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Let’s Transform Our World For The Better
Audrey Osler is Professor of Citizenship and Human Rights Education, University of Leeds, UK and University or South-Eastern Norway.
I specialise in education for citizenship and human rights,
in both established democracies and post-conflict societies.
This has led me to diverse places and regions, including sub-
Saharan Africa; Aceh, Indonesia; Iraq-Kurdistan; and, most
recently, Sri Lanka. Experience confirms my belief that education
is key to the realisation of human rights and gender equality.
UN Sustainable Development Goal 4, quality education, is
central to the wider sustainability agenda. Without appropriate
education many of the other goals are effectively non-starters.
The Sustainable Development Goals, agreed in 2015, are a set of
aspirations with concrete targets. The first step in realising their
ambitious agenda is to hold our governments to account. It’s
important to remember that they are not legally binding. They
form an ambitious agenda to transform our world for the better by
2030. They are only likely to be realised if we, as citizens, working
with others, including elected representatives, ensure our
government and political leaders are held accountable both for
these promises and for legally binding human rights obligations.
A second step in realising SDG 4 is to prompt an in-depth
discussion about the meaning of an inclusive and equitable
quality education. Much is made of the need to ensure adequate
resources and teacher education. Clearly these are essential.
But we also need to debate the aims and content of education.
The near-universally ratified Convention on the Rights of the
Child, along with the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, spell out the basis for a quality
education. These agreed international standards propose
curriculum aims. These include development of respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; respect for
the child’s cultural identity, language and values and other
cultures and civilizations. A quality education must necessarily
include human rights education and intercultural education.
Equally, the curriculum should equip the learner with the skills
to participate in society ‘in the spirit of understanding, peace,
tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples’,
and ensure social and environmental sustainability.
Some may question this agenda, arguing that universal primary
education must, in the first instance, promote literacy and
numeracy. Yet this isn’t an either/or choice. We are living in
dangerous times, with increased authoritarianism across the
globe; a global climate emergency; and an increasing tendency
for governments to deride international institutions, undermine
democratic processes, avoid journalistic scrutiny, overlook
human rights standards, and play to populist agendas that
promote blind nationalism and xenophobia. The curriculum
knowledge and skills outlined here are more necessary than
ever, if we are to avoid global conflict.
A third step is to foster global solidarity and a stronger
cosmopolitan outlook, not just among young learners but
all citizens, including teachers. Even wealthy countries
need international support and solidarity to address crises,
as illustrated by the international response to Australia’s
devastating bush fires in 2019-20. Those who have lived
under repressive regimes are often most acutely aware of
the need for cosmopolitanism.
The artist C sar Manrique,
who lived in Franco’s Spain, expressed this provocatively: ‘I
believe in humankind as a totality. I don’t believe in religion,
or in borders, or in nationalities, or in flags.’ He went on to say: 'We live on this planet for such a short space of time that
each one of our steps should lead towards building the
dreamed space of utopia more and more. Let us build
it together. That is the only way of making it come true.'
Citizenship action for government accountability, a deep
discussion about a quality curriculum, together with a utopian
cosmopolitan vision, offer a pathway towards greater social
justice through education.
From Engage issue 20.
AUDREY OSLER • Dec 08, 2021
We both love London and walking, and this year, in honor of The Steve Sinnott Foundation's 15th Anniversary we have decided to embark on this journey. We planned to complete the 10KM walk along the river Thames, passing by many iconic London attractions on the way. We wanted to raise funds, and awareness, to ensure that every child worldwide, can have the opportunity to go to school, as well as adults too. It was an amazing experience and we enjoyed each other's company on luckily a very sunny day! “Since working for the Foundation I have witnessed firsthand the impact it has in supporting young people develop essential life skills by working to ensure provision of quality education for all children worldwide. The ripple effect of this education is truly remarkable as students go on to empower and educate others.” - Nicolet “I’ve been friends with Nicolet since we were kids, and I appreciate her and support her in any way that I can! She does amazing work for the Steve Sinnott Foundation and I want to be able to support her in this as well. A sponsored walk would not only be something we can accomplish together, but the fact that our efforts could go some way to making a difference for children around the world made it very worthwhile.” - Becky
H'arts in Mind is an inclusive mental health Arts charity run by people with lived experience. They support people with mental health or physical challenges who have an interest in Art. The Steve Sinnott Foundation (SSF) is an international education charity also based in Hertfordshire. The foundation is working with teachers and educators to deliver projects that progress the achievement if Sustainable Development Goal 4 - ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life long learning opportunities. Kim Rasit CEO and founder of H'arts in Mind met up with Ann Beatty CEO SSF to see how two small local charities might support each other. They decided they would work together to develop a space in the art gallery for future artists or others to exhibit in the space. SSF would be the first exhibition to test out the space. The exhibition took place August 21st to 25th and we are really pleased to report it was a great success. SSF provided workshops on Storytelling, Jewellery Making and Vision Board and Well-being as well as exhibiting their work on Positive Periods and Preventing Gender Based Violence.
The Foundation has been working in partnership with UNESCO since 2015 and Ann Beatty our CEO is the UNESCO ASPnet Co-ordinator in the UK. There are 145 schools in the programme and Coventry City is currently supporting all schools in the city with the opportunity of accreditation. In January, Warwick University and Coventry City Council hosted an event at the House of Commons to celebrate UNESCO ASPnet schools’ contribution to the UK. Saarah Rahman who helped organise the event, is currently studying at the University of Warwick in her final year, reading politics and international studies. Saarah shares her thoughts on ASPnet and her personal journey in education. I believe that being a part of UNESCO ASPNET and the Hidden Heroes project will help to lift hundreds of schoolchildren out of educational deprivation. This is an issue that I have personally grown up with my entire life. Educational deprivation is a very personal topic for me, as someone who originates from Tower Hamlets and as a British Bangladeshi Muslim, I am already socially and economically hindered. I went to your average underperforming state school, where I was never able to take part in programmes which helped to improve my confidence and critical thinking skills, as well as deepen my awareness of the world around me. I was always stuck in a bubble at school, believing that students like me would never be able to leave Tower Hamlets; that my whole life would only start and end here, in this small pocket of London. From not having a laptop until I was seventeen and being on Free School Meals when I was younger, I have faced the brunt of deprivation in education. It was when I got into The University of Warwick that I realised the deprivation gap between me and my classmates was much greater than it seemed. My classmates had opportunities to take part in initiatives such as Model UN at school, Pupil Parliament, and so many other extracurriculars that they had at their disposal, because of the type of funding their school during sixth form and secondary had received. Meanwhile, I had to scout for my extracurricular opportunities during school, alongside the challenge that they had to be free. The disparity gap is prominent in who runs for execs or higher student positions, and the common denominator between these types of students is they had leadership positions and extracurriculars handed to them during their time in compulsory education. They were given the confidence at an early age to apply for these roles inside and outside of the University, which will ultimately lead to them being in a better position to take up opportunities. This is why I am a massive advocate for initiatives such as UNESCO ASPnet, because giving young people the confidence to explore social issues alongside critical thinking skills, will boost their confidence in academic and nonacademic settings. Working-class, underprivileged students are always in competition with students who have been given the resources to enrich their education throughout their lives, which shows in their confidence in applying for and receiving opportunities throughout their time inside and outside of higher education. Hopefully, with initiatives such as Hidden Heroes and UNESCO, we finally give underprivileged students the stepping stones they need to get out of their comfort zone and take up opportunities. To find out more about UNESCO ASPnet in the U.K. and how your school can join, visit https://www.stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk/unesco-aspnet
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