living within environmental limits ensuring a strong, healthy and just society achieving a...
TRANSCRIPT
Educating for SustainableDevelopment
J an Bebbington
Vice-Chair (Scotland)Sustainable Development Commission
Education for SD conference: Dundee, 13th J une 2007
The SDC’s role
The independent advisory body on sustainable development for the UK Government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government & Northern Ireland Government
Working with a Commission of 19 and a secretariat of 50+ to provide scrutiny, advocacy and capacity building on sustainable development
In Scotland Hugh Raven is a SDC Commissioner 5 strong secretariat lead by Maf Smith
The five principles
LIVING WITHIN ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITS
ENSURING A STRONG, HEALTHY AND JUST SOCIETY
ACHIEVING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
PROMOTING GOOD GOVERNANCE
USING SOUND SCIENCE RESPONSIBLY
What I plan to talk about …
Scottish Funding Council and SD
UN Decade of Education for SD
I t is not just what you teach it is how you teach
An example of attempting to incorporate SD into the life of a University
SFC and SD
Mission: provide a strategic overview of tertiary education in Scotland to help secure a more coherent system of high-quality learning, teaching & research
Required by statute to have regard to:
Skills needs in Scotland I ssues affecting the economy of Scotland Social & cultural issues in Scotland Achieving sustainable development The UK & international contexts The education and related needs of students &
potential students
Other relevant policy contexts
Scottish Sustainable Development Strategy
Learning for our Future: Scotland’s first action plan for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Will work with institutions & national bodies to identify how sustainable skills, attitudes & behaviours can influence the development of courses
Assess progress made by Scotland’s universities and colleges & report annually to Executive (& review sectors progress of following SD principles in capital projects)
Consider how sustainable development research capacity can be developed
How you teach matters
• Freire – critical pedagogy for adult literacy education
• Banking– Deposit & withdraw– Passivity & power
• Dialogic– What do you need
language for?– Start at your
starting point– Praxis
• What would foster this– Real world
problems– Field trips/case
studies– Choose your topic
of interest– Action research for
assessments– Practical activities– Engaging in change
Under graduate degree in SD
• Inter-disciplinary– Science, Arts & Humanities– At honours 50% in SD work (integrating
cases, review essays & dissertation) & 50% in a subject (to allow depth and context to apply SD thinking to)
• Demographics– 1st year (186 students), 2nd year (83
students), junior hons (24 students)– First graduates in 2008– Cognate subjects (geography, international
relations, philosophy, biology, management)
University as pedagogy• Strategy
– With objectives, targets & reporting
• Governance & leadership– Environmental task
group & changing behaviour group
• Fair Trade status• Ethical investment• Building for SD & green
tourism award• SD Leadership Lecture
series (in partnership with SDRC)
• Data gathering– Travel survey– Student SD survey– Water/energy/waste
audits• Renewable energy
strategy & energy efficiency fund
• Students Association– Fair trade & ethical
investment– Interhall energy
competition– Clubs & societies– Campaigning &
innovating