APPENDIX 56
Memorandum from the Department for Education
and Training of the Welsh Assembly Government
INTRODUCTION
1. The purpose of this Memorandum is to
provide the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee's Sub
Committee on Education and Sustainable Development with a brief
synopsis of the activities of the Welsh Assembly Government's
Education for Sustainable Development Panel.
BACKGROUND
2. At a meeting with the Minister of Education
and Lifelong Learning, Jane Davidson, in March 2001, voluntary
sector parties suggested establishing an advisory panel, to consider
how to promote education for sustainable development effectively
in schools and adult education. They were particularly concerned
that education for sustainable development should not be regarded
at synonymous with environmental education. Rather, it should
focus on the interdependence of society, the economy and the environment
and demonstrate how social, economic and environmental factors
would impact on each other. She agreed to establish such an advisory
panel and in May 2001, the Advisory Panel on education for Sustainable
Development met for the first time under the Chairmanship of the
head of Pupil Support Division. The establishment of this Panel
is consistent with the fact that the Assembly is one of only three
similar institutions worldwide, which have sustainable development
as a statutory cross cutting theme.
3. Apart from the Assembly's own officials,
the Advisory Panel comprises representatives from a wide range
of organisations including:
— Countryside Council for Wales.
— University of Wales, Bangor.
4. The panel quickly agreed Terms of Reference,
which are "To promote education for sustainable development
in schools, further and higher education, at work, during recreation
and at home; and to make practical recommendations for action
in Wales". In developing an associated Work programme it
established three sub-groups to take forward these proposals.
These sub groups have been considering:-
— incorporating education for sustainable
development across the Curriculum and disseminating good practice
between schools and continuing professional development;
— incorporating education for sustainable
development into initial teacher training; and
— communicating sustainable development
across the major sectors in Wales, including the private, voluntary
and higher education sectors.
5. In order to complement and facilitate,
the work of these three sub groups, the Assembly made available
£50,000 in 2002-03 to support four pilot projects. They are:
VIRTUAL DIRECTORY
AND E FORUM
This is designed to provide a web based directory
containing information which will encourage others to include
ESD within their educational work. It also incorporates a virtual
"chat room" that allows practitioners and others alike
to develop and share best practice across Wales. The Directory
went live in May 2003. The e-mail forum will follow once the Directory
becomes firmly established.
INSET
This project is seeking to develop a framework
for quality ESD INSET provision across the whole of Wales and
to facilitate an increase in the capacity for local provision
of this type of INSET, wherever possible, for teachers. The report
is being finalised.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
The purpose of this pilot project which is currently
being pursued in Powys, is to equip teachers with the knowledge,
skills and confidence to integrate ESD into all aspects of school
life. It is working alongside governors and teaching staff from
three primary schools to develop a model that will integrate ESD
and global citizenship into the whole school ethos and all aspects
of the taught curriculum.
SUSTAINABILITY APPLICATION
FRAMEWORK IN
EDUCATION (SAFE)
This project, which is being undertaken under
the auspices of Carmarthen Country Council in conjunction with
a sustainable development charity, The Natural Step, is assessing
the feasibility of developing a generic framework for promoting
sustainable development in schools across Wales.
6. All four pilot projects are being closely
monitored and evaluated and will help influence future policy
developments in this particular field. For 2003-04, the Assembly
has, however, increased the level of resources available to test
out new and innovative ideas to £100,000 and the process
of selecting suitable projects is well underway.
7. A key achievement of the Panel has been
the publication (jointly with the Working Group on Education for
Global Citizenship) entitled "Education for Sustainable Development
and Global Citizenship". Its principal aim is to assist schools
incorporate both these concepts into Curriculum and into every
aspect of school life. It also provides guidance to organisations
involved in providing initial teacher training and continuing
professional development. In this way it draws together many of
the standards being pursued by the three sub groups and fulfils
many of their key aspirations.
8. A further key milestone for the Panel
was its presence at the 2002 Welsh Education Show when, apart
from a dedicated stand, the Panel took the opportunity of raising
awareness of its work, sharing good practice and eliciting the
views of teachers about he types of support they would find positively
useful in taking forward ESD. A similar presence took place at
this year's Education Show in Cardiff and it will also be exhibiting
at a comparable one in North Wales in the Autumn.
ITET
9. In 2002, a programme of visits was conducted
with all eight Heads of Schools of Education, and ITET colleagues.
As a result of this research, a paper was prepared detailing specific
proposals of how ESD and global citizenship can be further embedded
into ITET. The paper was presented to the ESD Panel, and the Global
Citizenship Working Group in March/April this year and future
work is currently being prioritised.
10. One of the key outcomes of the Communication
Group is a series of recommendations, which they believe will
integrate ESD into workings of the assembly, ASPBs and other public
agencies in Wales. Consideration of these proposals is currently
being undertaken by the Assembly and the recommendations are likely
to be submitted to the Assembly's Cabinet Sub Committee on Sustainable
Development.
FORWARD WORK
PLAN
11. For 2003-04, the ESD Panel has decided
that it should begin to progressively extend the ambit of its
role. While wishing to continue to build on the innovation that
has already taken place within the schools sector, it believes
that it is imperative that it should explore in greater depth
innovative approaches within both further and higher education
as well as adult education and youth support services. Key amongst
this latter programme will be the recommendations that have flowed
from a recent ESD Conference held in Swansea where the challenges
of these particular sectors were considered.
EDUCATION FOR
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
12. The Assembly is also working jointly
with the Department for International Development (DfID) to promote
Education for Global Citizenship. Education for Global Citizenship
is about enabling pupils to understand the global forces that
shape their lives and to acquire the knowledge, skills and values
that will equip them to participate in decision making which promotes
a more equitable and sustainable world. This area of learning
has a particular focus on the developing world, although it is
broader than simply "development education".
13. There is a working Group on Education
for Global Citizenship, the membership of which includes the Assembly
Government, DfID, Cyfanfyd, ACCAC, Estyn, the British Council
and LEA advisors.
14. The Working group on Global Citizenship
and the Advisory Panel on Education for Sustainable Development
have made a point of working closely together. This reflects the
obvious linkages between these two areas of learning—both
in terms of content and style of learning.
15. Current activities on Education for
Global Citizenship include:
— The joint guidance on "Education
for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship" referred
to above.
— An INSET video "Educating for
Global citizenship", produced by the World Education Centre
at Bangor with funding from the Assembly Government and DfID.
— Development of a "curriculum
mapping" guidance document, which will show how the existing
school curriculum provides opportunities to deliver Education
for Global Citizenship.
July 2003
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