ASSIGNMENT # 4

EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

EDUC3146

Submitted by

Samson Sohail | mcf-1901918

MA Education, Section-B(Morning)
Dated: 21 Jun 2020

Submitted to

Dr. Naima Qureshi

Division of Education,
University of Education Lahore.
Q. Discuss each challenge to ESD you have studied and suggest action to combat those
challenges as a student, as a prospective teacher and as a citizen.

Challenges & Barriers to ESD

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a new educational paradigm that allows
Universities to lead and respond to social needs towards a more sustainable life. The ESD is a
global preparedness and complex phenomena in relation to the effects of human activity on
the environment, society and economy in spatial and temporal dimensions. It analyzes the
areas and elements to be integrated into the application and integration of Sustainability in
Higher Education, the importance of sustainability curricula and changing the teaching and
learning methods into more participative and active techniques. The essay ends with a
proposal of steps to follow to implement a sustainability plan, the various existing integration
strategies, and the identification of barriers and remaining challenges into ESD.
The main problems identified are related to the need for leadership, incentives, knowledge,
and resources for the successful implementation of sustainability in HE. In addition,
regardless of whether the integration process is top-down or bottom-up, significant support
from the top management is needed. The main problems come from the lack of funds,
interest, and support of university administrations. This in turn affects the communication,
information, training of faculty, lack of time, and centralization of ESD-related activities in a
university environment. Ultimately, the ESD is a strong commitment at the institutional level.
While many nations around the world have embraced the need for education to achieve
sustainability, only limited progress has been made on any level. This lack of progress stems
from many sources. In some cases, a lack of vision or awareness has impeded progress. In
others, it is a lack of policy or funding. By addressing these critical impediments in the
planning stage, governments can prevent or reduce delays or derailment of ESD efforts and,
ultimately, the attainment of sustainability.
A critical problem is that existing and proposed methodological statements do not give
concrete operational level requirements of what universities should do exactly to contribute to
SD. Therefore, a comprehensive plan is necessary for the implementation of ESD at the
university level that includes not only the knowledge, skills, and values based on SD, but also
an integration of the principles from the upper echelons (mission and vision), an important
institutional support to the teams responsible for the coordination of sustainability at the
university and at each school and faculty, to look for and keep sustainability goals in all areas
of the university: education, research, campus activities, outreach, and assessment and
reporting.

Suggest action to combat those challenges

1. As a student

The initial step in launching an ESD program is to develop awareness within the educational
community and the public that reorienting education to achieve sustainability is essential. If
government officials or school district administrators are unaware of the critical linkages
between education and sustainable development, reorienting education to address sustainable
development will not occur. In large part, perceiving a need brings about a corresponding
change in educational systems. Unfortunately, the need to achieve sustainable development is
not perceived today as sufficiently important to spark a large response in the educational
community.
2. As a prospective teacher

Teacher training and the need to make the ESD more explicit within degrees and areas of the
university are key elements for the success of a sustainability plan. A framework with
maximum consensus of faculty is needed; hence, the importance of bottom-up strategies, but
with a significant institutional support. The changes to the ESD involve changes in how to
perform all activities and, therefore, should permeate all areas and departments. Thus, all
activities within the university should be involved and have a voice in the coordination and
implementation of sustainability. The most profound change is at the educational level, which
not only modifies or extends the knowledge, skills, and values of the students towards
sustainability, but also evolves teaching strategies such as the creation of role-plays,
simulations, discussion groups, debates, case studies, critical reading, problem/project based
learning, and modeling good practice.

3. As a citizen

The successful implementation of a new educational trend will require responsible,

accountable leadership and expertise in both systemic educational change and sustainable
development. We must develop realistic strategies to quickly create knowledgeable and
capable leadership. It is unrealistic to expect nations to retrain 59,000,000 teachers and
thousands of administrators in either - or both - ESD and educational change. We must find
ways, such as employing the strengths model, to use existing skills.
Perhaps the most difficult obstacle to address in implementing ESD is that of popularity.
While many countries agreed that ESD is important, the themes of sustainability are not
prevalent in popular cultures or governmental policies. For example, one principle of
sustainable development is that the rates of use of renewable resources should not exceed
their rates of regeneration. Yet, many societies have developed or are developing a
"disposable culture." Disposable beverage containers, food wrappers, plates, and eating
utensils pass through our lives daily.
References

Beringer, A. (2006). Campus sustainability audit research in Atlantic Canada: Pioneering the
campus sustainability assessment framework. International Journal of Sustainability in
Higher Education, 7(4), 437-455. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14676370610702235

Boman, J., & Andersson, U. P. (2013, June). Eco-labelling of courses and programs at
University of Gothenburg. Journal of Cleaner Production 48, 48-53.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.10.024

UNESCO. (2011). Education for sustainable development. An expert review of process and
learning. Commissioned by UNESCO. Paris, France: Daniella Tilbury.

Cade A, Druce D. Employable Graduates for Responsible Employers-Research on the Links

between Sustainability and Employability in the Graduate Job Market in Relation to Higher
Education Teaching and Learning, 2007.

Hunter C. Sustainable tourism as an adoptive paradigm. Annals of Tourism Research 1997;

24:850-867.

Tilbury D. Environmental Education for Sustainability: A Force for Change in Higher

Education. In P. B. Corcoran & A. E. Wals (Eds.), Higher Education and the Challenge of
Sustainability: Problematic, Promise and Practice Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers,
2004, 97-112.