ESD and Teacher Education

Utrecht, 2012

Charles Hopkins UNESCO Chair, York University

Toronto, Canada

Future Societal Challenges

We will try to provide for 40% more people:

• using less water

• using less land

• using fewer ocean food resources

while

• raising global energy supply (14TW–50 TW) (carbon free) and replacing existing carbon fuels

• addressing new global issues as they emerge

• developing employable skill sets

• developing the will and skills to act with “others”

• Create sustainable communities here and abroad

The Sustainability Vision

Enough

For All

Forever !

African elder at Johannesburg (WSSD) 2002

The Sustainability Vision

Well-being

For All

Forever !

Scandinavian perspective

Education FOR Sustainable

Development (ESD)

ESD is the contribution of the world’s education, public awareness, and training systems to learning our way towards a more sustainable future

The 4 Major Thrusts of ESD

1 Access to quality basic education

2 Reorienting existing education

3 Public awareness and understanding

4 Training programs for all sectors

Agenda 21 -92, UNESCO-96, UNCSD -98, JPOI-2002

Activity/I

mple

menta

tio

n

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

EXISTING Education

Currently

Emergence of a new idea

Time

Premises of the “Strengths” Model:

a starting point for reorienting ESD

• No single discipline/leader/department/employee can do it all

• Every discipline/leader/department/employee can contribute

• Some individuals or sectors can take lead roles in directing/managing the reorientation

• Senior leadership and coordination of “strengths/initiatives” are key elements as we “learn” our way forward

• “Train the trainers” becomes “learn with the learners”

The United Nations Decade of Education

for Sustainable Development

(2005 – 2014)

Seven Possible Responses to the Call

for ESD in Schools

• 1 Ignore: (ESD obligation not an option)

• 2 Form a club: (eco-school or NGO)

• 3 Teach about sustainable development

• 4 Invent another adj. “Sustainability Ed”

• 5 Whole school - ESD in core disciplines:

• 6 ESD as very purpose of our education

systems (educate FOR Sust. Dev)

• 7 Working in the wider community e.g. RCE

4- Creating Sustainability Ed Environmental Education, Population Education, Development

Education, Energy Education, HIV/AIDS Education, Permaculture Education, Citizenship Education, Democracy Education, Consumer Education, Media Education, Outdoor Education, Experiential Education, Workplace Education, Conservation Education, Anti-Racist Education, Religious Education, Equity Education, Gender Education, Holocaust Education, Entrepreneurship Education, Horticulture Education, Water Education, Global Education, Drug Education, Sex Education, International Studies, Family Studies, Human Rights Education, Women's Studies, Native Studies, Values Education, Natural History Education, Vocational Education, Economic Education, Anti-smoking Education, Conflict Resolution Education, Workplace education, Disaster Prevention Education, Computer Studies, Life-Skills Education, Recycling Education, Civics Education, Heritage Education, Community Studies, Multicultural Education, Anti-Violence Education, Systems Thinking Education, Futures Education, Biodiversity Education, Pioneer Studies, Nutrition Education, Resource Management Education, Self-Image Education, Peace Education, Leadership Education, Cooperative Education, Character Education, Sexual orientation Education…………….(100 plus)

Issues with creating Sustainability Education as #101

5 – ENGAGING THE CORE DISCIPLINES

Energy Savings

Geography

Economics

Languages

Family Studies

History

The Arts

Health

Literacy

Science

Technology

IT

Media Arts

Mathematics

Option 6- Whole System Reorientation

The intent of the Earth Summit at Rio

Very difficult to do without a crisis but possible

and now underway in several

countries/states/provinces/boards/schools

However, if it exists - it is possible!

Manitoba Ed Goals

1/ To ensure education in Manitoba

supports students experiencing and

learning about what it means to live in a

sustainable manner.

Whole System Implications

• What is a “quality education”

• Mandate and policy revision

• National/local curriculum

• Professional development at all levels

• Texts and other Curriculum resources

• New assessment criteria (PISA, TIMMS)

• Practices – food, buildings, transport etc.

www.ias.unu.ed

u

7- RCE Conceptual Structure +

Messengers

Non Formal Formal Informal

Ngo’s Tertiary Media

Zoo/etc Secondary Peers

Gov Agencies Elementary Society

Corp Training Preschool Life Exp.

Outcomes • Improved academic outcomes

• More knowledgeable/supportive citizenry

• More sustainably oriented production and consumption

• Perhaps a shift in behaviour as learning is relevant and in scale etc.

Local Information

Sources

Regional/National

Local Government

Private Sector

Researchers (University, NGO) etc.

• What are the implications of ESD and

both ministries of education and teacher

education institutions?

UNESCO: Teacher ED and ESD

• Phase 1 (2000-2005)

– 30 TEI in 30 countries

• Phase 2 (2010 – 2015)

– Networks of TEI in 60

plus countries

– R.mckeown@unesco.org

ESD Innovations by FoE

• Jamaica – Young male violence

• Pakistan – Women’s rights

• Canada – Indigenous knowledge

• Finland – Well being, ECCE

• Latvia, New Zealand etc. ECCE

• South Africa – Social Justice

• China – Climate change

• Sweden – Citizenship

• Japan – Environmental programs

Why do we teach what we teach ?

• To preserve our culture _____%

• To prepare/train for work _____%

• To care for environment _____%

• To live a full, meaningful life _____%

• To contribute to society _____%

• To be creative and resourceful _____%

• To live a religious life _____%

• To live together in peace _____%

• To be self-sufficient _____%

• “Others” teach it _____%

Where is ESD in our vision of education ?

The Purpose of Education Jacques Delors – Learning the Treasure Within: UNESCO

Learning:

to know

to do

to be

to live together

Perhaps we can alter this last purpose slightly to:

Learning:

to live together with “others” and “sustainably”?

ESD COMPETENCIES

Youth Engagement (CEA)

Classroom Practice

Learning Perspectives/models

• Traditional – Learning as “acquisition” -knowledge, solutions, true/false right/wrong

• Traditional-Plus – Learning as “participation” -complexity, reflexive, reflection,

• Post Traditional – Learning as “seeks engagement” -ambiguity yet choosing, responsibility, values and ethics base, foresight, negotiation

W

I

C

K

E

D

N

E

S

S

U N C E R T A I N T Y low high

high

Wicked Issue Dilemma Framework

Take Action

Don’t Act

Unnecessary Necessary Wasted $ Prepared

Unprepared Saved $

•Maximum damage/collapse

•No understanding/expertise

•More expensive to remedy

•No transferable knowledge

•Time-lag to begin

•No equipment/infrastructure

•Resources diverted

•Other issues unaddressed

•Research and understanding

•Economic activity

•Some economic recovery-tax

•Some activity salvageable

•Resources used elsewhere

•Other knowledge gained?

•No “collapses”

Charles Hopkins 2010

•Save resources

•Deeper understanding

•No “collapse” (econ/envi/soc)

•Reduced suffering

•Saleable technology

•Economic infusion

Framework for Analyzing Sustainability Issues

What are the main historical and current causes of the issue?

What is the geographic scale, the spatial distribution, and longevity of the

issue?

Why is the issue persisting? Is anyone currently benefiting?

What are the major risks/consequences to the environment?

What are the major risks and consequences to human systems?

What are the economic implications?

What are the major currently implemented or proposed solutions?

What are the obstacles to these solutions?

What major social values (e.g., economic, ecological, political, aesthetic) are

involved in or infringed upon by these solutions?

Who would be hurt by or bear the costs of these solutions?

What is the political status of the problem and solutions?

How does this issue relate to other environmental/social issues?

www. ESDTOOLKIT.org

`

Education Paradox

Currently our most

educated nations

leave the deepest

ecological footprints

Our education systems

Are for Development

Rather than

Sustainable

Development

Radical Hope!!

We need more

“Sustainability

Handprints”

And

fewer “footprints”

www.handsforchange.org