Education International Research
Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Student members of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES) used the power of storytelling to share their refugee experiences and recount challenging interactions with immigration and law enforcement officials acting on behalf of the US Immigration and Enforcement (ICE) agency. With the support of the local education union, the students led a petition drive and convened hundreds of organising meetings with school district officials. This culminated in a new school district policy that: a.
Protects student information regarding family immigration status;
b. Bars school employees and volunteers from aiding or assisting in immigration arrests; and c. Establishes school protocols for what to do if ICE officers or cooperating law enforcement officers enter schools to pursue undocumented students or their families. Des Moines, Iowa — In 2017, the public school system’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution that the system “will do everything in its power to afford equal protection of all members of our community from attempts to criminalise or target them based on race, ethnicity, citizenship, immigration status or national origin”. The two local education unions lobbied the local school district for this policy over several months.156 Nationally — Actualising its union vision to “fulfil the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world”, the NEA has numerous initiatives that advance the implementation of Target 4.7 by addressing student achievement and social justice in relation to race/ethnicity, gender, language and LGBTQI equity.157 These initiatives advance true appreciation of cultural diversity and educational equity while addressing discrimination, bullying and hate crimes. From curriculum and pedagogy support for educators to partnerships with civil society and litigation in the courts,158 the education union takes action to protect human and civil rights. As part of its commitment to make all schools Safe Zones, NEA members work to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn without fear. This pragmatic approach by the NEA equips educators, human rights activists and students with the tools to advocate for the implementation of the Safe Zone Schools policy and embrace the right to education. Thus, it fully embodies Target 4.7. In light of the US government’s retreat on civil rights and its SDG responsibilities, actions by education unions and civil society are essential to making progress.
Conclusions “Education and sustainability go hand in hand” — European Students’ Union
GRO.EI-IE
In 2019, a wave of student strikes, protests and rallies spread across industrialised countries as students demanded that decision-makers take urgent measures to tackle climate change. Students’ engagement in this action constitutes a lesson on global citizenship for them, but above all, their definitive, clamorous call for climate action shows that “business as usual” is not an option. We are in a time of climate crisis — the future of today’s children is at stake. To achieve the SDGs and to maintain the health of the planet, mainstreaming ESD must be prioritised not just by countries that face imminent climate emergencies, but by all countries, both low- and high-income.
0302 NOITA CUDE
In some countries, decentralised education systems pose a challenge to ensuring full coverage of ESD, as it cannot be smoothly and simply integrated into the national curriculum. The United States, for example, has over 14,000 education districts, each with some curricular autonomy. However, this cannot be an excuse. Education about sustainability, including climate change, gender equality and human rights, is too important to ensuring the rest of the SDG agenda — governments must introduce policies or lead campaigns to ensure that ESD is nationally implemented in every education institution. 156 Telephone conversation with Greg Harris, Executive Director, Des Moines Education Association, Des Moines, Iowa, USA. 15 May 2019 157 NEA Ed Justice. See: https://neaedjustice.org/ 158 United States Supreme Court, 2017. The National Education Association submitted an amicus brief on cases Trump v. IRAP and Trump v. Hawaii, 161436 and 16-1540, arguing that Executive Order No 13,780 (the “Muslim Ban”) violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the US Constitution due to the preference it conferred on certain groups based on religion. See: https://www.supremecourt.gov/qp/16-01436qp.pdf and https://www.supremecourt.gov/qp/16-01540qp.pdf
65