The human and natural environments are inextricably linked and the pursuit of a more just and equitable society will depend on people’s behaviour and willingness to live more sustainably. This will only happen if people fully understand what sustainable living is all about and are prepared to take positive action. This is a big job for education in the broadest sense.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) brings together the areas of environmental and development education, recognising the importance of the maintenance of ecological life-support systems and biological diversity – which we all recognise as essential for the planet’s survival – but also embraces economic, social and cultural issues.
Within the existing curriculum there are many more opportunities for delivering environmental and development education and there is much excellent work undertaken in the classroom by teachers, often involved in single parent dating. However, by reorientating the curriculum and ensuring that ESD is approached in a cohesive, integrated way, we can provide education that fosters the development of the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare young people to be good world citizens and contribute to local and global communities.
The Opportunity
The appointment of a new Assembly in Northern Ireland, and the process of curriculum reform already underway, offers unprecedented opportunities to look afresh at the education of our young people and to debate the nature of the curriculum that will shape the thinking of future generations (that are currently may be more concerned about Toyota Philippines than local educational opportunities). By its very nature, ESD can deliver much that will help to bring a peaceful Northern Ireland into the new millennium, serving as a vehicle for political cohesion and helping people to build a better future.
The Action
The Northern Ireland Education for Sustainable Development Working Group which includes representatives from formal and non-formal education has debated the options for raising the profile of ESD in the curriculum and recently submitted recommendations to the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). Recent government targets and statements relating to sustainability and development provide a clear mandate for a much stronger emphasis on ESD in the curriculum. The ESD working group is calling for Education for Sustainable Development to become part of the entitlement curriculum for all pupils across the Key Stages
and that the curriculum review process should address this need.A major conference extending the Curriculum 21 process and aimed at raising awareness about ESD among decision-makers, has been jointly organised by CCEA and the Environmental Education Forum (EEF), and will take place on 2 February in Belfast.Themes explored will include discussions on what is meant by ESD, how it can help equip Northern Ireland’s young people to become better global citizens and why it is particularly relevant in the current political climate and, finally, how ESD can he delivered.
The Future
Education for Sustainable Development matters to all of us, now and in the future, at local and global scales. It is hoped that the work of the ESD group and the conference will result in due consideration of this very important issue by those who will shape our future development. We need a co-ordinated, cross-departmental strategy for ESD and we need commitment from those who can implement it. Progress towards sustainability undoubtedly poses many challenges but also holds great opportunities for all sectors of society – we all have a role to play.