Sowing Seeds through the Curriculum: Transforming Education for Sustainable Development

1. Sowing seeds through the curriculum St Louis Schools Network, Plaza Hotel, Tallaght, D24 28.02.19

2. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 1987 - World Commission on Environment and Development (Bundtland Commission) • Interdependent • Intergenerational equity • Universal • Integrated and indivisible • Adopted by 193 countries in September 2015 • Calls for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. • Not legally binding, but governments are expected to establish and report progress on national frameworks (UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development) • 17 Goals - 169 targets - 232 indicators

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uphifd-Uuys (3.36 mins) “We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world on to a sustainable and resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind.”  Preamble, Transforming our World: Agenda 2030 In your community or at a national level, who is left behind? What is the relevance of the LNB pledge in your school culture and ethos? What is the relevance of the LNB pledge to your classroom practise?

4. Pick a Goal you do not know that much about. • Read through the targets for that Goal • (www.globalgoals.org). • Think about the links between these targets and your subjects. Share a target you find interesting or surprising. Sustainable Development Goals

6. The VNR considers Ireland's performance against each of the 17 SDGs and, includes a statistical annex using Eurostat indicators. Ireland is performing well (relative to targets) in: SDG 1: No Poverty SDG 2: Zero Hunger SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being SDG 4: Quality Education SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Performance against other SDGs, though in many areas positive, is more mixed, and specific challenges exist in relation to: Voluntary National Review • housing • levels of obesity • achieving sustainable consumption and production • biodiversity and habitat destruction • mitigating and adapting to climate change • addressing entrenched inequalities • mainstreaming a gender perspective into policy UK and Northern Ireland due to do first VNR in July 2019

7. National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (2014-2020) Overall objective: ‘to ensure that education contributes to sustainable development by equipping learners with the relevant knowledge (the ‘what’), the key dispositions and skills (the ‘how’) and the values (the ‘why’) that will motivate and empower them throughout their lives to become informed active citizens who take action for a more sustainable future.’ Identifies 8 priority action areas which are considered to be key leverages for the advancement of the ESD agenda in Ireland: Priority action area 3. Curriculum at pre-school, primary and post primary. Priority action area 4. Professional development

8. National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (2014-2020) Recommendation 6 • Sustainable development audit of the primary and post primary curriculum, to: (1) identify opportunities for building on existing practice and (2) identify potential linkages between different subject areas in primary and post primary schools. Recommendation 7 • Ensure that ESD principles are integrated into all relevant primary and post primary curriculum areas as the curriculum is reviewed. This includes the primary school curriculum, the new junior cycle specifications and the senior cycle curriculum. Recommendation 10 • ‘Politics and Society’ should be introduced as a new Leaving Certificate subject when the NCCA has provided advice to the Minister for Education and Skills on a number of technical issues. Recommendation 26 • The Department of Education and Skills and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment should ensure that the voice of students is taken into account when new curricula and specifications are being developed, in particular in relation to the future revision of the primary school and junior cycle curriculum.

10. https://www.ted.com/talks/greta_thunberg_the_disarming_case_to_act_right_now_on_climate 5 mins (5.32-10.32 mins)

11. Adults keep saying: “We owe it to the young people to give them hope.” But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.

13. The junior cycle Wellbeing area of learning is ‘about young people feeling confident, happy, healthy and connected’ (Framework for Junior Cycle, p.22) Sustainability and the Wellbeing area of learning …takes account of the multi-dimensional nature of wellbeing encompassing social, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and physical wellbeing. • Schools have a central role to play in supporting and promoting students’ learning about wellbeing and for wellbeing. • about wellbeing through: • specific areas of the curriculum (CSPE, SPHE & PE) • wellbeing events and initiatives • for wellbeing when: • the day-to-day interactions are respectful and caring. • Learning for wellbeing can be nurtured in all subjects and by all teachers. • (Wellbeing Guidelines, p. 11) NI KS3 Key element: Education for Sustainable Development

14. Choose one junior cycle/KS3 subject (or short course) Access the specification on www.curriculumonline.ie / www.ccea.org.uk Find 1-2 sample learning outcomes/opportunities which can facilitate teaching/learning about one or more SDGs Share your learning outcomes/SDG links in small groups SDGs – junior cycle/KS3 outcomes/ opportunities

15. The rationale for junior cycle English recognises the important contribution that students with ‘knowledge and command of language’ can make ‘to political, social and cultural life and as thoughtful and active citizens’ (DES, 2015: 4). English • to develop in students ‘a mature and critical literacy to prepare them for the responsibilities and challenges of adult life in all contexts’ and ‘an awareness of the value of literature… for enhancing their sense of cultural identity’. The syllabus states that ‘developing control and power over language is the most essential educational achievement for all students if they are to become confident, thoughtful and discriminating adults and citizens’ (DES, 2001: 5-6).

16. In junior cycle English, scope for addressing content related to specific Goals is dependent upon the professional capacity, interest and disposition of the teacher. The flexibility of text choice means that teachers can pick texts which can be linked to one or more of the SDGs, or can be influenced by student interest in contemporary global challenges or themes.

17. Strand One: Personal Finance 1.9 Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour Strand Two: Enterprise 2.2 Describe the skills and characteristics of being enterprising and appreciate the role of an entrepreneur in an organisation, in society and to the economy 2.5 Investigate the positive and negative impacts on a community of an organisation from an economic, social and environmental perspective Strand Three: Our Economy 3.1 Explain how scarcity of economic resources results in individuals having to make choices; predict possible consequences of these choices 3.6 Explain how economic growth can impact positively and negatively on society and the environment and justify the promotion of sustainable development 3.11 Evaluate the benefits and costs of a government economic policy and assess who enjoys the benefits and who bears the costs Young people are growing up in a globalised and dynamic world. New opportunities and challenges will emerge in their lifetimes that are virtually unimaginable today. Developing technologies, environmental and societal challenges, demographics, global competition and changing consumer demand will drive these changes. Studying business helps to equip students with the understanding, skills and attitudes to participate fully in an interconnected world.

19. The wider benefits of scientific literacy are well established, including giving students the capacity to make contributions to political, social and cultural life as thoughtful and active citizens who appreciate the cultural and ethical values of science. This supports students to make informed decisions about many of the local, national and global challenges and opportunities they will be presented with as they live and work in a world increasingly shaped by scientists and their work.

21. Recognises the important contribution that the subject can make to ‘promote divergent thinking’ and ‘respect for the work and opinions of others’. The rationale also acknowledges the ‘highly visual’ nature of contemporary society, and states that ‘visual literacy is an essential requirement of active citizenship’ because ‘it enhances the young person’s ability to interpret, critique and decode visual messages’ (DES, 2016: 4-5). includes text about the importance of empowering students to engage with the world around them and to ‘develop authentic, real-world problem-solving capacities’ (DES, 2016: 6). The learning outcomes in Visual culture and appreciation in each of the three strands have potential to engage students in topics relevant to the SDGs. Additionally, there is potential for teachers, depending on their interests, skills and capacity, to embed content related to the Sustainable Development Goals into their teaching of learning outcomes in other strand elements. …recognises that the modern world has become a more visual place encompassing a wide range of visual stimuli such as architecture and urban design to advertising, new media, the internet, fine art, craft, design, photography, fashion and more. …At times, bombarded with images, students need to understand and decode these visual messages, as well as the visual culture of other societies too. This knowledge and understanding needs to be communicated [to students] (DES, 2016: 11).

24. Coming soon… Junior cycle Home Economics http://www.worldwiseschools.ie/tools/

25. Free to download curriculum resources Supporting learning outcomes in ‘new’ junior cycle specifications Tried and tested by teachers and students To download: Make sure that your smartphone has a QR Code reader app installed. If not, you can download an app for free from your app store. Scan the QR Code by opening the app and facing the phone camera towards your Code. If your QR Code is readable, a pdf of the resource will download to your device automatically. TIP: Email the resource to yourself via the share icon

26. National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (2014-2020)

27. Our formal curriculum needs to work to ensure that children and young people are not educated with their backs to our world.