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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.
Hi Anna, thanks for sharing this example linking SDG 12 and SDG 3 through meaningful, community-based action. Your use of the Re-Turn scheme shows how sustainability initiatives can be both educational and impactful. We did a similar scheme in our school, where we collect bottles and cans and every Friday our Green School Committee help bring them to the local Lidl. Any money made through this, is put towards the costs of our school therapy dog, who we were recently matched with.
As well as helping us fund our dog, we were happy that our Green School Committee could support the goal of responsible consumption.
While climate change is a pressing global issue, and would be fair to say affects children disproportionately, particularly in vulnerable communities. I do think it is important to empower children through identifying change that they can make, beginning in the locality. Climate change can be overwhelming, even for adults, so to ask children to help solve it as a whole would possibly lead to helplessness or climate anxiety.
Locally, children in Ireland are already witnessing the impact through more extreme weather patterns, flooding, and loss of biodiversity. Globally, children face food insecurity, displacement, and health crises linked to climate change.
I would empower students to take collective action through inquiry-based learning and student-led initiatives. For example, a whole-school sustainability project could involve creating a biodiversity garden, reducing single-use plastics, or conducting a carbon footprint audit. These initiatives would not only foster environmental responsibility but also connect students to global peers through digital pen-pal programs or climate justice campaigns.
To support ESD to 2030 – Priority Action Area 5, students would present their findings to the local community or at school assemblies, amplifying their voices and leadership. We would also invite the local newspaper to do a story and connect with other local schools.
Hi Nicola,
Lots of what you said really rang true in my teaching experience, and shows the need to continue to address it. Soccer at yard time was often dominated by boys, and they wanted access to the grass every day. It became clear others were missing out, so we introduced a timetable with “football-free” days to make space for different games and groups. We also set up a girls and boys football team to represent the school and we’re so happy, especially with the girls as lots of them were trying the sport for the first time, and those who already play for clubs became real leaders for us. On the topic of stereotypes, I once did a lesson where pupils had to draw different professions, e.g. doctor, nurse, firefighter. Most of the drawings showed traditional gender roles: male doctors, female nurses, etc. Using SSE to highlight and address these biases is essential to making real change.
I forgot to address SSE:
I work in an Educate Together school, so gender equality would be a core value. Using school self-evaluation, we could review things like how we promote subject areas, student leadership roles, and student voice to spot any gender gaps.
The Learn Together curriculum supports this through its focus on equality and links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 5: Gender Equality.
By building this into our SSE process, we make sure our school stays inclusive, fair, and reflective of our values.
Gender stereotypes can influence children from a very young age, often without us realising it. I became more aware of this during a class discussion where some boys noted that girls are often treated more gently or not expected to excel in subjects like science or maths. It made me reflect on how everyday language and activities can shape children’s self-beliefs. A BBC experiment reinforced this for me: babies dressed in clothes associated with the opposite gender were offered “typical” gendered toys by volunteers. Those perceived as boys were given trucks and diggers, while those seen as girls received dolls and soft toys. This highlighted how unconscious bias begins early. When I raised this in a staff meeting, some colleagues felt we were already progressive, but I believe gender stereotyping is often subtle and needs deeper attention. I feel that Development education can help by promoting empathy, questioning norms, and introducing diverse role models to challenge these assumptions early on.
