How can I build on what I’m already doing?
Because it has grown out of environmental education and development education, education for sustainable development is almost certainly taking place in your school somewhere already. It may be part of a project on food or transport in primary schools, or part of schemes of work in geography or science in secondary schools.
How education for sustainable development is undertaken is as important as what is taught. This means creating a learning environment where there are frequent opportunities to, for example:
- listen to others;
- express and justify points of view;
- make informed choices between alternatives;
- work collaboratively, learning to communicate, negotiate and respect democratic decisions;
- think critically;
- take part responsibly in school- and community-based activity
Questions about what kind of a future we want for our planet and what we need to do to bring it about provide a context for learning. Young people are helped to think critically and understand the connections between:
- what they learn in different subjects;
- school learning and the real world;
- environmental, social and economic issues;
- the past, the present and the future;
- the choices they make and the consequences of those choices for the environment and for other people.
ESD is not just about the curriculum. It is also about how the school is run. These are some of the ways in which your school may already be engaged in ESD:
| Practice | Pupils investigate a local issue as part of their schoolwork | How it could be developed |
|---|---|---|
| School Councils | The school council discusses school rules and regulations | The school council considers different ways of developing the school grounds |
| Safe Routes to School | Encouraging pupils and staff to walk or cycle to school | Establish a walking bus scheme |
| Conservation and the School Grounds | Individual teachers use the site for environmental activities | Staff collectively investigate the site’s potential and map its use within school curriculum plans |
| Green Purchasing | Some materials are purchased that minimise damage to the environment | Developing school policy on purchasing with criteria which take into account environmental impact and fair trade |
| Ethical Purchasing | Some materials are purchased at a fair price from less economically developed countries (LEDCs) | Looking at the energy consumption of the school as a whole e.g. electricity, and water, and involving pupils in planning how consumption could be reduced |
| Recycling and Waste Reduction | Encouraging and running recycling schemes | Looking at the energy consumption of the school as a whole e.g., electricity, and water, and involving pupils in planning how consumption could be reduced |
| Schools Linking | The school has a link with a school in another country | Explore interdependence by pupils sharing their views about issues that the schools have in common |
| Field work | A fieldwork study of a river is used to complement the curriculum | Ways in which the river can be managed are recorded and the possible consequences of those decisions debated |
| Healthy Schools | The school is involved in the Healthy Schools programme | Pupils investigate a local issue as part of their schoolwork |
| Social Inclusion | The school has an anti-bullying policy | The school council discusses and recommends ways of improving pupil safety |
| Community Links | Fieldwork | A presentation of the outcomes of the investigation is made to local authority officers and councillors |
You can find a professional development activity on building on a school’s progress in ESD in the professional development section of the site.
