Educating towards a sustainable future means facilitating learning that is connected to our global reality in a way that is engaging, thought-provoking and skill-building. Ultimately schools would be fostering global citizens that not only embrace the complexities, but also have the will and skills to create something better. A systemic approach is the key to both deeper learning and embracing complexity for better solutions to today’s most difficult issues. A systemic, connected approach will help prepare students for a future that is unknown and ever-changing. The
traditional factory model of kindergarten to grade twelve (K-12) education is not serving the learning needs of a new generation of complexity thinkers and practitioners. What holds schools back and what systemic structures keep formal education from progressing and ultimately embracing the complexity of the world? There appears to be a will on the part of many K-12 educators to facilitate this kind of learning what is required is to find the way. The aim is to explore the connections between systems, sustainability and educational transformation. It is seeking a move towards more systemic models in schools for both improved student learning and improved planetary balance for the natural and human systems. Striving towards deeper understanding and action towards sustainability in K-12 schools, being systems literate to tackle complex issues, and having tools to move forward on these complex interrelated issues will help K-12 education contribute profoundly towards creating a sustainable, flourishing future for all.
K-12 educational institutions are under a tremendous amount of pressure to serve two masters. At a time when the standardized testing business is
bringing in huge profits, schools are struggling, and students, teachers and parents are under tremendous strain, something has to give (Robinson & Aronica, 2015). Traditional approaches are called upon to ensure students gain opportunities for the next step in their learning journey in higher education, and new thinking and innovation are required to ensure students are prepared for a world that is ever changing and uncertain. Sustainability sits at the heart of this tension as some view it as an extra to what is absolutely essential, and others view it as essential to ensure a positive future and connected learning. These differing mindsets are important to understand when looking at sustainability in schools and the impact it has locally and globally. When looking at the challenges and opportunities for sustainability education I am filled with both great fear and great hope. It is very difficult to question the need for a change of this nature in our world, yet schools have not yet caught up to the change required to act upon it. We are wasting our brains and our only world on the design, production, and consumption of things we do not need and that are not serving us well. (Chouinard & Stanley, 2012). This is the creative tension that drives me forward to help create better learning and a better future for students everywhere through K-12 schools.
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Education for a Sustainable Future
by Mike Johnston