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Shane, I really like your suggestion to link it to local storytelling and nature walks to observe changes in weather or plant life. As a strong advocate of community-based learning, I think that it is vital that aspects of climate change are contextualised in the world around the children. I particularly like the idea of taking action by planting native trees or wildflowers to support biodiversity and absorb CO₂.
Climate change is very tangible here in Cork. Recent storms brought significant heavy rainfall, causing floods in Midleton. I am also writing this in the midst of heatwave, another feature of climate change, one which I recall happening at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and again previously 2018. In 2018, I also remember well the massive amount of snowfall with Storm Emma, the like I had never witnessed in Ireland in all my life. The city is now facing more frequent floods, heatwaves and droughts. Extreme weather is set to become more and more frequent and it is important for children to examine and understand this.
Classroom ideas:
Community data project: students map local flood hotspots and compare with historical data—linking maps from Cork City Council’s flood plans.Weather journal: pupils log rainfall, temperatures, local wildlife sightings over term and then explore patterns. They may tie into Met Éireann forecasts and local experiences.
Action campaigns: challenge students to brainstorm three school‑level actions (e.g. adding more green spaces, harvesting rainwater, promoting walking/cycling/scooting) and run these as mini awareness events across the whole school community e.g. make posters, speak with the PGA, compose an Aladdin message for the staff or parents
Three actions we can take:
- Promote active travel and public transport use.
- Green up our school grounds by planting trees, installing rain gardens and water-absorbing surfaces.
- Advocate for home energy savings (led by pupils sending tips home).
Linking to School Self‑Evaluation (SSE):
SSE surveys can assess staff and student awareness of climate issues, gauge uptake of active travel and benchmark participation in sustainability projects. Global learning and Development Education can be integrated into curriculum planning, linking local action to global citizenship.I never thought of the link between the Cork Migrant Centre and Nano Nagle, a key educator in Cork’s history. There is a lovely opportunity to link development education with another passion of mine, local history. It is so important for children’s understanding of development education to have a sense of history. The issues that we see in Development Education today have been issues for time immemorial, just often in different places. By understanding its historical context, it is actually possible to help prevent history repeating itself time and time again, especially in relation to migration and the treatment of refugees
Irish Refugee Council and Nasc are actively supporting refugees in Cork today. The IRC recently launched a youth resilience project (drop‑in, wellbeing workshops, one‑to‑one support) here and Nasc offers legal advice and integration programmes locally. Furthermore, Cork Migrant Centre is a key hub for info, advocacy, language and cultural connection.
Reflection on how my school and students could take action to support refugees or welcome them to the community:
Build awareness & community buy‑in
Get involved in Refugee Week events or organise in-class or whole-school activities to mark itPractical integration in school life
Offer language buddies or a social buddy system for cultural orientation to create peer‑to‑peer supportsPartner with existing services
Connect with IRC, Nasc, Cork Migrant Centre. They offer legal, language, wellbeing support. Invite them in for a talk. Support Cork City Partnership‑run Refugee Week (e.g. sports day, arts) .To conclude, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. There is lots happening locally already. With a few thoughtful moves i.e. awareness, classroom supports, community links, we can make our school a genuinely welcoming and inclusive place of belonging for all. This is beneficial for ALL students, not solely refugees, as well as for the wider school culture and community.
Another facet to this is to get involved with the GIY Schools project which focuses children on growing their own vegetables etc. I was at an interesting workshop that they did recently where they brought in ordinary groceries from the fruit & veg aisle. We examined the labels and plotted them on our ‘map’ (we used the idea of the classroom as a world map). We spoke about airmiles but could easily have led into the concepts of unfair and fair trade as well as the distribution of wealth between primary, secondary and tertiary industries.
SDG 4 – Quality Education
What really strikes me is how the global and local issues are more connected than we sometimes realise. While we often think of barriers to education as something happening “over there” in countries of the Global South, we’re also facing very real challenges here in Ireland too. The homelessness crisis springs to mind immediately, having recently been at a presentation by the Good Shepherd Cork. Children in emergency accommodation are dealing with instability, long commutes, no space to do homework or general activities that promote holistic learning. It is a hugely significant disadvantage and definitely impacts their ability to engage fully in school and access quality education.It also reminds me that quality education isn’t just about curriculum or teaching strategies, but also about making sure children’s basic needs are met so they can learn. We need to keep that in mind in our classrooms and also at a whole-school level when thinking about inclusion and wellbeing. This SDG really reinforces how schools can be key spaces for equity and positive change, not just globally, but right here in our own communities.
I find that boy’s comment about the male teacher becoming a principal really very interesting. There is undoubtedly a glass ceiling in education and while women are overly-represented in the profession, men are disproportionately represented in leadership and all other areas e.g. Oide, the inspectorate. It is one of the most pressing issues in leadership and often one that isn’t spoken about for fear of rocking the boat. Hadn’t you a very astute and observant child in your class?!!!
Gender stereotypes are evident from the second a child comes out of the womb, not to mind by the time they reach school going age, by which time, they are often fairly embedded and take some unravelling! It is something that I am often heard on my soapbox about – from the clothes we put children in, to the toys we give them, to the behaviour that we normalise (e.g. “the boys are wilder and more energetic”, “the girls are so caring”), I always work with my Senior Infants on dispelling many gender stereotypes for what they are – utter ‘NONSENSE!’, as my children shout at me in the classroom!
I link much of this with history and development education where we talk about girls lack of access to education. I work hard to create a safe environment where gender stereotypes are challenged and not tolerated. I was heartened two years ago when a child in my class who was identifying as a boy came in wearing a skirt and denim jacket, more traditionally worn by those identifying as a girl. I admired them and the general environment in the class meant that none of the other children commented negatively. Unfortunately, when he went to yard, a group of children from another room who had not focused on development education and as much on challenging these stereotypes, commented in a nasty way to him. I spoke with his mum later in the day and she told me how he had always worn dresses and skirts in play school but after an incident in the playground just before Junior Infants, he had stopped. The environment created by challenging the gender stereotypes had given him the confidence to wear what he was happiest in. It really highlighted the positive impact of challenging gender stereotypes from a young age.
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
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.
Hi Orla,
I particularly like the ‘Tree planting’ idea that you and others mentioned. Not only is it good from a CO2 point of view, planting native Irish trees would serve to benefit the local insects and wildlife. On another course, I saw a map of the reduction in Ireland’s tree cover and the results are potentially devasting so if we can work with children to somewhat ‘reforest’ Ireland, the future is hopeful.
Climate change is affecting the school’s local area. We are seeing increased river flooding in the town. Due to increased frequency of storms in recent years, flash floods have increased dramatically. This has affected every individual in the town as the river flows through the centre. It has negatively impacted on business and property in the area, as well as putting local flora and fauna at risk. It has damaged local Tidy Towns projects that focus on increasing biodiversity etc. There is also increased light pollution which is potentially having a negative effect on the local flora and fauna also.
Three actions to make the world a better place and slow down climate change:
1. Focus on sustainable transport options with a low carbon footprint ie. walking, cycling, or using public transportation whenever possible
2. Focus on energy efficiency/renewable energy. Use LED light bulbs, turn off lights and appliances when not in use
3. Advocate for change through raising awareness, lobbying and protestingIn the classroom, these could be implemented as follows:
1. Sustainable transport – children launch and run a campaign based on sustainable transport e.g. WOW i.e. Walk-On-Wednesday, Scoot/Cycle to School Week
2. Energy efficiency – Green Schools Initiative. Lightbulb survey. Write to the BOM requesting move to warm LED light bulbs. In-school campaign to turn off lights and appliances when not in use. Adjusting timers on external lights and ensuring the direction of the light is directed downwards
3. Make posters/banners and coordinate a local protest on climate change with other local schools, the Tidy Towns committee, other local organisations and local representatives. Invite local mediaHi Sarah,
I think that you have hit the nail on the head here…respectful and enthusiastic integration within the community is key i.e. integration that is meaningful and values everyone’s cultures, beliefs, backgrounds etc. and doesn’t ‘other’ it or force conforming to a perceived ‘Irish culture/tradition’ at the expense of a refugee’s own. Schools, as a microcosm of society at large and of societal reform, have an integral part to play in working with the community to do this.
There are several organisations working with refugees in the wider Cork community. The Cork Migrant Centre’s (CMC) programs target people from all five direct provision centres in Cork as well as migrants, including refugees in the local Cork community. It recognises that not all migrants are refugees. To quote their website, http://www.corkmigrantcentre.ie , its ‘psychosocial programs target empowerment by giving these vulnerable individuals a voice and strengthening their physical, emotional, cognitive and social health. It also aids in their integration process.’ It also explains how it focuses on ‘building collaborations, partnerships’ and linkages (Nationally & Internationally) towards creating and enhancing opportunities for equality and equity.’
With this in mind, it would be wonderful to, as a class/school, link up with the CMC to organise a ‘Welcome Refugees’ event in the area. Children could write a letter/article for their local paper welcoming refugees. Children could write to their local and/or national representatives (e.g. Minister for Children & Youth) regarding direct provision and its infringements on SDGs and/or UN Human Rights and/or UN Rights of the Child. Children could link up with/have penpals with children who are refugees in the Direct Provision Centres in the county.
The topic that I am looking at is ‘Poverty/Homelessness’ and it relates to the Sustainable Development Goal No. 1 – ‘No Poverty’. This topic has implications locally and globally. Firstly, within the classroom, it is important to be sensitive to the children you are working with and recognise that poverty/homelessness may be a lived experience for some of them.
On a local level, poverty/homelessness may mean children do not have enough (healthy) food to eat and may be hungry. They may not have adequate regular access to sanitation/hygiene facilities. If they are over 8, attending the doctor may be too costly and their health may deteriorate. They may not have an appropriate place or supports to engage in homework or other educational tasks so they may fall behind in education. The goals are interlinked and here we can see how SDG 1 can directly influence SDG 2, 3, 4 and 6. This all serves to perpetuate the poverty cycle.
Globally, similar can be said on a larger scale, poverty/homelessness can lead to hunger, displacement, loss of employment, ill-health, poor or no access to education, clean water and sanitation. It can result in a seemingly never-ending cycle of poverty which ensures a massive divide remains between the Global North and Global South.
To encourage your students to take action to support the SDGs, we would begin by using the philosophy for children ‘Thinking Time’ approach to discuss the topic of poverty/homelessness in a safe, secure, familiar way. I would then encourage and facilitate research on the meaning of equality by examining poverty/homelessness. The children would then explore the work of a prominent figure or group in social justice activism in Ireland in relation to poverty/homelessness in Ireland e.g. Focus Ireland, Peter McVerry, Simon Community. Using active student voice, the children would choose one aspect that they too can become activists on locally through awareness-raising, letters to local representatives etc.
