people and planet

1
programme provides
One crucial way to teacher trainees with
a system of naturebased
educational
incorporate traditional
knowledge into
tools incorporating the
schools is using the traditional knowledge
of the San, a major
local language as the
indigenous group in the
language of instruction region. The curriculum
of Bokamoso Teacher
Training Centre was
developed collaboratively over two years by a team of
parents, community members, curriculum experts and
members of non-government organizations (NGOs).
The project provides trainees with the tools they need
to teach pre-school in the San language (Batibo, 2013).
Using the mother tongue as the language of instruction
has a positive impact on learning across the curriculum,
not only in languages (UNESCO, 2016).
between indigenous populations, civil society,
government, development partners and management
agencies, as well as scholars from a range of disciplines,
to promote conservation of indigenous knowledge and
its integration in various initiatives (Gorjestani, 2004).
LIFELONG LEARNING APPROACH: LEARNING
THROUGH WORK AND DAILY LIFE
Environmental change requires other types of learning than
formal schooling or traditional education in communities.
People must act and contribute to environmental
sustainability at all stages of their lives, so learning that
takes place through work and daily life is crucial.
Lifelong learning comprises all learning activities
undertaken throughout life with the aim of improving
knowledge, skills and competencies within personal, civic,
social and employment-related perspectives (UIL, 2015).
The strong Western focus of education systems and
institutions around the world impedes meaningful
inclusion of indigenous populations and their knowledge
and practices within the formal schooling system.
Factors involved include curricula that lack local relevance
and devalue indigenous knowledge; use of the dominant
language for instruction instead of the home language
(Batibo, 2009); standardized assessment strategies
(Barnhardt and Kawagley, 2005); and faculty attitudes
about curricula (Radoll, 2015). These factors often clash
with traditional teachings (Nakashima et al., 2012).
Research has documented how formal schooling
systems have resulted in the loss of significant
background knowledge about nature, culture and
values that indigenous children previously acquired in
their communities. Examples from countries including
Australia, Canada and the United States show an
unquantifiable loss of indigenous knowledge from
the beginning of the 20th century, when indigenous
children were sent to residential schools or put up
for forced adoption in an attempt to assimilate them
into the dominant society (Reyhner and Eder, 2015).
Separating them from their families and consequently
from their cultural roots caused ‘irreparable harm
to the survival of indigenous cultures and societies’
(Stavenhagen, 2015, p. 255).
However, while education can cause loss of indigenous
knowledge, it can also be a cure (UNESCO, 2009). It is
essential to foster dialogue and create partnerships
A lifelong learning approach focuses not only on
curricula but also on intergenerational knowledge and
values created by the community. It fosters synergy
and connections between groups in society to tackle
environmental challenges. Government agencies, faithbased
organizations, non-profit and community groups,
labour organizations and the private sector can all
contribute to lifelong environmental education.
Governments and intergovernmental bodies
Governments have an important role to play in educating
the public about environmental change. Governmentbacked
campaigns raise awareness on an environmental
problem, point to its underlying drivers and signal how
stakeholders can address it and bring about meaningful
change. Public awareness campaigns are most effective
when they target groups with shared values and engage
with community leaders to convey key messages (Stern,
2007). In 2015, for example, the Ethiopian Ministry
of Water, Irrigation and Energy and other partners
launched a two-year public awareness campaign aimed
at encouraging solar lighting products. Targeting over 12
million Ethiopians, the campaign aimed to discourage
households from using kerosene lamps and help them
make informed decisions for purchasing off-grid lighting
(World Bank, 2015).
A related initiative, Lighting Africa, has enabled more
than 35 million people across Africa to have clean,
affordable, safe lighting and energy. Currently operating
in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
2016 • GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 29