Much emphasis in educational reform initiatives for the 21st century are focussed on issues such as the computer highway, being networked and science and technology.
But how much emphasis is being placed on a sustainable future? How are we educating for the future?
Recent ‘state of the world†reports tell us that human actions are creating a serious threat to the future. We are not considering future generations when we use resources, pollute the atmosphere, our rivers and the oceans. We are producing more waste than we can manage.
In addition, the rich are using 80% of the world’s resources, while the majority of the world’s people — the poor — are only able to access and use 20% of these resources. This pattern of inequality is the most extreme in the world in South Africa. We are also losing biodiversity at unprecedented rates, which is leaving a world poorer in natural capital and natural wealth.
The Department of Education (DoE) has been taking these issues seriously. In 1996 environment was identified as a phase organiser in Curriculum 2005.
Following this, many teachers started developing lesson plans and activities with an environmental focus. When Curriculum 2005 was revised, the review committee was asked to emphasise environmental education. The Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS) emphasises a healthy environment in schools, communities, classroom and country.
It reflects a broad view of environment. Environment is our surroundings. It is the place where we live, the things we do. It is the way we share and use resources. Ensuring a healthy environment for all is closely linked to human rights and to social justice issues. It is our future.
Within the RNCSs for the GET band, each learning area has a role to play, and all teachers are involved in teaching about a healthy environment:
In the Natural Sciences learners will explore biodiversity issues.
In Technology learners will solve environmental problems and develop more sustainable designs that reduce environmental impacts.
In the Social Sciences learners will investigate local, regional and national environmental issues.
In Life Orientation learners will work towards creating a healthy school and community environment. They will also investigate and find solutions to environmental health problems such as polluted water.
In Economic Management Sciences learners will consider the principles of saving resources, and they will learn about sustainable development.
Using Mathematics and Languages to calculate and report on ecological footprints, to audit water use, to calculate and report on energy consumption are some of the different ways that learners will critically consider human impacts on the environment.
Environmental justice issues are emphasised in the FET curriculum statements in similar ways.
Many schools in South Africa are already responding to environmental issues and thinking about the future through some exciting whole school development initiatives. But even at those schools without dedicated environmental initiatives, most learners address some of the basic environmental issues, such as water use and waste management, during their school career. One of the problems that arises however, is that the same issues are covered over and over. By the time learners end their school career they may have been involved in hundreds of litter clean ups!
Another problem is that issues are often dealt with very superficially. There is a need for further support for teachers to deal with a much broader range of environmental issues and risks, and for strategies that allow learners to engage with the issues.
This has implications for the way in which environmental issues are introduced in textbooks and other learning and teaching support materials.
What makes this more complex is the fact that environmental issues are different in every context. Locally relevant, action-oriented approaches to teaching, learning and materials are needed. These approaches should also consider the relationship between the local, national and global.
This also has implications for the professional development of teachers. As yet, very few teacher education institutions are incorporating environmental education into their programmes, and even where it is happening, it is often done only superficially.