Soon, the international community will come together for the SDG Summit to take stock of the SDGs and bring SDG solutions to scale via 12 High Impact Initiatives, one of them being education.
This is a crucial opportunity for policymakers, international organizations, NGOs, and practitioners to advocate for impactful, effective, and pioneering learning models that will help students gain the knowledge, values, and skills to achieve sustainable development.
By Raquel Armendariz and Amanda Abrom, SDSN’s Global Schools Program
The purpose and the role of education as an agent of change in society has never been clearer. As we approach the SDG Summit that will undertake review of the state of the Goals this September, marking the midpoint in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDG 4 (quality education) should be at the heart of efforts towards progress and transformative change. Yet, the current education systems continue to fail to deliver well-trained students who are equipped to face the unprecedented challenges of our time and find sustainable solutions for the future. For instance, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) finds that out of 100 countries surveyed, only 53% have any reference to climate change in national curricula, fewer than 40% of teachers express confidence in teaching it, and fewer than 30% are familiar with suitable pedagogies to teach about climate change in the classroom. The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing climate crisis have only further disrupted education and jeopardized endeavors to implement educational change.
Now is the time to take action on the future we want for our youth and their education. We must reflect on the following key questions:
Currently, the UN monitors global citizenship education (GCE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) via SDG target 4.7, which calls for all learners to have the “knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development” by 2030. Recent literature has demonstrated that integrating ESD and its corresponding pedagogies and competencies into teaching and learning provides ample benefits for students and society. For example, a Stanford University review of 100+ studies found that environmental education improves academic performance, enhances critical thinking skills, and develops life skills. Other studies reveal that teaching target 4.7, as well as ESD content and pedagogy leads to increased student attendance, improved attitudes toward minority groups, increased conflict resolution skills, and improved values about gender equality. While the literature makes a strong argument for adopting ESD as a guiding framework to transform education, the necessary policies, teacher training, and resources for ESD have not accelerated at the pace we need to achieve SDG 4. Furthermore, without real commitment from decision makers on policies that support the ESD curriculum, teacher professional development, and improved skills for youth, we cannot achieve target 4.7 and implement the ESD framework globally, despite its overall benefits for learning and for society as a whole.
Fortunately, there have been some recent positive examples of efforts to meet this challenge. Last year, the UN Transforming Education Summit (TES) convened in response to the global education crisis, further cementing education’s place at the top of the multilateral agenda. One of the major outcomes of the TES was the establishment of the Greening Education Partnership, which aims to prepare every learner to promote sustainable development, with a specific focus on climate education.
In addition, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been working via the Global Schools Program and Mission 4.7 to provide resources to support policymakers in identifying efficient, effective, and locally relevant approaches to scale ESD interventions in the classroom and across national educational systems. The recently launched guide titled, ‘Integrating Sustainable Development into National Education Priorities: A Practical Guide for Policymakers, Practitioners, and Researchers,’ provides a blueprint for stakeholders interested in ESD by highlighting aspects of curriculum development that are essential for quality ESD. The lessons learned, compiled by numerous experts in the field, are also useful for teachers and school leaders to introduce ESD directly to their communities through in-classroom activities. Another SDSN program, SDSN Youth, promotes ESD beyond K-12 classrooms into higher education. Through SDSN Youth’s SDG Students Program, university students can collaborate and drive solutions to sustainable development problems within their communities, while learning and engaging with a global network of student hubs for the SDGs.
Soon, the international community will come together for the SDG Summit to take stock of the SDGs and bring SDG solutions to scale via 12 High Impact Initiatives, one of them being education. This is a crucial opportunity for policymakers, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and practitioners to advocate for impactful, effective, and pioneering learning models that will help students gain the knowledge, values, and skills to achieve sustainable development.
The world has the research, learning frameworks, and resources necessary for the next generation of learners – but the real challenge is implementing these and taking real action. The time for transformative action on education is here. All stakeholders must be at the center of inclusive efforts, and the SDG Summit is the perfect moment to build further momentum on achieving quality education.