SORTED Guide to Sustainability in Further Education – Part 3 - Teaching, learning and curriculum

What's in this section? 

• Introduction to the topic area

• Organisational value of embedding sustainability in this area

• Getting Started

• Challenging Thinking and Approach
  • Useful links

• Student engagement
  • Useful links

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has an important role to play in helping people to understand and accept the need for significant changes to the way the country operates socially and economically, and the changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for everyone. It can also make an important contribution in helping people to understand and agree to make the kinds of behavioural changes necessary to make sustainability work. Informed choices can only be made by people who understand the problems and dilemmas and who know the cost of whichever course of action is decided upon.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the lead agency for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) states:

“Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future. 

Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way. 

Education for Sustainable Development requires far-reaching changes in the way education is often practised today.”

Visit the UNESCO website