Development Education

Development education in Transition Year aims to support young people to increase their awareness and understanding of the interdependent and unequal world in which we live, through a process of interactive learning, debate, action and reflection. It challenges perceptions of the world and encourages young people to act for a more just and equal society at a national and an international level.

Development education in is about justice, global development, human rights, global citizenship, listening to young people, exploring the connections between young people in Ireland and the Majority World, understanding the causes and consequences of global poverty and inequality, understanding how our actions affect the world in a global context, justice rather than charity, learning through participation and action, challenging stereotypes and prejudice, respecting different cultures and challenging the dominance of one culture over another, having fun, learning how countries depend on each other, solidarity with people who are poor, marginalised or discriminated against, taking action for a more just and fair world.

As part of the Development Education module students take part in the Christmas Shoebox Appeal, visit the Irish Aid Centre and run a Fairtrade Day in school among many other activities and they are encouraged to think in a global context as well as a local context.