A tipping point towards education for sustainability may have been reached in the tertiary sector in the South Island as institutions move quickly to explore, and in some cases, implement cross curricular education for sustainability.
Tertiary education institutions have traditional organised learning through disciplinary models of teaching and learning making it difficult to implement interdisciplinary learning around complex social issues like sustainability. Despite this limitation there is an emerging focus on content related to sustainability in both the Polytechnic and University sector.
Over the last two years the Otago Polytechnic has worked quickly to implement the concept of all graduates as sustainable practitioners. The upshot has resulted in a redesign of qualifications and course statements, student profiles, student outcomes, assessment and the teaching and learning process to address sustainability education. Much of this change is focused on a more cross-disciplinary learning process that is beginning to challenge traditional organisational structures.
CPIT in Christchurch is currently reviewing the impact of education for sustainability across the institution to determine next steps. Furthermore, both the University of Otago and Canterbury University have established terms of reference for cross-institutional management teams to review and report back on the implications of how to manage education for sustainability in each organisation.
Watch this space! We might see some new opportunities emerge from the tertiary sector over the next couple of years!
Barry
Image source: Otago University
Good article. I like the concept of all graduates as sustainable practitioners and I hope that this extends to primary and secondary levels as well.
While a number of education institutions offer courses in ecology and the environment they have not yet grasped the idea that “sustainability” is not an elective.
With our present education system and curriculum I expect that students will be angry with their past teachers who did so little to prepare them from the real issues that they will face, e.g. climate change, peak oil, species extinction, unrealistic economic growth, etc. It’s time to break through our conspiracy of denial.
In 2002 a National advisery team was set up in NZ to support both primary and secondary school teachers implementing Education for Sustainability. This was highly successful and worked in partnership with Enviroschools (based in Hamilton). Unfortunately the National Govt has redrawn the funding for the advisory team and the team (24 advisers spread through the country) finish at the end of this year.
In 2007-8 the National advisory team developed a number of cross curriculuar acheivement standards in this field. One of the first countries in the world to achieve this. The standards are available for teachers to use, but in 2010 there will be limited support for teachers using them.
I believe there will be a large group of young people emerging through schooling in the 3-4 years seeking more learning in the field of sustainability education. International research indicates that many tertiary students are already seeking courses in this field and believe it will help them get a job.
I am concerned about the rhetoric in education. If education is for the future, why is futures not a stronger aspect of education.