Rethinking Schooling for the 21st Century

environmental education comes under the purview of the Department of Science,
Technology and Environment, while textbooks are the responsibility of separate
departments of primary and secondary education.
Problems with the overall systemic capacity of some education systems in the
region certainly constitute one species of challenges to the integration of ESD/
GCED into schooling. But while such problems are typically seen as remediable
through awareness raising and enhanced cross-sector collaboration, this chapter
focuses on the range of more fundamental challenges outlined earlier in the
present report. Firstly, an intense focus on the pursuit of economic development
undermines the intrinsic value of education as an experience that enhances
each individual’s capabilities and freedom. Secondly, state efforts to foster
singular and homogenous national identities present another set of challenges,
particularly for minority groups and for the fostering of global citizenship.
Finally, the intensity of educational competition in Southeast Asian schooling
systems has repercussions for student well-being and the promotion of equity in
and through education.
A: Challenges of Instrumentalism and Ethics
The state of education for peace, sustainable development and global citizenship
in Southeast Asia is mixed, partly because of the instrumentalist paradigm that
dominates thinking about education policy across most of the region. On the
one hand, Southeast Asian policymakers and educators are aware of the ESD/
GCED concepts and formally acknowledge their importance. Related terms
and ideas feature — more or less prominently — in policy documents, curriculum
frameworks and subject curricula in most countries. On the other hand, while
ESD/GCED competencies are frequently mentioned in the official documents,
they tend to be narrowly interpreted so as to avoid disturbing or problematising
the continuing pursuit of unsustainable and exploitative economic strategies.
State Instrumentalism Manifested in Policy Documents
The overriding prioritisation of economic growth pervades education plans
and strategies across Southeast Asia. Human resource development is a
major stated goal in the educational documents of all countries in the region
except for Thailand. By comparison, other aspects of the economic dimension
of sustainable development, particularly green economy and limits to growth,
generally receive little emphasis across the region (see Appendix II-1). Under
the category ‘transversal skills’, the subcategories most often cited are those
of clearest economic relevance, such as problem solving skills and collaboration;
by contrast, the management and resolution of conflict are infrequently
emphasised, with the partial exception of Cambodian and Malaysian documents
(see Box 4.1 and Appendix II-13.i). Given the prevalence of conflict in the
Philippines, involving rebels and armed extremist groups in Mindanao (OPAPP
and STRIDES, 2009), the total absence in Filipino documents of references to
Rethinking Schooling for the 21 st Century:
The State of Education for Peace, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in Asia
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