Sustainable Development

III. 4. Special Lecture 2
Mr. Jonathan Noble (Curriculum Manager, Department of Education and Children’s
Services, Government of South Australia)
Mr. Jonathan Noble began his career as a teacher in Geography and Physical education in
South Australia graduating from Finders University with a Bachelor of Education with Honours in
Geography in 1987. He taught in South Australia and the United Kingdom. He completed a
Masters Degree from Adelaide University in Environmental Studies in 1993 and taught at
Kodaikanal International School in India in the following year. Returning to Australia, he began
working as an environmental projects manager with various organizations until 2004 when he
was employed by the South Australian Government Department of Education and Children’s
Services (DECS) as the Curriculum Manager, Education for Sustainability. DECS is the second
largest Government Department in South Australia and is responsible for 600 schools and 400
preschools. Curriculum Managers are responsible for curriculum innovation, policy development
and teacher training and support across South Australia. He also works with the Australian
Government in the National Environmental Education Network (NEEN) and the Australian
Sustainable Schools Initiative (AuSSI) both managed by the Australian Department of the
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.
The last lecture of the seminar was on Education for Sustainable Development. Mr. Noble gave
a lecture using the Australian model of ESD. After a brief introduction of South Australia, it was
made clear that Education for Sustainable Development is about the content and processes of
education, borrowing from the quote by UNESCO Director General, Mr. Matsuura. Mr. Noble
also stressed that the ESD approach should be broadened, not limited to certain topics. Along
with this issue, how Australia responded to the
objectives of Decade for Education for Sustainable
Development was presented. Mr. Noble stated that
awareness raising education is not enough to create
actual changes; action has to take place. Mr. Noble
emphasized that skills, capacity, motivation to plan
and manage change, critical thinking, participation
and action by people of all ages - including the youth
- and shifting paradigms are keys to ESD.