Education for Sustainable Development

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Education for Sustainable Development Pre Session Preparation Ruth Godfrey Before attending the session you should watch the online lecture. You should also read the following taken from UNESCO.

org/education Education is the most effective means that society possesses for confronting the challenges of the future. Indeed, education will shape the world of tomorrow.

1 Education for Sustainable Development Pre Session Preparation Ruth Godfrey Before attending the session you should watch the online lecture. You should also read the following taken from UNESCO.org/education. Although the site relates to a course UNESCO runs it gives useful insights to education in a worldwide context. UNESCO Programme Taken from: Education is the most effective means that society possesses for confronting the challenges of the future. Indeed, education will shape the world of tomorrow. Progress increasingly depends upon the products of educated minds: upon research, invention, innovation and adaptation. Of course, educated minds and instincts are needed not only in laboratories and research institutes, but in every walk of life. Indeed, access to education is the sine qua non for effective participation in the life of the modern world at all levels. Education, to be certain, is not the whole answer to every problem. But education, in its broadest sense, must be a vital part of all efforts to imagine and create new relations among people and to foster greater respect for the needs of the environment. Source: UNESCO (1997) Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action, paragraph 38 UNESCO, and the international community in general, believes that we need to foster - through education - the values, behaviour, and lifestyles required for a sustainable future. There are over 60 million teachers in the world. Each one is a key agent for bringing about the changes in values and lifestyles we need. For this reason, innovative teacher education is an important part of educating for a sustainable future. How is ESD related to International Educational Priorities? Sustainable development requires a comprehensive, integrated approach. As a result, Education for Sustainable Development has connections with other programmes and concerns in education. It is not a new programme but a call for a process to re-orient educational policies, programmes and practices so that education plays its part in building the capacities of all members of society to work together to build a sustainable future. Thus, United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development encourages advocacy, communication and networking directed at facilitating all educators to include sustainable development concerns and goals in their own programmes.

2 There are currently two major world initiatives in education: Education for All The United Nations Literacy Decade The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development will work in close cooperation with these two initiatives. Other educational priorities such as education for rural people, education for poverty reduction, health and HIV/AIDs prevention, education for peace, human rights and gender equality, as well as for environmental protection and conservation and sustainable consumption and production are also integral to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. ESD and Education for All (EFA) A global commitment to achieve the six goals of the Dakar Framework of Action was made at the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal. The six goals are: To expand and improve comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children; Ensure that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality; Ensure that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes; Achieve a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults; Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls' full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality; Improve all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy,numeracy and essential life skills. The concept of EFA is founded on human rights as essential to meeting basic learning needs. Basic learning needs comprise both the essential learning tools (such as literacy, oral expression, numeracy and problem-solving) and the basic learning content (such as the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes) required by human beings to survive, to develop their full capacities, to live and work in dignity, to participate fully in development, to improve the quality of their lives, to make informed decisions, and to continue learning. The ultimate purpose of EFA is human development personal and collective. ESD addresses important issues that can impede the future development of human beings, including the issues of growing poverty, insecurity, renewable energy, preservation of the

3 environment, HIV/AIDS etc which are not yet fully or consistently addressed in EFA activities. Thus, ESD encompasses EFA, which must be understood as the foundation and catalyst for the achievement of sustainable development. The approach to EFA is human rights based, recognizing the intrinsic human value of education, underpinned by strong moral and legal foundations. ESD reinforces EFA as another tool for enhancing people's capabilities and for changing their behaviours and attitudes to deal with the serious threats the world is facing in securing its future. ESD and the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) The United Nations Literacy Decade runs from 2003 to The Literacy Decade places literacy for all at the heart of Education for All. Literacy for All encompasses the basic educational needs of all human beings in all settings and contexts. The priority clients of literacy activities are often the same as for sustainable development, especially in poverty contexts. These are rural women, minority groups, nomadic and mountainous populations etc. Literacy, by nature, is participatory and learnercentred. Thus, activities can be oriented to achieve both literacy and sustainable development concurrently. For example, functional literacy can address skills and competencies required for sustainable development. The connection between the two decades is unquestionable. The first biennium of the UNLD will focus on gender a shared topic of concern with Education for Sustainable Development. Another biennium of the UNLD will be dedicated to the theme 'sustainable development' in which there will be even closer collaboration between the two movements. How can ESD improve the quality of Education? Education for a sustainable future involves a comprehensive approach to educational reform. It extends beyond the boundaries of individual school subjects and requires the attention of teachers, educational administrators, planners and curriculum agencies. Integrating the objectives, concepts and learning experiences of education for a sustainable future into syllabuses and teaching programmes is an important part of such reform, indeed: A basic premise of education for sustainability is that just as there is a wholeness and interdependence to life in all its forms, so must there be a unity and wholeness to efforts to understand it and ensure its continuation. This calls for both interdisciplinary inquiry and action. It does not, of course, imply an end to work within traditional disciplines. A disciplinary focus is often helpful, even necessary, in allowing the depth of inquiry needed for major breakthroughs and discoveries. Source: UNESCO (1997) Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action, paragraph 89. Teaching and Learning Strategies

4 Stor y telli ng Everyone loves a good story - especially the young people we teach. In fact, being able to tell a story in an interesting and compelling way is an important teaching skill. This is because a good story is not only entertaining but is capable of holding student attention while they learn important concepts, attitudes and skills. In her book, Earthtales: Storytelling in Times of Change, Alida Gersie (1992) notes that storytelling relates to current concerns about our future because most stories focus on the Earth, how it was created, and the problems that can arise when we forget the importance of living in harmony with it and each other. Storytelling is currently experiencing a considerable revival of interest. This has led many educators to think about ways in which storytelling can be used to explore important shared themes and visions. The current concern about environmental issues is connected with this revival, since folktales about the relationship between the Earth and its human inhabitants have been at the heart of storytelling since earliest times. Not only do such stories offer a source of inspiration, they also contain a potential for understanding the many ways in which we value and devalue our beautiful green and blue planet. Stories provide us with practical insight into approaches to our most persistent environmental difficulties Source: Adapted from Gersie, A. (1992) Earthtales: Storytelling in Times of Change, Green Print, London, p. 1. Experiential learning At the heart of all learning is the way we process our experiences, especially our critical reflections on our experiences. This module introduces experiential education as a key approach to student- centred learning for a sustainable future. Experiential learning engages students in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making in contexts that are personally relevant to them. This approach to learning also involves making opportunities for debriefing and consolidation of ideas and skills through feedback, reflection, and the application of the ideas and skills to new situations. Enquiry based learning The development of thinking and problem solving skills is an important objective of education for a sustainable future, especially given the urgency of problems facing the world today. These skills can be taught and enhanced through enquiry learning. Enquiry learning is a learner-centred approach that emphasises higher order thinking skills. It may take several forms, including analysis, problem solving, discovery and creative

5 activities, both in the classroom and the community. Most importantly, in enquiry learning students are responsible for processing the data they are working with in order to reach their own conclusions. Learning outside the classroom This module provides examples of ways that learning outside the classroom can be used to facilitate education for a sustainable future. This includes short visits into the school grounds and local community, as well as visits to farms, factories, offices, neighbourhood science centres and natural settings such as a forest, a beach or a national park. Providing students with high quality learning activities in relevant situations beyond the walls of the classroom is vital for helping students appreciate their first hand experiences from a variety of different perspectives. Experiences outside the classroom also enhances learning by providing students with opportunities to practice skills of enquiry, values analysis and clarification and problem solving in everyday situations. Community problem solving Community Problem Solving provides an opportunity to practice the skills that are needed to participate in finding solutions to the local issues that concern them. This helps to develop the important citizenship objectives of learning for a sustainable future and integrates skills - for both students and teachers - of using experiential and enquiry-based strategies. It also integrates skills in the planning of values clarification and values analysis with the possible solutions so students can take action to help achieve a sustainable future. Future Problem Solving Future Problem Solving is a strategy for analysing a problem. Working through a six step process can help decide - from a futures perspective - what should be done about a problem. The six steps are: identifying possible causes and effects of a problem; identifying the underlying problem; brainstorming potential solutions; developing criteria for evaluating solutions; evaluating all solutions to determine the best one; and developing an action plan. As well as developing problem solving skills, this teaching strategy also helps students to develop an interest in the future and improve their research, group work and communication skills. Values education

6 The values and attitudes we live by affect how we relate to other people and to all our activities in the environment, and so are a major influence on our prospects for achieving a sustainable future. Although they cannot be separated from cognitive understanding, values and attitudes relate to the affective (or emotional) dimension of human behaviour. While values and attitudes are similar in this regard, they differ in several important ways: Values are generally long-term standards or principles that are used to judge the worth of an idea or action. They provide the criteria by which we decide whether something is good or bad, right or wrong. Attitudes predispose us to respond in particular ways to people and events. They are not so deeply felt as values and quite often change as a result of experience. Sustainable futures across the curriculum Education for a sustainable future involves a comprehensive approach to educational reform. It extends beyond the boundaries of individual school subjects and requires the attention of teachers, educational administrators, planners and curriculum agencies. Integrating the objectives, concepts and learning experiences of education for a sustainable future into syllabuses and teaching programmes is an important part of such reform, indeed: A basic premise of education for sustainability is that just as there is a wholeness and interdependence to life in all its forms, so must there be a unity and wholeness to efforts to understand it and ensure its continuation. This calls for both interdisciplinary inquiry and action. It does not, of course, imply an end to work within traditional disciplines. A disciplinary focus is often helpful, even necessary, in allowing the depth of inquiry needed for major breakthroughs and discoveries. Source: UNESCO (1997) Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted Action, Citizenship Education Many civic skills are involved in working for a sustainable future. These include: A willingness to investigate issues in the local, school and wider community. A readiness to recognise social, economic, ecological and political dimensions of issues needed to resolve them. The ability to analyse issues and to participate in action aimed at achieving a sustainable future. Developing these skills is the realm of citizenship education. Indeed, active democratic citizenship is one of the defining features of a sustainable society. Indeed, the importance of citizenship education has been emphasised in several international agreements: We, the Ministers of Education (of the world) strive resolutely to pay special attention to improving curricula, the content of textbooks, and other

7 education materials including new technologies with a view to educating caring and responsible citizens committed to peace, human rights, democracy and sustainable development, open to other cultures, able to appreciate the value of freedom, respectful of human dignity and differences, and able to prevent conflicts or resolve them by non-violent means. [I]t is necessary to introduce, at all levels, true education for citizenship which includes an international dimension. Source: UNESCO Declaration and Integrated Framework of Action on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Democracy, Member States should promote, at every stage of education, an active civic training which will enable every person to gain knowledge of the method of operation and the work of public institutions, whether local, national or international; and to participate in the cultural life of the community and in public affairs. Wherever possible, this participation should increasingly link education and action to solve problems at the local, national and international levels. Student participation in the organisation of studies and of the educational establishment they are attending should itself be considered a factor in civic education and an important element in international education. Source: UNESCO Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Health Education The issues of development, environment and health are closely entwined. This reflects the complex links between the social, economic, ecological and political factors that determine standards of living and other aspects of social well-being that influence human health. A healthy population and safe environments are important pre-conditions for a sustainable future. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the education of many children and young people around the world is compromised by conditions and behaviours that undermine the physical and emotional we l l -being t h a t m a k e s l e a r n i n g p o s s i b l e. Hunger, m a l n u t r i t i o n, m a l a r i a, p o l i o and intestinal infections, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and injury, unplanned pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections are just some of the health problems we face. As a result, education policymakers and teachers must embrace health promotion activities to achieve their goals. Schools must be not only centres for academic learning, but also supportive venues for the provision of essential health education and services (Adapted from Improving Learning Outcomes by Improving Health and Nutrition: Incorporating the FRESH Approach in National Action Plans for Achieving Education for All, UNESCO, 2001). Consumer Education

8 As with issues of citizenship and health, consumer education is a key cross-curricular theme for student learning. Traditionally, consumer education was seen as the study of prudent shopping habits, family budgeting, and ways of avoiding advertising and credit traps. However, consumerism touches on all aspects of daily life in the modern world and might be seen as a core value in the North and, increasingly, throughout the South as well. Indeed, mass consumption is now entrenched as one of the key defining processes of economic and social life around the world in contrast with the values of sustainability that are characteristic of indigenous communities. Chapter 4 of Agenda 21 identified unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, especially in industrialised countries, as 'the major cause of the continued deterioration of the global environment'. Agenda 21 goes on to say that this is 'a matter of grave concern' because 'the basic consumer needs of a large section of humanity are not being met' and 'the excessive demands and unsustainable lifestyles among the richer segments... place immense stress on the environment.' Accordingly, Agenda 21 encourages governments in the North to take a leading role in promoting sustainable patterns of consumption through policies that: encourage efficiency in production patterns; reduce wasteful consumption in the process of economic growth; and encourage a shift to more sustainable patterns of production and consumption, taking into account the development needs of developing countries. In this way, Agenda 21 heralded a new approach to consumer education, aligning it with health, citizenship and environmental education as part of the reorientation of education towards sustainability.

Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments. World Education Forum Dakar, Senegal, April 2000

Dakar Framework for Action. Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments. World Education Forum Dakar, Senegal, April 2000 Dakar Framework for Action Education for All: Meeting our Collective Commitments Text adopted by the World Education Forum Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000 Dakar Framework for Action Education for All: