2 What makes peace education quality education
In this section you’ll consider how the commitments of peace education can support schools in delivering quality education for their communities.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were created in 2015 by Member States of the United Nations. Although the goals aim for a specific year, they set ambitious targets for nations to work towards to build a sustainable future and remain relevant for understanding what that future might comprise. There are 17 sustainable development goals. None of the goals can stand alone, they are all interconnected. However, it’s useful to know that SDG 4 is concerned with quality education and includes targets such as: ensuring all children have access to primary and secondary education by 2030 (target 4.1); and to eliminate inequalities in education, including gender disparities and for persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations (target 4.5).
In the next activity you will look closely at target 4.7 for quality education, and consider how it aligns with the principles and practices of peace education.
Activity 2 Quality education (Sustainable Development Goal 4) and peace education
Part 1
Begin by watching this short video, aimed at secondary school students, about Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Transcript: Video 2
Below is target 4.7 under quality education which relates to a curriculum for sustainable development.
4.7 … ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
How does target 4.7 align with the principles and practices of peace education that you have learned about during this course?
You might use the response box below to note down your initial thoughts.
Discussion
The principles and practices of peace discussed during this course are elements of target 4.7, a ‘commitment to a culture of peace and non-violence’. Understanding emotions, managing conflict and developing mediation skills can all be seen as part of the knowledge and skills needed to promote a culture of peace and non-violence, both within the school and beyond.
The practices and initiatives you have read about also align with target 4.1. For example, becoming a UNICEF Rights Respecting School supports an understanding of human rights and gender equality, while a commitment to wellbeing, supporting the self-affirmations of others, and exploring the diversity of ideals around peace in school communities can contribute to an appreciation of cultural diversity within the school community and the wider world beyond.
There are links to further information about the sustainable development goals in the Resources and recommendations page [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] of this course.
Part 2
The work of peace educators is grounded in a core set of commitments and principles that drive practice. Such principles inform the choices educators and educational communities make in all aspects of their settings, from curriculum and pedagogy to behaviour policies to work with the wider community.
This next part of the activity will help you consider the commitments of peace education as quality education. Take your time to work through it as it will help you to identify the foundation on which you might build your peaceful educational community, however small.
Begin by reading through the common commitments of peace education in the box below. These commitments, outlined in Peace at the Heart, put relationships at the heart of peace education. These relationships form an interconnected web that builds into a coherent educational community where everyone feels empowered to engage constructively and confidently with both the school and the wider world beyond.
As you read the commitments, reflect on your current educational practices and, if appropriate, those of your wider school community. Use the boxes to note down how much these current practices align with the commitments of peace education. Take time over this. You might note down something as small as exchanging hellos and small conversations with children and their families in the mornings and after school, or something as large as running a school council which has real impact on management decision-making.
Common commitments of peace education | Where am I in my personal practice? | Where is my educational community? | |
---|---|---|---|
To every student | The voice, needs, and agency of every student are worthy of attention, irrespective of their behaviour. | ||
To every teacher | The wellbeing of students depends on the wellbeing, commitment, and competence of teachers, as professionals supported and encouraged by their managers, by one another, and by a society that values them. | ||
To the school as a community | A flourishing educational community depends on a wide ecology of relationally constructive practices, to which every member of the community may contribute. | ||
To society in its diversity | Students are supported to navigate their world, face society’s challenges with understanding, and discern their commitments within it. | ||
To every relationship | An effective peace pedagogy will touch on all relationships between and among students, teachers, and school managers, and also on the ethos and policies of the school community. Striving for peaceful relationships means striving for fair relationships. | ||
To hope | Peace educators recognise that all relationships may become injured, but look for what is nonetheless promising in them and aim to work with them constructively. | ||
To mutuality | Good learning is a community endeavour that values the commonalities of, and differences between, all involved. Teachers retain their authority and keep safe boundaries for their students, but both have roles as educators and learners. | ||
To creativity | Peace education values creativity and experimentation, making use of mistakes as opportunities for growth. |
Comment
A commitment to relationships means that every person in an educational setting has a role to play in building and sustaining a peaceful community. You will have found much in your current practice that already aligns with the commitments of peace education. For example, positive relationships with your students and other members of staff, assemblies which celebrate the achievements of children and young people, lessons in citizenship and PSHE where pupils learn to build healthy relationships with themselves and the world. Such activities are a starting point towards building peace as part of an educational community.
CPD sessions
For CPD sessions, you can complete Part 2 of the activity above with a group, exploring the foundation on which you might build a peaceful educational community. Divide into smaller groups that take one commitment each to consider in detail. Remember to celebrate existing positive practice as well as identifying areas for development.
Now take a moment to celebrate what you are already doing to build positive peace in your current role and setting. There are many aspects of school practices that could be seen as part of peace building, and it is always encouraging to see where existing school practices already align with the commitments of peace education.
These commitments sometimes ask educational communities to challenge deeply held beliefs and long-standing practices. For example, in Session 1 you read about a school that realised their everyday practices of playground football were rooted in a belief that football was for boys. Part of the critical work of the peace educator is to be able to recognise culturally and structurally violent practice in the educational setting itself. Working for changes to such practices can be long-term and challenging.