Implementing Effective Indicators for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

1. QUESTIONS checklist measures taken by governments – to implement e.g. is there a ‘public awareness’ component in relevant national documents that address ESD? activities/public money/publicly supported research Indicators must be: input e.g. in what subjects are SD themesintegrated? • relevant • easy to understand • representative information on the results: e.g. – performance of trained teachers output e.g. are there quality criteria for ESD-related teaching materials? outcome qualitative aspects: in terms of values, attitudes, local culture etc. e.g.do educational institutions/organizations participate in international networks? MEASURABLE INDICATORSFOR ESD instead of numerous Less INDICATORS Guidelines in the classroom: Quality Criteria – e.g. # Critical thinking and the language of possibility # Cooperative and experiential learning systemic view # Value clarification and development # Appreciate and confrontdiversity and to look at this as ‘opportunities’ for broadening options for change holistic perspective Teacher # Action perspective adequate scope ESD will be implemented in the classroom! Dieter Gross

2. References: “Quality Criteria for ESD-Schools” Guidelines to enhance the quality of Education for Sustainable Development May 2005, ISBN 3-85031-048-5 Authors: Breiting, Søren; Mayer, Michela; Mogensen, Finn; Editor: Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Dept. V/11c, Environmental Education Affairs Funded by the European Commission in the frame of the EU-COMENIUS 3 network “School Development through Environmental Education” (SEED) Projectnumber: 100530-CP1-2002-1-AT-COMENIUS-C3 In collaboration with the international network “Environment and School Initiatives” (ENSI) ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY UNECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development CEP/AC.13/2005/9 First meeting: Geneva, 13 to14 December 2005 INDICATORS FOR EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT progress report on the work of the Expert Group, chaired by Mr. Roel van Raaij (the Netherlands). Gross, Dieter (1997): A Curriculum Based on the Principle of Sustainable Development 4th European Congress for Environmental Education, AUDES Association of University Departments of Environmental Sciences in Europe: Multidisciplinarity and International Co-operation in Environmental Education, Chambéry http://www.desd.sustain-future.org/chambery.pdf