Education for Sustainable Development

ANDY GRIGGS CO-ORDINATOR

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION FORUM (EEF)

Introducing the EEF• The Environmental Education Forum (EEF) is a networking organisation that

promotes a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of EE / ESD in Northern Ireland.

• Membership consists of organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

• Approx 95 Members at present – organisations and individuals

• Core funded by the NIEA (DOE)

• Activities include:

LEEF Newsletter – Schools / Youth Service etcNetworking with the SectorConferencesMember Meetings / TrainingUniversity ESD DaysWebsite / E-Bulletin UpdatesSupport of Members – Events / Working Groups etc

How Sustainable Are You?

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Sustainable Development

The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio recognised that the protection of natural environments

and human development are part and parcel of each other.

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Education for Sustainable Development: a definition

"enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions

about the way we do things, individually and collectively, locally and globally, that will

improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet of the future".

UK Panel for Education for Sustainable Development, 1998.

Why do global issues and Why do global issues and sustainable development matter?sustainable development matter?

• More than a billion people, one in five of the More than a billion people, one in five of the world's population, live in extreme povertyworld's population, live in extreme poverty

www.worldmapper.org

Less than 20% of the world’s Less than 20% of the world’s population use over 80% of the world’s population use over 80% of the world’s

resources.resources.

www.worldmapper.org

Worldmapper: territory size shows Worldmapper: territory size shows

proportion of carbon emissionsproportion of carbon emissions

Globally minded Sustainable Globally minded Sustainable Development CONCEPTSDevelopment CONCEPTS

• Values and PerceptionsValues and Perceptions• DiversityDiversity• Social JusticeSocial Justice• Conflict ResolutionConflict Resolution• Human Rights Human Rights • Global CitizenshipGlobal Citizenship• InterdependenceInterdependence

Enables students to learn how all Enables students to learn how all societies, economies, peoples and societies, economies, peoples and environments are interrelated and environments are interrelated and

interdependent.interdependent.

Every _ seconds a child dies of a treatable disease.

4 5 6 7 8 9 104 5 6 7 8 9 10

20% of the world’s population earn

$ _ or less per day.

A cow in the EU receives $_ subsidy per day.

11 22 33

_ % of people in the world do not _ % of people in the world do not have electricity at homehave electricity at home

32 45 5032 45 50

58% of the world’s people live in 58% of the world’s people live in Asia but have only _ % of the Asia but have only _ % of the world’s wealthworld’s wealth

Only _ % of people in the world Only _ % of people in the world have access to computers.have access to computers.

2626 2424 1010

Sustainable Development – relevance to you!

To take good care of their environment and each other

our young people need to be good

‘global citizens’ and fully realise their

impacts and responsibilities.

We must realise that we live

on a finite and delicate planet.

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Northern Ireland Curriculum

Aims to empower young people to develop their potential and to make

informed and responsible choices and decisions throughout their lives.

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Individuals:

Personal & Mutual Understanding …Self-confidence; motivation; creativity; exploration

Personal Health …Active & healthy lifestyles

Moral Character …Values; choices; responsibility; tolerance

Spiritual Understanding …Sense of awe & wonder about the world around them!

Contributors to Society:

Citizenship …Issues & problems; creating a better world

Cultural Understanding …Interdependence

Media Awareness …Impact of the media in influencing personal views, choices & decisions

Ethical Awareness …Imbalances both locally & globally

Contributors to the Economy & Environment:

Employability …Team-work; perseverance; risk takers

Economic Awareness …Informed, sustainable choices

Environmental Responsibility …Their role in maintaining & improving the environment

• New NI Curriculum – roll out 2007-2009

P1, P5, Year 8 & 11: 2007P2, P6, Year 9 & 12: 2008P3, P4, P7 & Year 10: 2009

• ESD is in this new curriculum as a statutory target – under ‘Curriculum Objectives’

• Will also be an integral and required part of all new school development plans from 2008

Where are we with ESD?

Good Practise• EEF Members from EE / DE joining up to work on projects.

• ESD Days at all of NI Universities – involving genuine partnership work from both sectors.

• EEF Conference on ‘Making the Links’ – EE/DE

• On the Ground Examples e.g. Action Renewables / British Council: climate change schools work / competition

• Sitting on CADA Dev ED Sub Group – re Env. Ed representative.

• Inputting into Global Dimension / Dev Ed Days at Universities and Organisations – linking.

• ESD Resource Guide (EEF) produced and sent to all NI schools, Youth service and Pre schools

• Working with Eco Unesco (Young Environmentalist Awards).

• Linking up Eco Schools ‘Global Dimension’ topic with Development Groups who can really give added value to that part of the programme.

Huge changes on the way AND ALREADY HERE!!!!!

• Sustainable Development Strategy

• Review of public administration – Local Councils reduced from 26 to 7

• 5 ELB’s being replaced by a new Education and Skills Authority

• A single Health and Social Services Authority replacing the existing four Health

and Social Services Boards, 8 HSS Trusts reduced to 5 • 14 current Govt. strategies in place and on the go!

• Huge Financial cutbacks on the way and have already started – EEF!!!!!!!!!

• DFID Funding – Dev Ed sector under huge pressure as well

• ESD is not really in on the bottom of the ladder as yet!

BUT…………….