Deputy Principal

Economic Development 

Recently in my Year 12 Economics class, I have been teaching about economic development. Economic development can be defined as a broad measure of welfare in a nation that includes indicators of health, education, and environmental quality, as well as material living standards. Commonly we measure economic development through the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). It is not surprising that the developed nations sit at the top of this index. Switzerland is ranked first, and Australia sits in 10th place.  

I was walking with my daughter on the weekend, and she asked me to name the two wars that were going on at the moment around the world. I answered her by saying that ‘I know you are talking about the wars in Russia/Ukraine and Palestine. I then asked her the question about all the other wars around the world that do not get coverage in the media. These are the countries mostly in Africa that are in civil war that the world seems to have forgotten about, the countries that are ranked at the bottom of the HDI.  

As I was explaining to my class, the world produces enough food for all of its inhabitants. However, we do not distribute it evenly and therefore we have people going without. I am guilty of throwing leftovers in the bin, so I need to look at my habits as well. As a society we need to ensure that we are talking openly about global issues. Through the ‘Grace of God’, my children and I were born in this country. Through no fault of their own, there are children being born in South Sudan and Somalia and their life expectancy at birth is just over 55 years old. They are likely to go to school for no more than six years.  

The reality for a lot of these children born in these countries is that now they will not even reach this relatively low life expectancy as they face a catastrophic famine, which has been amplified by years of civil war. According to Oxfam, in South Sudan, ‘over 7.1 million people – half the country’s population – are facing extreme and deadly hunger. Extreme hunger can be defined as when you spend entire days with little or nothing to eat.’  

My children are lucky enough to be provided with more than just three meals a day. We must, as active members of the global community, raise awareness of the plight of all of those who are marginalised. Let us not forget those people who have no voice in their own countries. While the world may have forgotten and the media may have gone silent, let’s educate our own children and hope that they will use their light to help those less fortunate than themselves. 

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal