Tomorrow today; 2010 - unesdoc - Unesco

Transformative learningMoacir Gadotti, Director, Paulo Freire Institute, BrazilOver the last few decades in particular, humankindhas developed at an extraordinary pace. Undoubtedlya successful species in the fields of production andtechnology, humans have followed a path of acceleratedeconomic growth that has had a direct effect on the way welive. Unfortunately though, this way of life we have created forourselves is also having a directly negative impact on the Earth’sability to support us.Human activity, and the impacts that our societies have had on theEarth as a whole, has changed since the beginning of the IndustrialRevolution. 1 The variables include Northern hemisphere averagesurface, population, CO 2concentration, gross domestic profit, lossof tropical rainforest and woodland, species extinctions, motor vehicles,water use, paper consumption, fisheries exploitation, ozonedepletion and foreign investment – all of which have skyrocketedin the last 50 years.Because of the huge impact human activity has had, and continuesto have, on our planet, we are in a position where we need to find amore sustainable way of living. Some preach that while our economycontinues to be built on the assumption of growth, sustainabilityinitiatives we adopt now are futile. While we cannot realisticallylook to slow economic growth, there is a strong case for developinga more sustainable economic model that allows for growth whiletaking key environmental considerations into account. Today, wecannot just continue to keep developing regardless. It is importantto grow with justice and respect for the environment.So, what role do education and learning have in helping to achievethis? If one accepts that the transformation of society and the transformationof people are connected processes, then ultimately,education and learning are fundamental to the creation of a moresustainable future.Modern education systems were born in Europe in the 19thcentury at the height of industrial development and, despite thereal diversity between nations that adopted them later, thesesystems are generally very similar. In the 20th century, educationsystems were further strengthened by the expansion of theright to education, enshrined in the 1947 Universal Declarationof Human Rights. Despite this and the emergence of internationalprogrammes for evaluating school performance, and theProgramme for International Student Assessment (PISA), webegin the 21st century questioning our capacity to promote peace,understanding and sustainability. Education is part of the problemand part of the solution. We need to redefine it and we need topromote transformative learning.Essentially, the UN Decade of Education For SustainableDevelopment (DESD) seeks to integrate the principles, values andpractices of sustainable development in all aspects of educationand learning to meet the needs of the present withoutcompromising those of future generations. This initiativeis, above all, a call for transformative action andeducation to address planetary citizenship, and to createa culture of peace and sustainability that promotes theend of poverty and illiteracy in the world. It also aimsto promote education for emancipation: learning tolive sustainably, gender equality, human rights, educationfor all, health, human security and interculturaldialogue.If we think in these terms, we can consider educationfor sustainable development (ESD) as a greatopportunity to renew formal educational curriculaand align learning with environmental awareness.Mathematics could involve working with data thatrefers to the pollution of the environment or povertygrowth; linguistics could analyse the role played bymass communication and publicity in consumptionhabits; and history and social sciences could discussethnic issues and gender inequality.Regarding the impact of the concept of sustainabilityon formal education, we need to considertwo levels. One, the legal level: educational reforms(curriculum, contents). New behaviours can beencouraged by the law. And two, the level of commitmentin society in general, especially among theyouth. In order to engage with young people andgain their compliance in living sustainably, they needto be not just taught, but motivated to think morecompassionately. After all, changing someone’s wayof life is not an entirely mechanical process.On a policy level, governments need to establish linksbetween ESD and education for all; recognizing that thepurpose of education is not just to support economicdevelopment, but to help individuals and societies meettheir full potential without undermining the health ofsociety and the environment at large. But at the grassrootslevel – schools – much can and must be doneby school leaders, teachers and students to integratesustainability into all aspects of school life and thecurriculum, drawing out the interconnections betweensocial, environmental, cultural and economic problemsand achievements. School-level initiatives can respondbest to the contexts, opportunities and needs of particularcommunities and the natural environment.In order for educational programmes to achievethis, sustainability needs to underline all principles,values and attitudes taught. This requires the estab-[ 157 ]