caretakers, the office staff, student assistants and only if all these people are engaged in the work for sustainable development, ESD is possible.
Management, structure and monitoring: In order to adopt a complete approach to ESD, it is essential that the school management is supportive and long-term in its behaviour. It is also important that there is a team which functions as the motor that moves things forward, keeping a check and monitoring development. The management should collaborate with this team and their representatives on a regular basis.“ It is essential that learning for sustainable development is a focused element of the school’ s normal work plans and development work and not a specific measure or something developed alongside other activities.”
Teaching and learning: Learning for sustainable development can be promoted by providing a stimulating learning environment that utilises a variety of pedagogical models, methods and strategies.- Emphasise and work with current events in the immediate environment.- Use Information and Communication Technologies( ICT) as natural teaching materials.- Work thematically and across subjects at all year levels.- Learning for sustainable development is clearly visible in the school’ s curricula and schemes of work and in all subjects.- Let the extended classroom be a natural part of your activities and make use of nature and society in your teaching.- Teachers offer teaching models which focus on different conflicts of interest, both locally and globally.
The pupil in focus: In school and in society, pupils often find themselves in situations where they have to make decisions. This is particularly true where learning of as sustainable development and the sustainable society is concerned. In order to be able to make informed and considered choices pupils should be given the opportunity to act things out in real-life situations. The school can offer stimulating and challenging methods, environments, and forums where pupils are given the opportunity to both shape and develop their learning and influence their own learning process. This will help them acquire the sort of knowledge that promotes a sustainable future.
Interaction with the community:’ Reality’ for the pupils is not only found within the four walls of the school but exists outside in their environment and at home. Real meetings between people create understanding and insights into how the community outside the school works. This in turn creates opportunities for learning about sustainable development. By integrating various social functions with their schoolwork pupils prepare themselves for active citizenship and may also discover that it is possible to influence and change the things around them.
School estate and resource management: A school is not just lessons and classrooms. Materials procurement, energy consumption, food purchases, repairs, etc., these are all part of working towards a sustainable future. The playground and the school surroundings are a stimulating environment where teachers and students can apply crossdisciplinary skills in projects that involve sustainable development issues. The outdoor pedagogy approach where you use as many of your senses as possible and experience things
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