CHAPTER 2 provides a thought provoking article on
sustainability and education in a global playing field.
Reference: Hopkins, Charles and McKeown, Rosalyn. (2000).
Chapter 2, Education for sustainable development: an international perspective
in Tilbury, D., Fien, J., Stevenson, R.B., and Schreuder, D. (2000). Education
and Sustainability: Responding to the Global Challenge
I have extracted a number of key ideas from this reading to
explore further.
What is EfS?A difficulty in moving forward with new standardised courses for EfS courses is that, while we can readily describe current practices that are unsustainable, there are many and varied visions about what a sustainable society would look like.
Otago Polytechnic policy now requires teachers to intertwine aspects of EfS into all courses. While this approach is laudable the idea is not without its problems. There is no ‘one course’ or approach that is to be rolled out to all courses. Practitioners have the freedom to create learning experiences that best fit their individual courses.
Before this can happen effectively however in-service training needs to be provided for teachers to adequately teach them what EfS is, to decide what kind of skills and values might need to be instilled in students and what kind of learner centred activities could employed to involve the students in critical thinking and reflection around issues to do with sustainable practice.
Illustration through modelling of courses delivering EfS at other institutions would also help educators in their quest for ideas for incorporating EfS into their courses.
There is a paper in the Graduate Certificate for Tertiary Learning and Teaching (GCTLT) that would serve as training for teachers, ‘Education for Sustainability’ (EfS) but this course is not compulsory. This leaves room for huge variation in interpretation as to what EfS means and how it will be incorporated in any given course. There are some educators whose simplistic view of EfS might have them deliver one 50 minute class in a course, about recycling, and this is their obligation met. Perhaps this is a matter of ‘lip service.’
EfS needs to have a much broader application than this
however if it is to create sustainable practitioners of our graduands. Perhaps
educators could be required at their annual performance review to state how EfS
was incorporated into their course. Also at school level there should be
collegial sharing of ideas for the incorporation of EfS into courses.
Several themes have emerged at world conferences concerning
themselves with ESD (Education for sustainable development) that serve to
broaden the scope of ESD. Each conference:-*stressed the need for social and human development along with economic development and environmental concern;
*called for the advancement and empowerment of women;
*demanded basic social services for all;
* recognized the critical importance of sustainable livelihoods;
*cited the necessity of broad enabling environments for social and economic development;
*sought to sustain the environment and natural resources on which all people depend;
*underlined the importance of human rights; and
* identified the role of education as critical to achieving sustainability goals.
While there is a great deal of variance in the descriptors for what a sustainable future might look like these themes mentioned above are hugely significant and actually need to be taught so that educators are informed by the same ideas. For sustainable practice to result however education must have at its core, the fundamental values that will protect and sustain the environment, society and the economy both now and in the future.
A first step in moving towards EfS is to improve basic education. Nations with high illiteracy rates and unskilled workforces have fewer development options and currently find themselves, of necessity, exploiting natural resources in unsustainable ways just to survive now; without having the luxury of being able to look to the future and consider the flow on effects of their actions. Provision of basic literacy and numeracy allows the development of sustainable targets, improves agricultural productivity, the status of women, the education and health of children, environmental protection, reduces the population, and in general raises the standard of living. Improving basic literacy and numeracy alone however will not in itself support a sustainable society. To the contrary, “the most educated nations have the highest per capita rates of consumption and currently leave the deepest ecological footprints.”
What is needed is a reorientation of education to a new
model. One that has at its core the learning of knowledge, skills, values and
perspectives that will guide and motivate people to lead sustainable lives, to
participate in a democratic society and to live in a sustainable manner.
According to Hopkins and McKeown, students need to develop a
range of Knowledge and skills for ESD
*the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
*the ability to think about systems (both natural and social systems);
*the ability to think in time – to forecast, to think ahead, and to plan;
*the ability to think critically about value issues;
*the ability to comprehend quantity, quality, and value;
*the capacity to move from awareness to knowledge to action;
*the ability to work cooperatively with other people;
*the capacity to use various processes – knowing, inquiring, acting,
judging, imagining, connecting, valuing, questioning and choosing; and
*the capacity to develop an aesthetic response to the environment.
In addition, pupils will need to learn specific skills that will help them manage and interact with their local environment, economy and society. Regarding the environment, such skills may include:
*learning to prepare materials for recycling;
*learning to harvest wild plants without jeopardizing future natural
regeneration and production;
*learning to grow low-water-need crops; and
*learning to protect local water sources from contamination.
A number of assumptions underpin the values necessary for a
sustainable future.
*a healthy environment is essential for sustainable
development;*sustainability is a global goal for the betterment of both humanity and the
planet;
*sustainability should be achieved through democratic processes;
*sustainability depends on peace, justice, and equity;
*the individual has basic human rights;
*no nation or people should prosper through the explicit impoverishment
of another nation;
*diversity, both biological and cultural, is intrinsically valuable;
*development is to be human-centred (i.e., for the betterment of humanity as a whole as opposed to empowerment of a few); and
*intergenerational respect and responsibility will safeguard the rights of
future generations.
Otago Polytechnic began moving toward ESD by looking at the knowledge and skills that would be necessary for its implementation, and then examined the perspectives and values that underpinned it. The next key consideration was to help society address the major issues that threatened the sustainability of the planet and mankind.
Our mission is to develop capable practitioners for Otago and New Zealand. Capable practitioners are people who have specialised knowledge and (technical) skill and also a range of personal qualities that enable them to be effective in the work place, i.e. to perform in their chosen vocational area.
Also, we develop our learners so that they may be “creatively capable”, i.e. so that they are open to new ways of thinking and doing, and can bring innovative solutions to the problems which they may face in work and life generally.
There are a number of key personal qualities which underpin capability. Our graduates will have the following attributes, consistent with their field of study and level of qualification obtained. They will be:-
1. Skilful communicators of ideas and information, both verbally and in writing and through the appropriate use of information and communication technologies
2. Creatively capable - Thinking creatively – able to explore innovative ideas and new ways and apply to decisions and judgements
3. Problem solving – able to identify and analyse problems and develop solutions
4. Literate,information and digitally literate and numerate o Literate – able to listen and read with understanding and to write with clarity and purpose
5. Numerate– able to use mathematical and numerical knowledge to meet the demand of study and work
6. Information literate – able to research, access, analyse and use information from a variety of sources (including contemporary information sources, repositories and modes)
7. Digitally literate– able to use, communicate with and learn through information technology.
8. Personally effective - Self-aware – have self-knowledge, be self-critical and able to take into account their feelings and intuition
9. Adaptable–prepared to learn and adapt; and to participate effectively in and respond to change. Open to new ways of thinking and acting; future focused
10. Reflective – able to assess the effectiveness of their actions and learn from experiences. Critical of and creative in their thinking and action
Students possessing these qualities mentioned above will, in
combination, will give rise to graduates ready to take their part in creating a
sustainable future. Number 7 creates something of a problem however. It calls
for digital literacy and the ability to use, communicate with and learn through
information technology. This is a fundamental skill needed for both staff and
students. Otago Polytechnic in a recent cost saving measure closed many
Community Learning Centres (CLC’s) and removed a number of computer suites.
This was no doubt done with the belief that students would have learned digital
literacy through the state school system and so did not need this facility any
more. And it was expected that the trend these days was for students to carry
their own lap tops with them.
This is not the usually the case for refugees, immigrants
and international students for whom English is a second language. Many do not have
the means to buy their own lap top and may not have had any training in
computer use. For these students the CLC’s were extremely important for
computer training. In this way they were able catch up with main stream
students and have computer access that they might otherwise not have had. There
are also staff that are similarly disadvantaged now, through not having access
to training in computer use. A short sighted move I would have thought for both
teachers and students in an era of blended delivery where both groups need high
levels of digital literacy. And this move certainly does not support the stated
goal of digital literacy for all students and for teachers (possessing cutting
edge literacy in computing and other educational technology). To remedy this apparent mismatch of ideas I would like to
see goals for EfS matched to capital expenditure so that the goal is supported
by appropriate expenditure.
These are just two areas where there is a mismatch between
goal, and behaviour that will realise that goal. For most part Otago Polytechnic
has made significant inroads in educating students in such a way as to create
graduands that may be considered sustainable practitioners of the future.
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