Handout 2

ESD

Skills that are essential in the development of ESD: (Adapted from Tilbury D. And Wortman,
D. 2004)

• Envisioning- being able to imagine a better future.

• Critical Thinking and Reflection- learning to question our current belief systems and to
recognize the assumptions underlying our knowledge, perspective and opinions.

• Systematic thinking- acknowledging complexities and looking for links and synergies
when trying to find solutions to problems.

• Building Partnerships- promoting dialogue and negotiation, learning to work together.

• Participation in decision making- empowering people.

How can Education for Sustainable Development improve the quality of education?

• ESD teaches individuals how to make decisions that consider the long- term future of
the economy, ecology, and equity of all communities.

• ESD mirrors concerns for education of high quality, encouraging a holistic

interdisciplinary approach. It should be locally relevant, stimulate critical thinking and encourage
the use of problem solving techniques. In order to create ESD programs all sectors of education
community need to work together in a cooperative manner.

• Quality education understands the past, is relevant to the present, and has a view to the
future. It relates to knowledge building and the skillful application of all forms by unique
individuals that function independently and in relation to others.

• A quality education reflects the dynamic nature of culture and languages, the value of
the individual in relation to the larger context, and the importance of living in a way that
promotes equality in the present and fosters a sustainable future.
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014 (DESD)

To promote ESD, the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development,
2005-2014, (DESD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated as the lead agency for
promotion throughout the decade. The decade pursues a global vision ‘of a world where
everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour
and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation’
(www.unesco.org/education/desd).

Goal of the decade

The goal of the decade, as outlined by UNESCO, is to integrate the principles, values and
practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. This aims to
encourage changes in behaviour that will create a more sustainable future. One of the most
important aspects of the DESD is the recognition that ESD must engage a wide range of
stakeholders from government, private sector, civil society, non-governmental organisations and
the general public.

In its International Implementation Scheme (IIS) for DESD, UNESCO states that ESD is
fundamentally about values, particularly respect for others, including those of present and future
generations, for difference and diversity, for the environment and for the planet’s resources
(UNESCO, 2006). Education enables us to understand ourselves and others and our links with
the wider natural and social environment; this understanding serves as a durable basis for
building respect. Along with a sense of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, ESD
aims to move us toward adopting behaviours and practices which will enable us all to live a full
life without being deprived of basic human needs.

UNESCO’S FIVE PILLARS OF EDUCATION

UNESCO’S Education for Sustainable Development Initiative (2012) presented a

conceptual framework for ongoing, lifelong learning.

This model organizes learning into the following five pillars:

  Learning to Know

The development of skills and knowledge needed to function in this world e.g. formal
acquisition of literacy, numeracy, critical thinking and general knowledge.

 Learning to DO

The acquisition of applied skills linked to professional success.

 Learning to Live Together

The development of social skills and values such as respect and concern for others, and
the appreciation of cultural diversity.

 Learning to BE

The learning that contributes to a person’s mind, body, and spirit. Skills include creativity
and personal discovery, acquired through reading, the Internet, and activities such as sports and
arts.

 Learning to Transform Oneself and Society

When individuals and groups gain knowledge, develop skills, and acquire new values as
a result of learning, they are equipped with tools and mindsets for creating lasting change in
organizations, communities, and societies These five pillars are linked together by a social
constructivist approach to individual learning and a social constructionist approach to the
development of learning communities that significantly influences how students learn and how
faculty and staff support their learning . According to a social constructivist approach, learning
is an active social process – an individual’s acquisition of new knowledge and skills is heavily
influenced and supported by the social environment in which the learning occurs. Students make
meaning from their experiences by being actively engaged with others and the environment in
which they are situated rather than passively receiving information from their professors or texts.

A NEW VISION FOR EDUCATION

 These many initiatives illustrate that the international community now strongly believes
that we need to foster — through education — the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a
sustainable future. Education for sustainable development has come to be seen as a process of
learning how to make decisions that consider the long term future of the economy, ecology and
social well-being of all communities. Building the capacity for such futures-oriented thinking is a
key task of education.

This represents a new vision of education, a vision that helps students better understand
the world in which they live, addressing the complexity and interconnectedness of problems such
as poverty, wasteful consumption, environmental degradation, urban decay, population growth,
gender inequality, health, conflict and the violation of human rights that threaten our future. This
vision of education emphasizes a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to developing the
knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future as well as changes in values, behaviour, and
lifestyles. This requires us to reorient education systems, policies and practices in order to
empower everyone, young and old, to make decisions and act in culturally appropriate and
locally relevant ways to redress the problems that threaten our common future. In this way,
people of all ages can become empowered to develop and evaluate alternative visions of a
sustainable future and to fulfil these visions through working creatively with others.