The Education, Youth and Information Ministry is endorsing the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

In observance of this initiative, dubbed the World’s Largest Lesson, Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said emphasis is being placed on students thinking about bigger global issues such as poverty, climate change and energy, among others.

“We as a country need to see how we can contribute, not only to the development of our country but to the overall sustainable development of the entire world,” the Minister said.

Mr. Reid was speaking with JIS News following an address to first-form students at Campion College, in St. Andrew, on September 19, to recognise the UNICEF initiative.

He informed that the issues which are likely to affect other countries are also likely to affect Jamaica and, therefore, must be addressed.

“We are not just isolated from the rest of the world. We are indeed affected by what happens globally,” the Minister said.

The World’s Largest Lesson consists of 17 goals, coalescing into three objectives, which include ending poverty, fighting inequality and injustice, and fixing climate change.

UNICEF hopes to achieve these objectives within the next 15 years. They encourage schools around the world to teach a lesson or assemble to introduce or remind students of the Global Goals and get them to think about how they can help in achieving those goals.

Meanwhile, Quality Education Specialist with UNICEF, Dr. Rebecca Tortello Greenland, said educating the students on the goals and objectives of the World’s Largest Lesson is important to putting an end to some of the issues faced by countries.

“We want to get our young people to use their brains, their ideas to campaign, advocate, design and innovate, so that we can solve some of our own issues,” she said.

Dr. Tortello Greenland noted that conversations about what sustainable development is and the roles we as individuals play are necessary.

Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator, the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), engages first-form students of Campion College on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) World’s Largest Lesson initiative to promote sustainable development, during a visit to their school, in St. Andrew on September 19.

Source: Ministry of Education, Youth and Information