How school system can contribute to the pursuit of a sustainable future

There is an ongoing debate within academic circles on how education can contribute to a sustainable future. This debate is borne off the Social Development Goals (SDGs). How can school/educators, through teaching and learning, create awareness and spur action among learners in matters of; social justice, democracy, environmental conservation, community service, food security, the economy, et cetera?

According to the Brundtland Commission, United Nations, March 20, 1987, Education Towards Sustainable Development (ESD) meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – a sustainable future. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) aims to preserve environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations. ESD addresses these objectives through the establishment of broad teaching and learning processes that emphasise an interdisciplinary and holistic approach, which promotes critical and creative thinking in education.

It empowers learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to make informed decisions and take responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society. ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education. It enhances the cognitive, social and emotional and behavioural dimensions of learning. It is holistic and transformational and encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment itself. ESD is recognised as a key enabler of all SDGs and achieves its purpose by transforming society. ESD empowers people of all genders, ages, present and future generations while respecting cultural diversity.

A specific goal of ESD is to improve learning that helps students become responsible individuals, thereby fostering sustainability for the sake of world equity and conservation of natural resources at local to global levels. Thus, the ESD ideal supports school improvement processes and involves addressing specific issues such as climate, poverty, biodiversity, and the reflexive application of appropriate methods, approaches, skills, abilities, visions and practices. In recent years, there has been a significant focus on research in ESD on projects and initiatives applied in schools globally. One good example is the East-Asian country of Mongolia.

On account of the mining boom, Mongolia had become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world by 2016, according to the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Apart from the financial blessings that the raw materials may provide, their extraction also negatively impacts the environment. In its sustainable development strategy, the Mongolian government set out to transform itself from an economy based on raw materials into a green and equitable economy. In order to succeed in doing this, the populace was involved. A good education that aims at encouraging young people to address environmental, social, economic and cultural issues was an essential factor for achieving a sustainable future.

The Mongolian government introduced a comprehensive reform process that integrates the topic of education for sustainable development into its (school) education system. Adjustments within the education system convinced teachers and students to learn for the sake of their future and to immerse themselves in a ‘culture of complexity’: critical thinking should bring them to question their existing values and reflect upon their own learning. A project team was established which involved the residents of communities, local organisations, businesses and municipal governments in the work it does.

Educators participated in training and education programmes in order to prepare themselves for their new duties and to improve their professional and didactic qualifications. In cooperation with the government, the project team developed new guidelines and also provided support for implementing them. Informational events and campaigns target the general public, seeking to raise awareness in the country about the importance of a green economy and the opportunities it offers. This project was jointly carried out by GIZ International Services, Uppsala University in Sweden and the Institute for International Cooperation in Education in Zug, Switzerland.

This model turned out to be a success. The project team provided professional support for creating guidelines that integrate the principles and educational ideas of sustainable development. The government has now implemented these guidelines within the school system. A core curriculum for secondary schools based on the principles of education for sustainable development has been developed and is currently being implemented. Countless course textbooks for secondary schools have been revised and updated based on this new curriculum. Over 28,000 educators across the country have attended training courses on the principles of education for sustainable development and the new curriculum.

An action plan for the green development strategy, the Green Development Policy of Mongolia, was developed in cooperation with the Mongolian Ministry of Environment and Tourism. This action plan was passed by the Mongolian government in January 2016. Training modules and handouts, adapted to the needs that exist in Mongolia, are available on the topics of ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, ‘Sustainable Development’ and ‘Green Development’. National training specialists from various areas use these materials in training and educational programmes for diverse target groups in society. The project team educates training specialists, who go on to teach other people about ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, Sustainable Development’ and ‘Green Development’. The training specialists organise community events and educational programmes, in which they share their expertise with the populace and thus disseminate it throughout the country.

So how can this be achieved here at home? How can curriculum designers and schools/educators advance this course both inside and outside the classroom?

The role of schools in sustainable development is significant. Being places of teaching and learning, they are eminently suited to help students understand the impact they have on earth. Schools can promote good practices and serve as centres in which young people, as well as the local communities, learn to appreciate sustainable living and working. ESD has clear links with a number of subjects where opportunities for its development are presented in national curriculum programmes of study, notably in geography, science, design and technology, citizenship and personal, social and health education (PSHE). While each school might be unique in its approach to ESD, the factors which can most strongly characterise the work of the most successful schools include:

 A whole-school commitment, led by the Senior Leadership Team, to integrate ESD into the work of the school, ensuring that it is able to maintain the momentum and sustainability of initiatives. This occurs most often in the primary phase. Equally important, is a well-developed local support network, for example involving the local education authority in sustainability issues, and/or non-government organisations in providing support across a wide range of projects. The effective use of the community as a learning resource by fostering links with individuals and groups in the neighbourhood. In particular, encouraging pupils and their families to play a part in their local community, developing citizenship through action and using the wider school environment to provide interesting and stimulating contexts for personal development and pupil engagement. 

Schools should give pupils both individual and collective responsibility in looking after and improving their learning environment. Most schools that promote ESD effectively have an active school council or eco-committee. An emphasis on inclusion in promoting positive attitudes and values which are intended to equip pupils to develop as individuals and enable them to contribute to a sustainable common future.  

There ought to be a change in the curriculum design to enhance uptake for education for sustainable development. A well-designed curriculum, which addresses key areas such as environmental issues, democracy, world peace and diplomacy, alternative energies, food security, human rights and responsibilities and sustainability should be established. Clear objectives on the part of the teachers that include physical outcomes (for example, a pond or a recycling scheme) or aim to affect pupils’ attitudes and behaviour (for example, looking at attitudes to asylum seekers or developing as active citizens). There ought to be the active involvement of pupils in initiatives that promote sustainability – for example, to conserve energy, recycle materials and improve the whole school environment, including the school grounds.

Sustainable Education is where theoretical education in classrooms meet the practical bit of it outside the classroom. With the future of the planet in mind, schools and educators can equip learners, at very young ages, with awareness of global challenges, and spur them into action within their localities. Collaboration with students and educators from other regions around the world with a view to sharing perspectives and experiences would make it all the more effective.

The endeavour to achieve the SDGs, to preserve the planet for subsequent generations must be deliberate and intentional. It must be approached with strategy and resolve. And it is a no-brainer that schools and educators are powerful tools to this end.

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