Education for Sustainable Development

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD ) is a training initiative. It should also allow the individual to actively participate in the analysis and evaluation of development processes with ecological, economic and socio - cultural importance, to be guided by principles of sustainability in their own lives and how globally to put sustainable development processes together with other locally initiated.

From 2005 to 2014, the United Nations with the UN Decade obliged " Education for Sustainable Development ", to anchor the principles of sustainability in their education systems. The German Commission for UNESCO coordinates the German activities of the UN Decade. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research promotes the work. Since 2005, the German Commission for UNESCO has awarded more than 1,500 projects nationwide and 14 local authorities as well as numerous nationwide measures. The title is awarded for two years, after which a new application is checked.

The development of education for sustainable development (ESD ) in general and the implementation of the UN Decade in Germany and internationally

1972: Founding of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP ) on the first environmental conference in Stockholm.

1987: publication of the Brundtland Report: It's a perspective report on long-term sustainability, environmentally friendly development on a global scale, who played a major role in the international debate on development and environmental policy.

1992: Conference on Environment and Development of the United Nations in Rio de Janeiro (UNCED ) and Agenda 21: At the conference, over 170 governments adopt a developmental and environmental action program for global sustainable development: Agenda 21

2002: World Summit Rio 10 - Johannesburg and proclamation of the "Decade of Education for Sustainable Development ": adopt the United Nations, the years 2005 to 2014 the World Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " to do with the resolution intensive efforts to the mission statement sustainable development in all areas of education to anchor the world.

2003: Hamburg Declaration of the German Commission for UNESCO: come together call to the federal government, local government, and economic institutions, institutions of research and teaching as well as civil society, "Learning Sustainability Alliance " to a.

2004: German Commission for UNESCO is mandated with the implementation of the UN Decade in Germany: In a unanimous decision, the German Bundestag Commission for UNESCO is mandated with the implementation of the UN Decade in Germany. It relies for a National Committee as a central control and coordinating body. At the invitation of the National Committee of the UN Decade of around 100 major initiatives in education for sustainable development get together once a year to the Round Table of the UN Decade in Germany. The German Commission for UNESCO is funded for the implementation of the UN Decade by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

2005: Publication of the first National Action Plan with the aim to anchor the concept of sustainable development in all areas of education: The National Action Plan is published by the German Commission for UNESCO and defined as the overarching goal of the UN Decade of the anchoring of Education for sustainable development in all areas of education. It is updated regularly.

2007: International Conference in Berlin and launch of the web portal www.bne -portal.de: During the German EU presidency, the international conference on the " UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development - the contribution of Europe" held in Berlin. The aim of the conference is the European contribution to the global project to identify the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development ", taking into account the global responsibility of Europe. The conference was attended by more than 200 representatives from all EU countries from different world regions and international organizations. As a further contribution to the UN Decade of the German Commission for UNESCO realized the Internet portal on education for sustainable development.

2008: First National campaign days and revised version of the National Plan of Action: On the initiative of the National Committee of the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " find first the nationwide days of action education for sustainable development with more than 320 different events.

2009: World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development: The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development sets the start of the second half of the UN Decade. The UNESCO ( Paris) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research organized the conference. Cooperation partner is the German Commission for UNESCO (Bonn). 700 participants from all regions of the world are taking part in the conference.

2011 revision of the National Action Plan ( German / English): In addition to the updated sub-targets contains the third draft of the National Action Plan for the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " in Germany also includes the jointly developed by the actors strategy for the second decade - half. Moreover, his focus is a collection of the most important political position papers that have been published in advance of the decade or developed in its course.

February 2012 International workshop " Horizon 2015": 50 experts from five continents calling for the UN to ensure the continuation of the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " beyond 2014 and recommended to the UN General Conference, the early adoption of a resolution.

April 2012 Promotion of follow-up activities to the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " (2005 - 2014) should be initiated: By its decision of 26 April 2012, the German Bundestag calls on the Federal Government to engage in follow-up activities for the ongoing UN Decade. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD ) Be moved people in a position to acquire the values ​​, skills, knowledge and skills that are necessary today for the design of a sustainable society in harmony with the principle of sustainable development, says the CDU / CSU, SPD, FDP and alliance 90/The Greens approved application.

June 2012 Rio 20 Summit and the key role of education for sustainable development: In the final document of the Rio 20 Summit is the importance of education for sustainable development emphasizes several times. Important tasks are assigned to educational institutions. But to ensure that ESD is moving even more people aware of the UN member states via the education sector also. UNESCO is particularly emphasized as the driving force in this field.

Formation background

On the basis of the sustainability concept of the Brundtland Report of 1987, at the Rio Conference ( " Environment and Development ") of the United Nations in 1992 adopted Agenda 21, which sets sustainable development as a common vision of humanity for the 21st Century is documented. Chapter 36 is devoted to the Agenda 21 " Promoting education, public awareness and vocational education and training " and thus represents the first official link of sustainable development with the formation

Why this link is considered necessary?

In order to achieve sustainable development driven processes of change at the political level and innovative production processes and more nature-friendly measures at the economic level are not alone sufficient. It should also be at the individual and societal level, a commitment to sustainable development, changes in consumption and behavior patterns, as well as an altered sense of justice and environmental awareness necessary. Overall, this could be accomplished everything on a comprehensive mental and cultural change This mental transformation as a process of changed awareness of individuals to transform social models but was not feasible without a global education initiative, because a " self-transformation requires a specific control policy ahead - and institutions such can make a difference. "

The objective of Agenda 21 in any case has been prepared since the mid-1990s conceptually Education for Sustainable Development (ESD ) or as an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). GNI combines two social problems: ecological needs and developmental insights. It therefore results in aspects of environmental and development policies together in an appropriate education concept.

In the area of ​​environmental issues was a threat scenario with respect to possible future resource scarcity due to the since the 1960s increasingly observable and forecast crisis phenomena ( by waste of resources ), increased environmental degradation and disasters of all kinds with irreversible ecological consequences for humans and nature on a global scale as well as an increasing extinctions diagnosed. It has been predicted that these phenomena would be further increased by the rapidly growing world population. These aspects outline the contents recorded content and didactics of educational concepts such as environmental education or the Ecological instruction contrast, the focus of development education was the injustice with regard to the distribution of life chances and wealth between the richer industrialized north of the world and the poorer developing and emerging countries in the southern hemisphere.

It was clear that a balance between North and South is urgently needed. Addition, however, comes the realization that the economy and life of the North is not ecologically can simply globalize because the available resources are insufficient and the pollution would increase rapidly. Instead of starting from the threat scenario of environmental education and the misery scenario of development education, education for sustainable development pursues a positive strategy: It is about conservation of natural resources " to the equitable distribution of life chances " and the natural basis for a dignified life "of all currently living on earth people (intra- generational equity ) and the just opportunities for future generations ( intergenerational justice ). " But this is to be achieved without sacrificing both to economic prosperity; Rather, economic prosperity in many countries is a prerequisite for the establishment of fairer conditions. In the GNI environmental education and global learning are thought together before this normative background.

Development of ESD in Germany

In Germany, the principle of sustainability in 1994 was established as a national objective in Article 20a of the Basic Law, but even without explicit mention of education. First conceptual work on education for sustainable development in the 1990s come from the environmental education. The first official educational publication on education for sustainable development in Germany was the guiding framework of "Education for Sustainable Development". It also followed on behalf of the Bund- Länder Commission publication " Education for Sustainable Development - Expert opinion on the program", which forms the basis for the BLK program 21, which caused a major boost in education for sustainable development in education. With the parliamentary vote "Education for Sustainable Development" of 2000, the federal government has been asked to align the design of the German overall policy to the model of "sustainable development" and to achieve this objective with concrete measures in education.

With respect to the merging of the fields of environmental education and global learning an accepted by all relevant actors localization under the "umbrella " of education for sustainable development is initially came slow. After all, in June 2007 by the Ministers of Education (KMK ) published or passed in paper has included both lines: together with the federal government, the KMK agreed on a " framework for the study area global development ". The following day, adopted by the KMK in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO Recommendation on " Education for Sustainable Development in School" was included in the publication of the framework. The frame itself refers explicitly to education for sustainable development.

Development of ESD in Switzerland

In Switzerland, the principle of sustainability was firmly established as a national objective in Article 73 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The task of education ( for sustainable development) is not explicitly mentioned at this point. There the Swiss Conference of Directors of Education / inside ( EDK), which contributes to the integration of education for sustainable development in schools and teaching about the coordination of projects.

The focus is on cooperation with federal agencies that are active in the field of education for sustainable development, as well as with the Foundation éducation21. The aim is to coordinate the use of existing resources at national level and to support specific projects. The collusion to take place in the Swiss Coordination Conference GNI. The Foundation éducation21 is the recipient of the newly created National Competence Centre of Education for Sustainable Development. éducation21 emerged in September 2012 from a merger of the Foundations for Education and Development ( SBE) and Environmental Education Switzerland (SUB ).

Objectives

The aim of ESD is that individuals acquire skills to actively and responsibly shape the future in terms of sustainable development. In this context, as rational, emotional as well as action-related components and the acquisition of judgment play a crucial role.

Objective recommendations - Competencies

Comparative analyzes show that there is a wide variety of target-setting for education for sustainable development worldwide. Below are just some examples presented and assessed in their meaning ( a detailed analysis can be found in Riess, 2010). At the international level by the UNESCO proclamation of the UN Decade " Education for Sustainable Development " proposed statement of objectives cited most frequently: " The vision of education for sustainable development is a world where everyone Has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values ​​, behavior and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation ". Closely following this, in the National Action Plan for Germany as an overarching goal of the UN Decade ESD and thus the GNI quite basically suggested: "The global vision of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is to provide all people to open up educational opportunities that enable it to become knowledgeable and to acquire values ​​and learn about behavior and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal change. "

Both objectives formulated at the national and international level with great approval.

Another group of target formulations is based on the concept of competence. A report by the OECD Ministers of Education states: "Sustainable development and social cohesion depend critically on the skills of the entire population from - the term ' competence ' knowledge, skills, attitudes and values ​​includes. " A comprehensive approach to bundling with the term ESD related competencies was developed in Germany under the concept of design competence of Gerhard de Haan and formulated. " Gestaltungskompetenz is the capability to apply knowledge on sustainable development and problems not being able to realize sustainable development. That is, draw from the present analysis and future studies conclusions about ecological, economic, social, and additionally also democratic political and cultural developments in their interdependence and make decisions based on, understand, and be able to individually, collectively and politically transpose ... " Gestaltungskompetenz can be divided into 12 sub-competencies:

An alternative objective determination comes from rust, Lauströer and Raack: "Education for sustainable development should students empower and motivate on the assessment of environmental changes, to participate in a social development, which equalizes the quality of life of humans alive each other and the opportunities for development future generations does not limit ". To empower people this, they require the authors of three sub-skills believes: a) a system competence (understood as the ability and willingness of individual phenomena as a larger system belonging to recognize, identify system boundaries and subsystems both and form, the functionality of systems to be able to understand and make predictions about the development of systems ), b) the design of competence (see above) and c ) an assessment of competence (understood as the ability to recognize different values ​​in decision making, to weigh and to incorporate them into the decision making process ).

Overall, you can get in terms of the presented formulations target 's preliminary judgment: a) in Germany currently dominant objective formulation " design competence" is given in international space hardly resonance. There one is modeled more after the formulation of the UNESCO; b ) however the aim is overall objective formulations of ESD translate into measurable skills a necessity if you prove, for example, effects of concepts of education for sustainable development, or would like to give reasoned recommendations for the design of education for sustainable development. Unfortunately meet the previously present competence formulations not the criterion of measurability.

Practice examples

As the promotion of this design skills might look like in practice, showing, among other things, the former BLK - 21 program and its successor project transfer 21 Their workshop materials and project proposals are strongly oriented towards the management skills and move mainly in the areas of

• Interdisciplinary learning,
• Participation in the local environment
• And innovative structures in the school.

Relevant to the GNI topics are extremely versatile, sold by customs and traditions in other countries through the habitat in your own community to the school's kiosk, where snacks from organic farming and fair trade. Methods such as cross-curricular project weeks, student companies, partnerships between schools and businesses, parents participation or simulations (eg, simulated city council meetings ) received an increasing importance in relation to the objectives of ESD.

Outside of school leads the Association for Natural and Environmental Education Germany eV ANU since 1999 with overwhelming support by the BMU projects through to the issue of sustainability in educational practice - to anchor - in particular extracurricular environmental education facilities. As a result, a number of practical contributions have emerged that are organized according to key issues and are updated continuously.

Among the important issues of education for sustainable development in the extracurricular area include, in particular construction and housing, energy and climate, money / business / economic education, mobility, water, nature protection, agriculture / nutrition / health, consumption, participation. It is important that accurate targeting, among other things, to to the life-world, must orient the value orientations and attitudes of education participants. Are used participatory methods such as Open Space, future workshop or philosophizing with children.

Is becoming increasingly important in addition to the formal and the non-formal education sector, the area of the informal learning. It is a more " casual " learning that uses other methods than the typical teacher - and -student relationship, but can also be designed educational. Examples include contests or family visit to a zoo.

Research

In the German Society for Educational Sciences ( DGfE ) since 2003, there is a Commission " Education for Sustainable Development ". She has launched and established a research program for the GNI in 2004. There are four research fields are applied: a) survey research, b ) the innovation research, c ) quality research and d) the teaching-learning research.

Foundations of empirical research on education for sustainable development are formulated by Riess (2006). Therefore, the research on education for sustainable development of the group of real sciences is to be assigned. She studied as a central subject of actions in the context of education for sustainable development and its effects. This (qualitative and quantitative methods ) of empirical social research can be used depending on the subject in very different research methods. The overall objective of the research in the field of education for sustainable development, as in the other sciences also, the knowledge gained.

It can be, therefore, the four tasks identified: