Rethinking Schooling for the 21st Century

The parameters of the present report are derived from the UN 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, and, in particular, Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) Target 4.7, which asks all Member States of the UN to ensure that by 2030
. . . all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable
development, including, among others, education for sustainable
development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality,
promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship,
and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to
sustainable development (United Nations, 2015).
This is about far more than simply inculcating an environmentalist, internationalist
catechism of ethical ‘correctness’. It implies fostering a capacity and willingness
to think and act across national, ethnic, religious or linguistic divides, animated
by a profound consciousness both of our common humanity and of the fragility
of our shared home.
The demands this places on education are heavy, to say the least. This report
seeks to assess how far the aims and values encapsulated in SDG 4.7 have been
incorporated into the policies and officially-mandated curricula of 22 Asian
countries. By analysing current policies, curricular frameworks, subject syllabi
and textbooks, it aims to create a baseline against which further progress
towards Target 4.7 can be monitored. At the same time, it sets out to change the
way we talk about and act upon SDG 4.7.
RATIONALE AND READERSHIP
Why was this Report Written?
Calls to gear up schools for the 21 st century are ubiquitous today. International
educational discourse hails the potential of leveraging the ‘youth dividend’
and digital technologies for enhancing growth. Asia, home to the majority of
the world’s youth, is often central to such discussions. But despite this popular
image of an innovation-led utopian future, reality today across much of Asia, as
elsewhere, gives little cause for blithe optimism. Rampant inequality, heightened
nationalism, environmental destruction and the growing danger of conflict
critically threaten our common welfare. Education can potentially exacerbate
these problems, or ameliorate them. This report critically reviews the current role
of basic education (primary and lower secondary) in this respect across Asia, and
proposes ways of enhancing its positive contribution to promoting sustainability
and peaceful coexistence.
This study is informed by UNESCO’s commitment to realising the SDGs through
educational reform worldwide. The SDGs were articulated by consensus in 2015,
with a target date of 2030 for their attainment. That consensus suggests a major
opportunity for educational reform. Among the various targets and strategies
Rethinking Schooling for the 21 st Century:
The State of Education for Peace, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in Asia
3