ETBI Journal of Education - Vol 2:1 - June 2020 (Sustainable Development Goals 2015 -2030)
The theme of Volume 2 Issue 1 - Sustainable Development Goals 2015 -2030
The theme of Volume 2 Issue 1 - Sustainable Development Goals 2015 -2030
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<strong>ETBI</strong> <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Education</strong> <strong>June</strong> <strong>2020</strong><br />
climate campaigns in our school,<br />
we decided not to focuson<br />
an environmental orientated<br />
SDG. We looked instead to our<br />
students and upcoming activities<br />
to see which <strong>of</strong> the seventeen<br />
SDGs would fit best into our<br />
school life.<br />
JUSTICE GROUP AND HUMAN<br />
TRAFFICKING<br />
Student Voice is <strong>of</strong> the utmost<br />
importance in Abbey Community<br />
College. According to our mission<br />
statement, we aim to educate in a reflective<br />
way, emphasising the development <strong>of</strong> the<br />
whole person thereby enabling our students<br />
to participate fully in society and live fulfilled<br />
lives. Students are encouraged and given the<br />
opportunity to voice their opinions and raise<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> issues that matter to them whether<br />
they are school-based or at a local, national or<br />
international level.<br />
Abbey Community College has a Justice Group<br />
comprising impassioned students and staff<br />
who work together to raise awareness <strong>of</strong> issues<br />
that are important to them. It so happened that<br />
this group was organising a talk on the issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> HumanbTrafficking to be given by Mr Kevin<br />
Hyland, OBE. From Mr Hyland’s biography, we<br />
knew he was the author and main negotiator for<br />
the inclusion <strong>of</strong> UN <strong>Sustainable</strong> <strong>Development</strong><br />
Goal 8.7, providing a specific target for human<br />
trafficking in the <strong>2030</strong> agenda. His visit to our<br />
school drew much online and print media<br />
attention and that gave us an opportunity to<br />
introduce the <strong>ETBI</strong>’s programme and highlight<br />
our chosen SDG.<br />
Inspired by Mr Hyland, we decided to highlight<br />
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth. As<br />
outlined at the training day in October 2019, one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the first school-based activities <strong>of</strong> the TAKE 1<br />
Programme would see ETB teachers across the<br />
country showcase current and new engagement<br />
with the SDGs in their classrooms during One<br />
World Week.<br />
The aim was to teach One Lesson about One<br />
SDG, to One class group over the course <strong>of</strong> One<br />
week. We informed staff <strong>of</strong> our chosen SDG:<br />
SDG 8 dealing with employment, economic<br />
growth, decent work and equality, labour rights,<br />
sustainable tourism, access to financial services<br />
and aid.<br />
We were very conscious that the Take 1<br />
programme should not create more work but<br />
highlight what was already being done in our<br />
classes to try and achieve a sustainable future<br />
for us all. Our teachers responded and raised<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the importance and interconnected<br />
nature <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Sustainable</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Goals</strong><br />
within the junior cycle framework.<br />
PAGE 36
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