‘Learning to make the world a better and more equal place’ – Education for Sustainable Development consultation: 13.10.2016

Venue: Clock Tower, Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1

Thursday 13th October 2016:

The Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, recently held a consultation to get the views of children and young people about what they learn that motivates them to make the world a better place. Education for Sustainable Development is about learning to make the world a better place. It’s about opening children and young people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the world, and awakening them to bring about a world of greater justice, equality and human rights – at home, in the community and in the wider world. It’s also about protecting the environment and ensuring that everyone is treated fairly in Ireland and all over the world. See background information below on how this consultation came about.

The Department of Education and Skills will report on the findings of this consultation process at the National Forum on Education for Sustainable Development, which took place on 1st December 2016. You can download a copy of the report here: Education for Sustainable Development report

Background Information – National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development

 In 2014, the Department of Education and Skills launched the “National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development in Ireland, 2014-2020”.  The Strategy aims to ensure that our children and young people have the relevant knowledge, skills and values to motivate and empower them to become informed citizens acting for a more sustainable future.

It includes consideration of issues such as:

• environmental issues (climate change; disaster risk reduction; biodiversity; environmental protection; natural resource management; urban decay; water security),
• socio-economic issues (economic growth; poverty; food prices; child labour; social exclusion; justice; debt-security; human rights; health; gender equity; cultural diversity; production and consumption patterns; corporate responsibility; population growth; migration) and
• ‘political’ issues (citizenship; peace; ethics; human rights; democracy and governance)

Eight priority areas for action are identified in the Strategy, including:

• leadership and coordination;
• curriculum at pre-school, primary and post-primary;
• professional development;
• further education and training;
• higher education and research;
• promoting participation by young people;
• sustainability in action;
• data collection and tracking.