The Concept of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). What is ESD?

Welcome Colleagues to our discussion on Quality Education for a Sustainable Future, in other words, Education for Sustainable Development. In our 3 days of online discussion we will explore:

1. What is Education for Sustainable Development [ESD]?  – the concept of ESD -a quality education for a sustainable future

2. Why ESD?

3. How do we educate for sustainable development?

Our education has generally focused on developing worthwhile citizens who will contribute to a better society and a better future for all. Ian Boyne, however, in an article, entitled, ‘What’s an Education for?’ (The Sunday Gleaner, October 7, 2012) tells us that ‘no longer is there the dominant view that education is primarily about the development of the person and the creation of a virtuous society. It is about the development of the market… Education today is largely an instrument of production.’  His views reflect the global one that has acknowledged that as a global society we have educated citizens whose concept of development has led to a world social, economic and environmental crisis.The United Nations General Assembly declaration of 2005-2014 as the United Nations Decade for Education for Sustainable Development has been one of the essential ways nations have tried to address a seriously flawed concept of and practice of development and instead create a world in which people live sustainably.A good definition of what this means is found in the UNESCO Lens which is available online: ‘To live ‘sustainably’ means finding ways of developing which will improve everyone’s quality of life without damaging the environment and without storing up problems for future generation.’ It means attending to issues of social justice, equity and environment protection, in other words, learning to respect each other and the earth. Specifically, it means attending to knowledge of sustainable development, values supporting sustainable development, thinking and decision-making skills that strengthen sustainable development and integrating knowledge, skills and values to promote informed citizenship (UNESCO lens).What does ESD look like in practice and in concrete terms?  I invite you to share your responses to this – you may work in the field of education for sustainable development or you may have a vision of what a transformative education should be. Please share that with us as well as your questions and comments.