Review of Education for Sustainable Development with a Link to Friluftsliv

Not participating and connecting with nature makes nature into a museum to observe, to learn from but not to interact with.’ – Gelter, 2000.

Education for sustainable development is based upon ‘sowing the seeds of tomorrow so that future generations can inherit a more sustainable world.’ In other words, it is centred upon educating people about the importance of looking after the world we live in, and not wasting its valuable resources.

The article titled 'Education for Sustainable Development' (Hopkins & McKeown, 1999) outlines the importance of using education as a foundation for developing a sustainable future. In particular it focuses on aspects of education that need to be altered to encompass the process of this development, and move forward with it. The statement below summarises the general theme:

"Sustainable development education begins with a knowledge base about the environment, the economy, and society. However, it also addresses learning skills, perspectives, and values that guide and motivate people to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society, and live in a sustainable manner."

Although the article provides some insightful points, I'm not convinced that relying on education alone will develop a sustainable future. I agree that education needs to provide people with a basic knowledge to understand the principles of sustainable development. I agree that reorientating education towards sustainability may contribute to increasing active involvement in environmental protection.  However, I believe that many people in this day and age have this basic knowledge already, yet they are not inspired to do anything about it!

The article goes on to say that current global consumption patterns suggest that the most educated societies leave the deepest ecological footprints. Therefore, it appears that my previous thought is correct. Education alone is not enough to create a sustainable future. We need to develop a deeper connectedness with nature - something that could be achieved by adopting a Friluftsliv culture. 

Friluftsliv, loosely translated as ‘open-air life’ characterizes Scandinavian culture, whereby embracing nature and enjoying the outdoors is a way of life. Norway is one of the few countries in the world that honour the right of access to any uncultivated land in the countryside. This law, ‘allenmannsrett’ which translate to ‘all-man’s right’ allows people to pass through land, regardless of who owns it and appreciate the countryside without any reprimands. The purpose behind Friluftsliv will often vary from person to person as the physical and psychological benefits are vast. For some people, it may be to experience and immerse oneself in nature, and for others it may be to socialize with others or participate in physical activity.

It has been proposed that a deep experience of nature creates deep feelings, which in turn leads to deep questions and deep commitment for nature (Harding, 1997). With this in mind, could Friluftsliv be used as a foundation for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? Surely if we all had a deep connection with nature, we would be more concerned with sustaining it! Selby (1996) supports this notion by suggesting that connectedness with nature creates responsibility towards nature and others – a more biophilic lifestyle. Interestingly enough, in 2012 Norway was ranked in the top 5 countries on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

There is however an issue here whereby the meaning of Friluftsliv could be lost – it is not a quick fix for social tribulations, it is a lifetime philosophy of personal growth and development encompassing a love and respect for nature. It’s a continuous progression, not an overnight change! Perhaps if Friluftsliv was adopted by all, sustaining the world we live in would not be such a concern.

Read on for the full article:

Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy. 1999. Vol. 14. № 4. P. 25-

Education for Sustainable Development

by CHARLES A. HOPKINS , ROSALYN MCKEOWN

The road to a sustainable economy will be much smoother if the nations of the world are willing to implement programs for sustainability education. Education is an essential tool for achieving a sustainable future. In fact, during the past decade, UN conference declarations have repeatedly called for education, public awareness, and training. And yet, little progress has been made in creating and implementing programs. We have to ask ourselves why. Why is reorienting education to address sustainable development not occurring? What needs to be addressed to move forward? What have we learned to date? What initial steps can all levels of government take to explore and adapt to their particular circumstances?

Reorienting Education

For many nations, the path to a sustainable future for their citizenry begins with greater access to basic education. Those nations whose people average less than six years of public education are in no position to develop more than an agrarian or extractive society. Education is essential for improving the capacity of these people to address environmental and development issues, which are inextricably tied to sustainable development.

Simply providing more education, however, is not the answer for creating a sustainable society. Current global consumption patterns show that the most educated societies leave the deepest ecological footprints. An appropriate basic education, therefore, should be reoriented to include more knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values related to sustainability than are currently included in most of today's schools.

During the past decade, the definition of basic education has expanded to mean more than the ability to read, write, and cipher. At one time, literacy and numeracy assured economic prosperity. Today's more complex international milieu, however, calls for a broader understanding of society, economics, and the environment, as well as the interconnections among the three.

This broader definition of basic education requires that people acquire the skills and curiosity that will support lifelong learning. In short, people must learn how to learn. As a result, they will be able to think about issues from several viewpoints, ask questions, and analyze information from various sources, including the media, labor, industry, and government agencies. Basic education will support community decision making and planning. As people become better educated, such community-based activities could and should become more democratic.

Ultimately, reorienting education toward sustainability will enable people to use environmentally responsible behaviors in everyday life, to become actively involved in political and democratic processes, to question whether public authorities are incorporating environmental protection in resource management and development plans, and to recognize biases in media and other sources of information.

Students in programs that have been reoriented will also learn to practice a sustainable lifestyle by gaining skills tailored to the conditions of the community. For example, in a community that relies on wood for fuel, pupils may learn about sustainable harvesting, replanting, and other silviculture techniques. In an area of shrinking water supply, pupils may learn to use new agricultural techniques and to plant crops that require less water. In affluent communities, pupils may be taught media literacy and awareness of the influence of advertisers in promoting a level of consumerism that leads to increased resource use. Reorienting education will give people skills to make lifestyle changes and will enable a society to become more sustainable.

One of the major benefits of appropriate education is that pupils will learn to think beyond the economic, societal, and environmental horizons of their immediate families and communities. They can learn about other lifestyles, careers, and life conditions. This exposure may even ignite a passion to bring sustainable change to any community in which they choose to live.

Moving Forward

While many nations around the world have embraced the need for education in achieving sustainability, only limited progress has been made on any level. This lack of progress stems from many sources. In some cases, a lack of vision or awareness has impeded progress. In others, it is a lack of policy or funding. By addressing the following major issues in the planning stages, governments can help achieve sustainability.

* Purpose. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to reorienting the world's educational systems toward sustainability is the lack of clarity regarding goals. In simple terms, those who will be called upon to educate differently want to know, What am I to do differently? What should I do or say now that I didn't say before? These simple questions leave most experts in a quandary.

Each country must decide upon a method of implementation--whether to create another add-on subject, such as sustainable development, environmental education, or population education, or to reorient education programs and practices to address sustainable development. Nations will also need to clarify whether their educators are being asked to teach about sustainable development or to go further by changing the goals and methods of education to achieve sustainable development.

Those nations that elect to only educate about sustainable development will face significant limitations. Teaching about sustainable development is akin to a theoretical treatment of an abstract concept, such as teaching the principles of sustainability by rote memorization. Such an approach will not give students the skills, perspectives, values, and knowledge to live sustainably in their community.

* Awareness. The initial step in launching an education program for sustainable development is to develop an awareness within the educational community and public that reorienting education to achieve sustainability is essential. If a government or administration of a school district is unaware of the critical linkages between education and sustainable development, reorienting education to address sustainable development will not occur. Unfortunately, the need to achieve sustainable development is not perceived as sufficiently important to spark a large response in the education community today. If leaders at all levels of governance are to make progress, the recognition and active involvement of the education sector is imperative. Once people realize that education can improve the chance of success for implementing national, regional, and local policy, then education can be reoriented to help achieve sustainability.

* Educational reform. The effectiveness of the world's educational systems is already being critically debated in light of changing needs of society. The current widespread acknowledgment of the need for educational reform could be advantageous for promoting sustainable development education. Proponents of sustainable development education need to identify and illustrate the linkages between the principles of sustainability and the long-term economic well-being of each nation.

If sustainable development education can be linked to the current global educational reform movement, educating for sustainability will be swept along with the energy of the reform effort. If, however, the wave is missed, proponents of sustainable development education will be looking for a foothold in existing curricula and trying to wedge knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values associated with sustainability wherever possible. The former approach can guarantee sustainable development education to every child in school; otherwise, such education will be left to the whim of individual teachers, with resulting huge gaps and possible redundancies.

* Complexity. Sustainable development is a complex, evolving concept. Many scholars and practitioners have invested years in trying to define what sustainable development is and how to achieve it on national and local levels. Because sustainable development is hard to define and implement, it is also difficult to teach. Its complexity stems from the intricate, complicated interactions of natural and human systems. The challenge to educators is to develop messages that illustrate complexity without overwhelming or confusing students.

When we examine successful national education campaigns, we find they often have simple messages. Messages such as vaccinate your children, boil drinking water, do not drive drunk, and do not take drugs are simple statements compared to the complex range of environmental, economic, and social issues that sustainable development encompasses. Success in sustainable development education will therefore take much longer and be more costly than single-message public education campaigns.

* Conceptual models. Sustainable development education remains an enigma to many governments and schools. Governments, ministries of education, school districts, and educators have expressed a willingness to adopt education programs for sustainable development; however, no successful working models currently exist. Without models to adapt and adopt, governments and schools need to create a process to define what education for sustainability is.

Sustainable development education carries with it the inherent idea of implementing programs that are locally relevant and culturally appropriate. Any sustainable development program must take into consideration local environmental, economic, and societal conditions. Accordingly, education programs for sustainable development must also take into consideration the same conditions.

As a result, an education program for sustainable development must be created for each region. Rather than searching for curricular models to adapt, ministries of education and school districts can better invest their time and resources in developing processes by which communities of different sizes and traditions can define their own programs.

* Traditional disciplines. Sustainable development education, by its nature, is holistic and interdisciplinary and depends on concepts and analytical tools from a variety of disciplines. For that reason, it is difficult to teach in traditional school settings where studies are divided and taught in a disciplinary framework.

In countries where national curricula describe in detail the content and sequence of study in each discipline, sustainable development education will be difficult to implement. In other countries where content is described generally and teachers have flexibility in designing multidisciplinary courses, sustainable development education will be more easily implemented but will still require creative teachers who are comfortable and skilled at teaching across disciplines.

* Shared responsibility. Who should be responsible for sustainable development education? Popular thinking promotes the myth that an informed society is solely the responsibility of the ministry of education. In reality, however, the ministries of environment, commerce, state, health, and others also have a stake in sustainable development education, just as they have a stake in sustainable development itself. By combining expertise, resources, and funding from many ministries, the possibility of building a quality, successful education program increases. And, of course, as consensus is being built in a country, it is essential that teachers be involved in the process.

* Leadership. The successful implementation of a new educational trend will require responsible, accountable leadership. Realistic strategies must therefore be developed to quickly create knowledgeable and capable leadership.

Many resources currently exist in the educational and administrative labor pools. Talented educators--especially in the fields of the environment, population, and development--already teach strands of sustainable development education and could easily expand their focus to include other concepts of sustainable development. In developing curricula, however, someone must be sufficiently well versed in sustainable development education to pull together the pieces and to form a complete picture of the role that individuals, communities, and nations must play in a sustainable world.

* Financial and material resources. To date, few financial resources have been dedicated to implementing an education program for sustainable development. At the national level, financial resources must be assigned for curricula development, administration, and teacher education. At the local level, developing curricula, purchasing accompanying resources, and training teachers depend on available funding.

Reorienting education to address sustainability will require new financial resources. One of the major problems with sustainable development education is that current education must continue while the new curriculum is being designed and developed. The reality is that educators are so busy with the task at hand--planning, teaching daily, evaluating progress, writing reports--that they have little time or energy to research and create new curricula. Teachers cannot be expected to do two jobs--design curricula and teach--during the transition phase. Of course, current teachers should play an advisory role, but core design tasks should not fall exclusively on their already burdened shoulders.

* Policy. To succeed, sustainable development education must have an authoritative impetus from national or regional governments that will drive policy development. The omission of this proved to be the downfall of the global effort in the 1970s to infuse environmental education. The reality of any educational reform is that success depends on both top-down and bottom-up efforts. Administrators at the top echelons of ministries need to create the policies that will bring about reform. In tandem, the administrators, teachers, and community leaders at the local level must interpret the policies locally.

* Popular culture. Perhaps, the most difficult obstacle to address in implementing sustainable development education is that the themes of sustainability are not prevalent in popular cultures or governmental policies. For example, many societies have developed or are developing a disposable culture in which beverage containers, food wrappers, plates, and eating utensils get used once and then are buried, burned, or tossed aside. This disposable culture is using such resources as trees more rapidly than they can be replaced.

Although principles of sustainable development are not currently woven into daily life and governmental policy, the emergence of sustainable development education can help shape and encourage behaviors and ethics that will support an informed, knowledgeable citizenry that has the political will to achieve a sustainable future.

Scope and Content

Sustainable development education begins with a knowledge base about the environment, the economy, and society. However, it also addresses learning skills, perspectives, and values that guide and motivate people to seek sustainable livelihoods, participate in a democratic society, and live in a sustainable manner.

* Knowledge. People need basic knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to understand the principles of sustainable development and the ramifications of its implementation. A knowledge base from the traditional disciplines supports sustainable development education. The challenge for communities in creating suitable curricula will be to select knowledge that supports their goals. They will also have to let go of those topics that have been successfully taught for years but that are no longer relevant.

* Skills. To be successful, sustainable development education must give people practical skills that will enable them to continue learning after they leave school, to have a sustainable livelihood, to manage and interact with the local environment, and to live sustainable lives.

* Perspectives. Every sustainability issue has a history and a future. Looking at the roots of an issue and forecasting possible futures, based on different scenarios, is part of sustainable development education. For example, overconsumption of consumer goods such as paper leads to deforestation, which may contribute to global climate change. The ability to consider an issue from the view of different stakeholders is essential to sustainable development education.

* Values. Understanding your own values, the values of the society you live in, and the values of others around the world is a central part of educating for a sustainable future. Values taught in the schools need to reflect the larger values of society. Where appropriate, the opinions of community members can be solicited. Then, a full range of values influenced by local traditions, ethnic populations, immigrants, religions, media, and pop culture will be revealed, inventoried, and considered for relation to and inclusion in sustainable development curricula. In addition, curriculum decision makers will need to decide if new values, which can help communities reach their sustainability goals, should be included in the curriculum.

Levels of Formality

The task of teaching knowledge, skills, perspectives, and values within the various pedagogical traditions and cultural contexts around the world, seems overwhelming. Fortunately, formal education does not carry this educational responsibility alone. The nonformal educational sector (nature centers, nongovernmental organizations, public health educators, and agricultural extension agents) and the informal educational sector (local television, newspapers, and radio) must work in tandem with the formal educational sector for the education of people of all generations and walks of life.

Because sustainable development education is a lifelong process, the formal education sector, the nonformal educational sector, and the informal educational sector should work together to accomplish local sustainability goals. In an ideal world, the three sectors would divide the enormous task of sustainable development education by identifying target audiences from the general public as well as themes of sustainability. They would then work innovatively within their mutually agreed upon realms. This division of effort would reach a broader spectrum of people and prevent redundant effort. Creating and implementing sustainable development education requires vision, a purposeful plan of action, resources, and persistence during implementation. We already know that our current path will not result in sustainability. We have to build another path, and educational change can be a primary tool.

Sustainable development will require major changes in policy and mindset. The mindset will include fundamental changes in our lifestyle, economy, and worldview. Our societies will need to examine how goods are manufactured and consumed; the way we use, preserve, conserve, and restore natural resources; and the way we perceive and rank social, political, and economic needs. Sustainable development will require that we learn new ways to think about problems, create solutions, and make decisions to implement those solutions. Education is the key if we are to learn the new ways and mindset that sustainable development requires of us.

Charles Hopkins is president of Info Green Ltd., in Toronto, Canada. Rosalyn McKeown is the director of the Center for Geography and Environmental Education at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.

References

Gelter, H. (2000). Friluftsliv: The Scandinavian Philosophy of Outdoor Life. 5, p77-90.

Harding, S. (1997). What is Deep Ecology? Resurgence. 185, p14-17.