“Unthinkable things are made possible, not because you have benevolent or wise leaders, but because you have a social movement. It’s always social movements that create social change”.
So says inspirational unionist, sociologist, and educator John Falzon in our In Focus profile this edition of IE.
John’s viewpoint is pertinent to many stories in this edition. We examine increasing industrial action and unionisation around the world (read here), as workers seek remedies to unfair conditions.
We look at how children get educated about the role of unions (read here); and on we discuss how schools must play a leading role on climate literacy, resilience, and engagement (read here).
Sometimes engaging students can feel challenging in the face of teaching shortages and heavy workloads, but imagining teaching in a warzone. We get an insight into this when we meet Suzanne O’Connor, who has been teaching students via Zoom for some time. The Ukrainian students are motivated to learn despite their trying circumstances (read here).
Education itself is a form of ‘social movement’ and the way we educate, and the subjects we teach help change our world. Education also creates social change by broadening the perspectives of students by discussing topics like First Nations scientific knowledge (read here); and weapons industry awareness (p30).
That’s why we need to recognise the importance of non-teaching assistants in the classroom and on school grounds (read here); the nuances of personal development (read here) and the implications of AI for teachers (read here).
But, as John emphasises, change comes from the ground up, not the top down, which is why we are so pleased to report on the inspiring student-led campaign for menstrual equity at St Paul’s Catholic College in Booragul, NSW. It’s been so successful that it’s now being rolled out across an entire diocese.
We hope this mixture of articles brings you inspiration to think the unthinkable inside and outside the classroom.