Education for Sustainability

Education for Sustainability

Environment Canterbury’s philosophy and methods behind Education for Sustainability is action-based learning. It encourages involvement by all participants, from decision-making through to taking action, resulting in a sense of ownership and responsibility.

There are four key spheres that underpin the development and implementation of education for sustainability:

• Biophysical: Living things and life support systems
• Social: People living together
• Political: Power, Policy and Decisions
• Economic: Jobs and money

"A multi-disciplinary approach to learning that develops the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, values and skills that will enable individuals and the community to contribute towards maintaining and improving the quality of the environment" (MFE, 1996).

The Ministry of Education document “Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools” was produced in 1999 to guide teachers in planning effective education for sustainability through existing compulsory learning areas in the New Zealand Curriculum Framework.