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The changing weather patterns in Ireland is a key indicator that our climate is changing and it needs to be addressed. Flooding, Snow Days, Storm Days and now more recently extremities in high temperatures resulting in forest fires seem to be creeping into Irish weather patterns. We are experiencing weather conditions not seen before in Ireland. The Green Schools Programme is a must in all of our schools. Children need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to help tackle this problem. In addition to this children can get involved by fundraising for equipment such as water butts, solar panels and school gardens to promote biodiversity etc, in order to contribute to working towards a solution to this problem. Home school links focus on how we can be ‘GREENER’ need to be strengthened in schools. The Science Blast Programme run by ESB Ireland has an option for pupils to focus their project on the theme off Environmental Awareness and Care.
In addition to flooding in local areas near our school the recent ‘Snow Days’ that schools experienced at the start of 2026 are a real-life example of how climate change is affecting everyone. Snow Days are becoming a more common closure in our schools. We all play a part in helping to reduce the effects of Climate Change. The Green Schools Programme is an excellent way of teaching children about the individual small steps that we all can play in helping to battle the Climate Change crisis. Turning off taps and lights, recycling and reducing our carbon footprints are simple measures that children can learn to do to play their part.
Doras is an organisation that works in our community, providing support with housing, education, health and employment for people seeking international protection in Ireland. It also provides support to people in areas such as wellbeing and health. Schools can support organisations such as Doras by holding multicultural events in schools and information evenings for parents on how the school can promote awareness and provide support for people accessing these services. The student council can also consider fundraising activities in school to support organisations such as Doras. These activities can be as simple as having cake sales, pyjama days, dress-up days or raffles to raise money and awareness of these organisations working in our communities. Placing contact details of these services easily visible in reception areas in schools is also important so that those who have newly arrived are aware of the support services available to them while in Ireland.
Language barriers definitely are barriers for parents in many schools who have arrived from other countries. Along with having access to EAL support in school, the option of having an extra chromebook/laptop in the classroom with access to Google Translate can help reduce pressures for children who are learning English as a second language. Often pairing children who speak the same first langauge together can also help to reduce anxiety around langauge barriers. The children should be encouraged to speak their first language as much as possible also. It also provides a great opportunity to introduce another language to the class.
Education from a young age about Global Inequality is highly relevant in the world we live in today. Children are in classes with pupils who come from a range of diverse cultures and nationalities. Global inequality is evident in our classrooms today, and children need to be educated in how they can help combat this problem from a young age. Awareness is definitely evident in our classrooms, but education in relation to how we all play a part in implementing change needs to continue and be made a priority in schools.
Right from birth, we display gender stereotypes towards babies through the gifts that we buy and the toys that we provide. Blue for boys and pink for girls is something that we subconsciously steer towards. As children get older, we continue this trend. Celebrating ‘Engineering Week’ or ‘Science Week’ every year in school is an excellent opportunity to show how gender inequality exists in the workplace and the importance of having more women in higher roles in STEAM. Children need to explore the many opportunities in these areas from a young age so that we close the gap between men and women in these careers. Integrating history and literacy during science week and exploring ‘Famous Female Engineers’ is one such way of promoting gender equality. Encouraging children to explore their talents in STEAM and how they can aspire to achieve careers in this area, which is traditionally geared towards men.
The modern classroom today plays a central role in promoting gender equality. Children need to be encouraged not to see gender as a barrier to achieving their goals. They need to feel comfortable and at ease in expressing their gender in the world around them. Although there has been a better emphasis placed on gender equality in the world today. We need to encourage children to explore their strengths and talents without any gender stereotypes. This begins in the infant classroom and continues beyond second-level education, especially when exploring future career options.
Development Education is important in striving to achieve ‘global fairness’ and ‘equality. ‘The classroom today should aim to help develop ‘global citizens’ and ‘solidarity among humans.’ This begins with education from a young age about the importance of working together globally to achieve a more just and fairer world. The ability to ‘care and show empathy’ is at the centre of development education. It can be incorporated in all subjects across the curriculum. Schools can include thIS in SSE also by making development education central in the day-to-day running of the school. The use of the resource pack developed by the UN focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals is a great starting point for schools to begin this process. Schools should be places where children can learn about environments that reach beyond their classrooms and neighbours. They need the skills and knowledge to become ‘global citizens’ in order to play their part in create more fairer planet for all.
Integrating Development Education across the Primary Curriculum is a must in today’s world. Children need to be taught about the wider world around them and how we all have a role to play in promoting equality and fairness in the world we live in. Development Education can be incorporated in the day-to-day running of the classroom. A lot of classrooms today are multicultural and provide endless opportunities to teach the themes underpinning development education and to promote the work of Irish Aid.