Education for a sustainable society
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Interdisciplinary educational concept
In the context of educational initiatives, sustainability means, on the one hand, that an education project has a long-term, capacity-building impact. On the other hand, the focus on sustainability is intended to enable pupils, ministries of education and the like to help shape society in such a way that it is both viable and sustainable in the long term.
Education for sustainable development is an interdisciplinary educational concept that affects the whole school in terms of a comprehensive school approach – from the thematic and methodological design of lessons, teacher training and the sustainable management of the school with policies, to the structure of its operational management.
The Department for International Projects in Education at PH Zurich bases its approach to sustainability on international discourse and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Taking all aspects into account
All dimensions of sustainability need to be considered. This means that poverty alleviation and the reduction of social inequalities (social sustainability), far-sighted, careful and inclusive economic development (economic sustainability), as well as going green and protecting our livelihoods as a result (environmental sustainability), all need to be taken into account.
In the education projects of the Department for International Projects in Education, the continuing education programmes for teachers, parents, school principals and representatives from ministries and civil society are therefore designed in such a way that all these aspects of education for sustainable development are taken into account in the best possible way.
This also applies to the development of new teaching materials that PH Zurich develops on behalf of foreign ministries of education and NGOs: wherever possible, attitudes should be promoted that contribute to a more sustainable and, as a result, more future-oriented society and way of life in their respective fields. In doing so, we strive to closely align the steps towards more sustainability with the necessities, needs and priorities of the countries in which we run projects. For this reason, the department develops new teaching and training materials in close collaboration with our local project partners.
Teacher training is key
In contributing to education for sustainable development, the starting points and approaches are varied. They can include the general promotion of social and environmental responsibility, topics such as resilience or conflict resolution skills, or they can be expressed in specific teaching materials and lessons that ask tertiary students or school pupils to research second-hand shops in the neighbourhood, for example.
Teacher training plays a key role in this: in addition to getting trainee teachers familiar with the content and educating them, they should also be enabled to carry out projects and activities relating to sustainability (such as a plastic collection campaign) in such a way that they also promote participation, a sense of responsibility and democratic coexistence – all of which are qualities that contribute to a more sustainable society.