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Climate change is becoming more evident in our local environment. Weather is more extreme. We are experiencing floods, storms, higher temperatures, water shortages and movement in seasons. It is up to us to play our part in slowing down climate change.
Through the Green Schools program we work to educate the children on the changes they can make at school and in their homes to have a positive effect on the environment. The following are 3 actions that we are working on:
1. Reduce Energy: Use of energy is the main driver for climate change. We can reduce our energy consumption by turning off lights and electrical devices when not in use. We can reduce fossil fuel usage by walking to school, car pooling or using buses.
2. Reduce water usage: We need to be careful of how we use water. The school was fitted with all pump taps to stop water running unnecessarily. Rain water is harvested and used where possible.
3. Increase knowledge of biodiverity: Children are educated on our local environment and how important it is to protect it. A gardening project has been introduced in the school and the children grew their own vegetables. This is very popular and is fostering an interest in gardening with the children.Siobhan
I really like your idea of collecting and analysing weather data and relating that to climate change around the world.
There are lots of organisations working with refugees in my community including The Red Cross, The Family Resource Centre and The Mayo Intercultural Action project. These groups provide support, information and advocacy to migrants, asylum seekers, refugees and their families living in Mayo. They provide English classes to adults and can give advice on supports available.
Within my school community we have a diverse range of nationalities and they have arrived in Ireland in many different ways. Some are fleeing wars and unsafe environments. Others have come to Ireland to work in the local hospital. Others are voluntary migrants hoping to improve their lives. We have a large accommodation centre for International Protection applicants in the town. There are new children being enrolled most weeks. It is important for us that each child feels safe and welcome from their first day at school.
After meeting the Principal our secretary is the next point of contact for students and parents. She ensures that the child is brought to their new class and introduced to their teacher. The teacher always has a space ready for the child in class. They will have basic supplies ready for the child. If possible the child will sit beside another child who speaks their language. This provides huge comfort to them especially in the initial settling in phase. EAL withdrawal is always available for new commers. The child is brought on a tour of the school and given basic phrases to use e.g.Can I go to the toilet? They can be matched with a buddy/mentor to help them.
We support refugees by learning about and celebrating their religious and cultural celebrations. We learn about foods in their countries and what school is like. We include important songs for them in the Christmas concerts. All this ensures that they feel safe and welcome in our school.Hi Sean
We also have a buddy system in place where we put the child in contact with another child that speaks their language. This is a big help for the child and teachers. The more established child can act as translator and this gives them a huge confidence boost.
Global inequality is linked to fairness between people and between countries. In Ireland we are lucky to live in wealthy country. In general we have good living conditions. However there are huge disparities between the wealth of people that live in this country. People are born into different circumstances and this can have a big influence on their future.
I would focus on Sustainable Development Goal 10 Reduced Inequality. I enjoyed the lesson where the teacher focused on the homes that people live in all over the world. Some homes provide safety, are comfortable and have sanitation. Other homes are only providing basic shelter.
In Ireland we have huge disparities between how our students live and the homes that they have. Many children are living in small hotel rooms. Others are living in accommodation centres. Conditions are cramped and often families don’t have access to facilities that allow them to cook their own meals. They are noisy and it is difficult for the children to study. Families can be moved to other towns with very little notice. The children are then forced to start all over again in a new school. This is not good enough. Living in a hotel room is not a long term solution and is wrong.
I would encourage the children to take action and to write to local politicians demanding decent housing conditions for all.I agree with Anna that it is important for the children to be aware of climate action and the part they can play in their local community to effect change.
I thought that we had moved on a lot when it comes to women’s rights and gender stereotypes. After reading 10 Myths About Women’s Rights I was shocked to read the statistics and struggles that women face worldwide.
Gender stereotypes are present and can limit students potential from a young age. They can become closed off from certain activities. We need to challenge stereotypes and provide role models to children to show them that they can be anything they want to be.
Gender stereotyping in young children is very evident when we cover the topic of careers. When talking about firefighters, delivery drivers, engineers these are considered to be ‘boys’ jobs. ‘Girls’ jobs are seen to include teachers, nurses and generally care giver roles. It is up to us to show a diverse range of role models and that all professions are open to all people. We can include stories that show people in non-gender typical roles. It is a good idea to talk about why certain roles are associated with certain genders and make it clear that these careers are open to all.
It is important to have an inclusive classroom environment where children are encouraged to take on roles and challenged to think about their own strengths rather than their gender.Colin I have also observed that children can gravitate towards tasks that are gender stereotypical. I have observed girls on many occasions organising their basket on the table and then also taking on the task of organising the boys on the tables baskets without being asked to do so.
Development education is important because it is child centered and focuses on education, protection, emergencies and girls rights according to Plan Ireland. As educators theses value should provide keystones to teaching and learning.
Fairness and equality for all is key. In a school based context we can educate children on injustice in the world. We can work within our own schools to make it a ‘fair’ environment for all. We should keep gender equality to the forefront.
In a multi-cultural school community as a staff we can work to acknowledge and celebrate our difference and also come together as a one school community. Our schools motto is ‘Together We Achieve.’ Together we can make a difference in the world. This begins at home and in school. We can work to instill empathetic values in the children and hope that they bring this forward to their adult lives.
In order to create a good global citizen realising our connection with all humans worldwide is key. In our Green Schools program Global Citizenship is explored and the effects the small changes we can make by recycling, reducing waste and looking after the environment as a collective can make a huge difference to the World.
To be Global Citizen is to care for one another and be proud of the difference we can make.