thoughts/feelings etc… a common thread between us all and that the inequalities that are imposed on others affects us all on a emotional and worldwide manner. I feel to ignite and develop this mind-set in young people is something that they will hopefully carry going forward in a proactive and balanced way -
I enjoyed reading the paper ‘The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World’ as it really bought to light a lot of the current issues in the news. The attacks on Indian people in particular, shows that there is still racism amongst the Irish communities and as a result many people don’t feel safe to live or commute to work or school.
This should absolutely not be the case and if it is happening in the streets, then it is inevitably happening in schools just maybe not to the same extent. It is up to us as educators to help promote and be role models to children and “set the moral climate” about fairness and equality in the classroom. This needs to be done tirelessly to ensure that fairness and equality becomes the norm and that children (and inturn the wider society) learn to recognise their role as a global citizen and how it can positively impact their lives and others that they come into contact with.
Trying to change every child’s mindset or knowledge or past is not possible, but to even reach one child is powerful!
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Development education ties in with our role as an educator to develop pupils as citizens, in this case as global citizens. It is an essential part of being human. Development education encompasses a broad range of curricular areas – language, SESE, SPHE, music and art – and therefore has great scope for use in the primary school classroom. It enables the development of empathy, an essential trait in any citizen or global citizen. Furthermore, with children being exposed to so many negative news stories on a daily basis, it is important that aspects of development education are explored in the safe setting of the classroom, and critical thinking skills developed. I approach the teaching of development education in different ways, depending on the class level involved. For the senior classes I tend to teach it discretely, whereas for the junior classes I find it best to integrate, eg as part of a literacy or SESE lesson. I find that the children respond very well to the lessons, and their empathy is obvious. Their critical literacy skills also develop in a very natural way. Often, the children’s innate sense of justice brings out the quietest of voices.
Like Catherine, I have, in the past, used real world case studies with senior classes to teach lessons on the SDG’s. The children have responded particularly well to drama lessons based on same.
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As teachers, we have the privilege of helping children expand their minds for inclusion, empathy and understanding. As mentioned in the article “The Role of Global Citizens in Todays World”, humans have a symbiotic connection, a sort of connection that is interlinked in ways and should be a tool used for positive progress, helping eachother.
In our classrooms, we see children of all different ethnic and religious backgrounds and this multiculturalism is an example of why development education is extremely important.
The themes mentioned in the article showed relevance to todays society. We can see this relevance in Ireland and beyond.
Social media is a powerful influence today and how accessible it is, I also think it is important children are taught where they can receive reliable and factual information on the sensitive topics of war, racism and global warming for example.
This will ‘lead by example’ in a sense and allow children to respectfully have those difficult conversations.
These topics can be seen across the curriculum in subjects such as SPHE and SESE. In these subjects, children can share their ideas ans thoughts and gain undertanding on others perspectives and opinions. This can shape the children into becoming responsible citizens.
This can expand to whole school initiatives that allow a space for growth both personally and academically. Children should be given tools by teachers and snas, to gain an understanding of the world around them, and how to make a difference to areas they feel passionately about.
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Hi Hiliary. Welcome to the course, and thanks for your post. You make a great case for why development education shouldn’t be an optional extra but a core part of the primary curriculum, allowing children to grow into respectful citizens. Giving pupils time to discuss and explore challenging issues, and showing them where to find trustworthy information, builds empathy and critical thinking. One idea you might try is setting up a regular “world issues circle” where the class, guided by a teacher, looks at a current event. Children in groups could research the issue using reliable sources. The class can use these sessions to ask questions and share their thoughts.
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I completely agree with you. Multicultural classrooms are such a great starting point for fostering empathy and understanding — the connections we build there really do reflect the “symbiotic” link mentioned in the article. I also think your point about teaching children how to find reliable information is so important, especially with the influence of social media. Giving them those tools early on can help them approach big topics like racism or climate change with respect and critical thinking.
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The final paragraph of this paper really stood out to me, particularly the author’s statement that “To be a global citizen, is to care. It is to empathise”. I believe that explicitly teaching and encouraging discussions around empathy for others must be the starting point for us as teachers aiming to provide children with the tools and knowledge to become responsible global citizens. This has grown especially pressing in 2025, four years after this paper was published. Unfortunately, Ireland has seen a rise in far right ideology and viewpoints which mark a step away from what Ehigie refers to as the “widespread, cultural adherence to ideals of fairness and equality”.
It is my experience that in the Infant classes, children’s sense of right and wrong is closely tied up with fairness, primarily in the context of making sure that they are not being treated unfairly (e.g. that other children are sharing with them, that their partner does not have more of a given resource than them). I have found that facilitating discussion of different examples in story books etc about whether a character has been treated fairly or unfairly, and how they would feel in their situation, helps the children express empathy and put themselves in another’s shoes. From here, discussions of ‘what would you do to help if you were in this story’ can shift the focus to action and encourage the children to see that empathy requires meaningful action. These discussions can provide the vocabulary for conversations around real world issues.
I think that it is incredibly important that children link empathy to meaningful action. Without action, children may experience empathy as unhelpful and distressing overwhelm when they learn about the suffering of others.
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Hi Ailbhe,
Welcome to the course. Your point about needing to take empathy beyond a feeling and promote action is really important in today’s world. Helping young children see that fairness is not just about “Am I getting my share?” but also about what happens to others’ needs to be promoted, and using stories to explore that makes a lot of sense. In the current climate, including lessons in understanding, fairness and standing up for others is more important than ever.
One idea you might try is a simple “kindness project” in your classroom. After discussing a story where a character is treated unfairly, invite the children to think of one small thing they could do in real life to make someone’s day better, whether it’s writing a card to a classmate who’s had a bad day, collecting used toys for a local charity, or looking out for someone on the yard who is alone. Keep a visual record in the classroom, like a kindness tree where each leaf represents an action the class has taken. This helps pupils see that their empathy can translate into concrete actions and builds a habit of looking for ways to help others.
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After reading Ehigie’s (2021) The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World, I was reminded that development education is not only about raising awareness of global issues such as inequality, racism and climate change, but also about nurturing empathy, critical thinking and agency in our students. Even in my autism class, where many pupils are non-verbal, I can promote these values by providing accessible, sensory-based experiences. For example, I can use stories, images, or role-play to explore concepts such as fairness and kindness, and to encourage pupils to consider their connections to others around the world.
Development Education can be linked to the SSE process by connecting it to wellbeing and inclusion targets, such as encouraging empathy and social participation. This involves planning school-wide activities that foster curiosity about other cultures, raise awareness of local and global challenges, and provide opportunities for student action, no matter how small. Encouraging colleagues to co-create these activities would help to ensure that the ethos of global citizenship becomes embedded in our whole-school culture rather than being an occasional theme. -
Development education is vital as it instills the knowledge and skills needed in order to understand and respond to global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and sustainable development. (Ehigie, 2021), discusses using education as a catalyst to face global issues and to allow students to become empathetic and inclusive global citizens. The article described global interconnection, which is important for students to understand as they journey to tackle global issues.
Within the classroom, we can teach global issues through subjects such as S.E.S.E and SPHE. Furthermore, the use of picture books can be an asset to teaching about a variety of different global issues in a child friendly way. It is important for students to develop an understanding of different perspectives and to also use their own knowledge and skills of the world around them to overcome damaging stereotypes. As a whole school approach, celebrating different cultures promotes inclusivity and allows the students to learn and develop an understanding of different cultures. -
Development education is vital as it instills the knowledge and skills needed in order to understand and respond to global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate change and sustainable development. (Ehigie, 2021), discusses using education as a catalyst to face global issues and to allow students to become empathetic and inclusive global citizens. The article described global interconnection, which is important for students to understand as they journey to tackle global issues.
Within the classroom, we can teach global issues through subjects such as S.E.S.E and SPHE. Furthermore, the use of picture books can be an asset to teaching about a variety of different global issues in a child friendly way. It is important for students to develop an understanding of different perspectives and to also use their own knowledge and skills of the world around them to overcome damaging stereotypes. As a whole school approach, celebrating different cultures promotes inclusivity and allows the students to learn and develop an understanding of different cultures. -
After reviewing the paper ‘The Role of Citizens in Today’s World, I think we as teachers have a very important role in shaping the minds of our students to show empathy and kindness towards others. In schools today we have children from many different religions, cultures and backgrounds and in my opinion this is an example of why development education is crucial. Development education will help children understand a range of global issues like inequality and climate change and it will encourage them to take action and to respect the different cultures around the world.
In my classroom I would encourage each child to try to make a difference even if that is on a small scale basis. I aim to integrate Development Education into my teaching across all curricular areas. My class take part in a Fairtrade Christmas card competition every year so I would really make the children aware of the importance of Fairtrade and equality around the world and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Including Development Education in our school self evaluation will provide a clear framework for integration and assessment and it will encourage all staff members to help make our students aware of the inequalities and injustice going on in the world and help develop them into active and compassionate global citizens. -
I feel strongly that Development Education is vital in today’s classrooms, and as teachers, we have a responsibility to ensure it is meaningfully included in our classrooms. As teachers we play an important role in helping children see themselves as part of a wider interconnected world. A supportive classroom environment hopefully helps children explore their role in a globally connected world.
The paper “The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World”, highlights the need for education to nurture empathy, critical thinking, and a sense of shared responsibility. His work reinforces the importance of helping children understand global issues and their potential to make a positive difference.
By supporting pupils in developing values like empathy and social responsibility, we help them see that challenges faced by others are concerns for everyone. Development Education fits naturally within subjects like SPHE and SESE, where topics such as human rights, sustainability, and global interdependence can be explored in age-appropriate ways. In our school, initiatives like Fair Trade already support this, and having completed this module, I am keen to find more opportunities for pupils to engage with global topics through reflection and action.
I also hope to encourage colleagues to plan further Development Education activities, helping to create a whole-school approach that supports children in becoming informed, responsible global citizens.
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After reading The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (Ehigie, 2021), I can see how important Development Education is in schools and to ensure it is meaningful in the classroom. This paper highlights the critical role of global citizens in fostering empathy, sustainability, and justice in a rapidly changing world. Ways in which I could link Development Education into a lesson is possibly during Geography in relation to climate change and how it affects people differently around the world, or with literacy using stories that show different cultures and perspectives. These kinds of lessons help children think critically, see things from other viewpoints, and realise that their actions matter.
In my own teaching, I’d like to use talk and discussions and groupwork to get children engaged with global issues. I’d also encourage other teachers to share resources and plan activities together so it becomes part of the whole school culture. Linking Development Education into SSE makes sense too, as it supports pupil voice, wellbeing, and inclusion while encouraging empathy and responsibility.
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Hi Erika. Welcome to the course. You have made a good connection between Ehigie’s paper and classroom practice, especially looking at how development education can be integrated into many topics and subjects, especially as you point out, Geography and literacy. Try to build in some small, effective actions following a discussion. For example, after looking at the effects of climate change, you could decide as a class on a simple action, like reducing waste, that might help address the issue locally.
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Reading The Role of Global Citizens in Today’s World (Ehigie, 2021) made me reflect on the responsibility I have as a teacher to prepare students not just for exams, but for life in an interconnected world. Ehigie’s emphasis on action as well as awareness stood out to me, it is not enough for students to know about issues such as climate change, inequality, or migration, they also need opportunities to think critically and to feel empowered to make a difference.
In my own classroom, I would try to include Development Education by linking lessons to real global issues wherever possible. For example, in history I could use migration stories to help students see the human side of global movements, while in science I might highlight how sustainability links to their everyday choices. I would also encourage open discussion and debate, where students feel safe to share their views and listen to others.
At a whole-school level, I think Development Education can feed directly into School Self-Evaluation (SSE). By looking at areas such as inclusion, wellbeing, and active citizenship, we can make it part of our planning cycle. I would encourage colleagues to see Development Education not as an add-on, but as something that strengthens our collective practice.
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