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The road to a sustainable economy will be much smoother if the nations of the world are willing to implement programs for sustainability education.
Education is an essential tool for achieving a sustainable future. In fact, during the past decade, UN conference declarations have repeatedly called for education, public awareness, and training. And yet, little progress has been made in creating and implementing programs. We have to ask ourselves why. Why is reorienting education to address sustainable development not occurring? What needs to be addressed to move forward? What have we learned to date? What initial steps can all levels of government take to explore and adapt to their particular circumstances?
Reorienting Education
For many nations, the path to a sustainable future for their citizenry begins with greater access to basic education. Those nations whose people average less than six years of public education are in no position to develop more than an agrarian or extractive society. Education is essential for improving the capacity of these people to address environmental and development issues, which are inextricably tied to sustainable development.
Simply providing more education, however, is not the answer for creating a sustainable society. Current global consumption patterns show that the most educated societies leave the deepest ecological footprints. An appropriate basic education, therefore, should be reoriented to include more knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values related to sustainability than are currently included in most of today's schools.
During the past decade, the definition of basic education has expanded to mean more than the ability to read, write, and cipher. At one time, literacy and numeracy assured economic prosperity. Today's more complex international milieu, however, calls for a broader understanding of society, economics, and the environment, as well as the interconnections among the three.
This broader definition of basic education requires that people acquire the skills and curiosity that will support lifelong learning. In short, people must learn how to learn. As a result, they will be able to think about issues from several viewpoints, ask questions, and analyze information from various sources, including the media, labor, industry, and government agencies. Basic education will support community decision making and planning. As people become better educated, such community-based activities could and should become more democratic.
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