Fw: [se-ed] Query: EducationforSustainableDevelopment:WorkingModels-Experiences;Examples.
madhav...@ceeindia.org
Moderator’s Note: Dear Members, this is an interesting response to the query on, ‘Education for Sustainable Development: Working Models - Experiences; Examples’, received after the due date which was 16 May. We would like to share this with our members.
Dear friends,
This is perhaps not an expected response towards the query on education for sustainable development but I do have a few thoughts on the issue that I would like to share with the group.
There have always been aims of education, sometimes clearly articulated and sometimes disguised behind other more desirable aims. We all know that the intention of the British was to create a class of people who could work for them and be more pliable and not really teach us poor colonized people.
Various educational policies have from time to time come up with a new aims of education. Many of our educational policies speak of education that leads to the development of ‘good citizens’. There are however variations on what exactly is meant by a good citizen. This tends to vary … good has been interpreted as ‘patriotic’ or ‘being a national resource’ or even ‘economically productive members of society’ depending upon the government in power and their existing policy.
To my mind, education for sustainable development falls roughly in the same category. There will be many who will ask what is wrong with being patriotic, or a national resource or economically productive or as is the current debate sustainable development? After all, it is very good to be patriotic towards ones country and be a national resource for ones country which implies becoming economically productive in a sustainable manner.
So why am I questioning this and not sharing experiences?
To my mind, having such aims of education strips the human being of any intrinsic worth. The human being becomes a cog in the larger design of things which implies that if not found good enough to be contributing towards sustainable development then s/he is of no value to society. This notion is disturbing.
Why can we not have education that equips the younger generation to deal with the challenges that lie ahead? Sustainable development is just one of the challenges that s/he will have to face. Here I am assuming that sustainable development is an indication of desirable society. The notion of human beings is possible only in society. Are we not in a stage where we can critically analyze ourselves and the society that we live in to at least partially define and shape ourselves and our society? If we restrict education only for sustainable development, then we see human beings as an instrument for sustainable development (of what?). This view leads to the slightly absurd position where education of (human beings) is for sustainable development (of human beings? Society ?)
Sustainable development then does not remain a target for better realization of the development of human beings but as something sacred for which human beings have to be prepared for (through education). Society then is split into ‘deciders’ of what comprises sustainable development and those who can be used for achieving sustainable development. This position weakens the idea of equality in society.
But coming back to education towards sustainable development – here there is an element of a response to the global situation of rising prices, climate change etc. This also seems a response to helping people make choices that will lead to sustainable development in the future. Can we visualize anything that is worth teaching, in any way that does not help children make choices which are of benefit to them and society in the long run?
Should the aim of education not be develop human beings in their own right? Should it not be to prepare citizens to participate actively in democracy? Should it not prepare them to take on the challenges of living and participating meaningfully in a multicultural pluralistic society?
This is just food for thought on what I think is the larger debate … what are the aims of education.
Best,
Jyotsna Lall
Gramin Shiksha Kendra
Sawai Madhopur
Dear Members,
We propose pilot programmes on ‘Education for Sustainable Development’, and are trying to understand its current practice.
The term “sustainability” here, covers a range of concepts within the notion of human interaction with both natural and socially constructed environments. A key principle is that of education as a transformative force through which sustainable environmental practices, valuing of human rights and responsibilities, and community cohesion can be realised. The slogan of “Think Global, Act Local” is one of the corner-stones of this ideal.
We would like to learn from real examples on social transformation through Education towards Sustainable Development (ESD), to better understand how ESD principles are being practically applied in educational design and implementation. There are several aspects that are especially useful. One, is inequality in education – access to basic resources for children living in poverty, caste/ethnicity, and its relationship with educational expectation, and gender equity. Two, is the idea of sustainable development as an educational theme – examination of programme design and implementation that aims to teach environmental sustainability, co-operative decision making, community contribution, or a culture of peace.
We are working on the idea that “Well-designed and implemented teaching programs in ESD show potentially positive outcomes for communities”.
As a first step, we would like to know about the teaching and learning aims of Education for Sustainable Development. We would also like to know how these are being applied in practice, and therefore request members to share:
· Information on activities and resources that teachers are designing for ESD and outline how these have facilitated student learning
· Experiences of teachers and students who have used this approach, and include any available documentation
· Examples of benefits the wider community derives, as a result of ESD, especially evidence of a positive impact on social and environmental issues.
Members’ inputs on the above would help us considerably in designing programmes on ESD at UNESCO.
Thanking you.
Huma Masood
UNESCO, New Delhi
New Delhi
R. Santhanam
Thanks! I suddenly got a whole lot of e mails, although not subscribed with this e mail ID.
To give you an example I am giving the url to an interesting web site from USA The Story of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ It is better that we shed the baggages of certain cliche concepts: "inclusiveness of development" "trickle down effect" In practice it never trickles down or very little if at all and the poor are never really included in the development process. Development is more about how the business and industry can "prosper" at an undisclosed cost to the environment, tax payer's money,food security of poor farmers and also the urban poor who are really speaking "Les Misrables" who went after the mirage of prosperity in the urban chaos we fashionably call as "modernity".
We therefore have to be "subversive" instead of being preachy.
Sincerely,
 R. Santhanam --- On Tue, 27/5/08, madhav...@ceeindia.org <madhav...@ceeindia.org> wrote: |
From: madhav...@ceeindia.org <madhav...@ceeindia.org> |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|