The school I want to learn in

The school I want to learn in - Hadassah

HADASSAH E. M. MORRIS, ST JOSEPH’S SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, BANJUL, THE GAMBIA

“A great career without a great education is only a dream”.

A school is an institution where knowledge is passed onto students for their betterment. A school is also an institution which is designed for learning and passing discipline and good morals to students. School is an educational centre but the school I want to learn in is an important choice. The school I want to learn in is a school of discipline, gender equality, quality education, clean water and sanitation, and partnership for the goals.

Firstly, discipline is one of the main goals needed to achieve in the school I want to learn in. Quoting from Google, “Discipline is the practice of training people to obey rules and it is also a code of behaviour”. Being a disciplined student from an institution enables me to choose, persevere with actions, thoughts and behaviour which leads to improvement and success. If I attend a school where discipline is valued it will help me to stay focused on my goals. As a student going to school it is not all about learning, but it also teaches me to obey rules and creates a place which can build a future for me.

Secondly, gender equality is also another main issue. In some schools, a particular gender is not treated fairly, to be specific girls! People mostly have the thought that girls are meant for housekeeping and not schooling which is a wrong concept. Fundamental human rights like gender equality should be promoted in schools for a better learning environment. Education is a vital key and every single being has the right to it. Students, most especially girls, should be treated with dignity, love and respect because if they are treated like outcasts in schools, it will cause much harm to them. The school I want to learn in is a school that says yes to gender equality and disapproves of inequality.

Moreover, a school without quality education is like a sauce that has no taste. I will love to learn in a school where the quality of education is high and there are good teachers to impart knowledge to us, and not just collect salaries without doing their jobs. I need teachers that are nice but strict, teachers that will encourage me but make sure I succeed, teachers who love to do their jobs willingly without grumbling, and teachers who will always be there to correct me when I’m wrong.

However, clean water and sanitation is also an important factor to consider. Learning in a school where there is not only discipline, gender equality, good and quality education, is not the only thing I want, but also a school where there is clean water to sustain and promote good health and sanitation. Sanitation is having access to facilities for safe disposal of human waste, as well as having the ability to maintain hygienic conditions through services such as garbage collection, industrial waste management and waste water disposal. If a school has these properties it will improve the wellbeing among students and teachers, and also promote cleanliness.

Lastly, I will like to learn in a school where there is partnership for the goals. Partnership for the goals actually means working together to achieve our goals. As the Gambian pledge says, “It is a combination of government and people working together in unison and harmony that will lead us to achieve the progress that we all desire”. In order to achieve our goals we need partnership. A school might not have the resources to provide all the needs of the students in school, but if there are partnerships, like the collaboration of private agencies, philanthropists and well-to-do people, they will be able to sponsor the school or students by helping to provide for their needs. This could include technological facilities, reading books, and lots more, which will cause more hunger for learning. Without partnerships, not all goals will be achieved because the resources needed are limited but when we work together towards the same goals, we have the power to achieve them all. Sharing goals means sharing a vision.

In conclusion, the reason I will love to learn in a school that has these qualities is to turn into a star and future leader, that will also help others to achieve their goals without any complications in The Gambia, and the world at large.

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HADASSAH E. M. MORRIS • August 14, 2023

The Foundation supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

By Kaylem James • February 3, 2026

In my time as an assistant at The Steve Sinnott Foundation (SSF), one of my research tasks was looking into how the Foundation contributed to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). I really believe in the work of the Foundation and I have also been raising funds as I believe that every child must have the right to education. SSF is a UK-based educational charity focused on promoting quality education worldwide. It plays a supportive role in achieving the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 4: (Quality Education), but its work contributes to several others as well. Here's how the Foundation supports the SDGs: Goal 4 – Quality education (core focus) The Foundation's main mission is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. It supports teachers and educational initiatives in developing countries. It runs programmes like: The Education for All Campaign – advocating for universal access to education. Teacher empowerment projects – providing training and resources to educators in under-resourced countries. Girls' education programmes – encouraging and supporting girls to stay in school and complete their education. Goal 3 – Good health and well-being Through education, particularly health-related programmes, the Foundation contributes to raising awareness about hygiene, nutrition, and mental health. The Foundation has developed a range of webinars to promote health and wellbeing and these can be found on YouTube. Goal 5 – Gender equality The Foundation promotes girls' education, directly addressing barriers that prevent girls from accessing and completing school. It advocates for the rights of women and girls, especially in patriarchal or disadvantaged societies. Goal 8 – Decent work and economic growth By improving access to education and vocational training, the Foundation helps create employment opportunities. Educated individuals have better chances of securing decent work. Goal 10 – Reduced inequalities It supports marginalised groups, including children in rural or conflict-affected areas, contributing to reducing global inequalities in education. Goal 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions Promotes education as a force for peace and conflict resolution. Supports democratic participation and awareness through educational programmes that foster community engagement. Goal 17 – Partnerships for the goals Collaborates with NGOs, unions, schools, and governments to deliver and advocate for education projects. Builds international partnerships to achieve the SDGs through education. Summary While The Steve Sinnott Foundation's primary focus is on Goal 4, it contributes to many of the SDGs by empowering communities through education, particularly: Gender equality (Goal 5), Health (Goal 3), Economic growth (Goal 8), Reducing inequality (Goal 10), Peace (Goal 16), and Partnerships (Goal 17). The Foundation’s programmes also contribute to the achievement of other SDGs through the power of the provision of education and life-long learning; 1. No Poverty, 2. Zero Hunger, 13. Climate Action. We believe that all of the 17 SDGs are only achievable by ensuring that all children, wherever they are born, deserve the human right of quality education. Over 250 million children are still out of school and the global out-of-school population has reduced by only 1% in nearly ten years, according to the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2024. There is still much work to do in achieving equitable and quality Education for All.

Relationships and SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals)

By Hannah Wilson • February 2, 2026

As the founding Headteacher of two start-up schools in Oxfordshire, one primary and one secondary, we spent a lot of time thinking about our new schools’ vision, mission and values. We were deeply committed to becoming values-based educational settings. We also did a lot of work on our global citizenship curriculum which formally brought together all of the loose threads in what Dr Neil Hawkes calls the ‘inner curriculum’. Working towards UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School Award to demonstrate our intentional teaching of the UN’s SDGs was a fundamental part of our commitment to our school communities. When I left headship to move #DiverseEd from being a grassroots community to iterating into Diverse Educators, a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) training and consultancy organisation, I thought once again about how our work supported the education system in working towards the SDGs and we outlined them here: www.thebelongingeffect.co.uk/the-sustainable-development-goals Five years on, we have just gone through a re-brand, and we are now called the Belonging Effect. For me the strategic intention we take towards developing consciousness, confidence and competence in DEIB must be actionable and must have impact. So our renewed mission is ‘shaping intention into impact’

Volunteering in Zambia - Spotlight on a Steve Sinnott Foundation Ambassador

By Helen Porter • January 30, 2026

Summer of 2025, I volunteered in Lusaka, Zambia with Mission Direct to improve educational facilities for school children and staff. These nursery school children live in very basic and small homes in the Kaunda Square Compound. They are currently being educated in overcrowded classrooms with very little space for play and movement. The new school building will allow more children to benefit from an enriching nursery education and ensure that they are ready to learn when they start their formal schooling at the age of six. It will also enable more mothers to work and contribute to their families’ income. The children were very happy to meet us and performed a wonderful song with actions to thank us. Witnessing the challenges of these families living in poverty led me to reflect on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that finding a route out of poverty (SDG1) often starts with a quality education (SDG4). Educating children to become literate, numerate and confident, responsible young people allows them to obtain secure employment with fair pay and to have the prospect of rewarding careers, leading to economic growth (SDG8). Of course education is about so much more than preparation for future employment. An educated person is better prepared to maintain the health and well-being of their family (SDG3) and ensure that nourishing food is provided everyday (SDG2). We are disappointed and saddened to learn that some of the world’s wealthiest nations are slashing their overseas development budgets. This makes the work of NGOs even more vital as they strive to reduce inequalities (SDGs 5 and 10) to ensure that all children benefit from a quality education.