Memorandum from Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the largest voluntary organisation
for girls and young women in the UK, with around 600 000 members.
Girlguiding UK takes a proactive role in highlighting issues such
as the environment and sustainable development to its members.
As an organisation we have been involved with other NGOs such
as the Council for Environmental Education for a number of years.
We have a fundamental interest in highlighting the importance
of youth work and would like to see the government use this "untapped
resource" more effectively to achieve its objective of educating
young people on sustainable development.
Below we provide some answers to the questions
posed by the Committee in its inquiry:
1. The term "Education for Sustainable
Development" only holds currency for those involved with
ESD professionally (teachers, NGOs, Government departments etc).
The term means little to the general public. The main reason for
this is the vagueness surrounding the definition of Sustainable
Development. It needs to be repackaged as a recognisable and emotive
issue.
2. At events such as the policy forum on
ESD hosted by the Council for Environmental Education in October
it was certainly possible to sense some change. Most initiatives
still remain as "works in progress" though. The new
forum being set up in 2005 by the DfES for voluntary youth organisations
will kick start activity in this sector.
3. The strategy should include far more
information for informal learning and the youth work sector, including
targets and indicators.
4. The 14-19 Working Group's report does
not go far enough in specifically defining work around ESD. The
White Paper should explain how its proposals will enable citizens
to address the issues and challenges of sustainable development.
5. The Sustainable Development Action Plan
does not mention the role of the Youth Work Sector in taking ESD
forward and thereby misses a great opportunity offered by the
Youth Work sector to involve young people with sustainable development
in an informal setting. There is not much support/incentive for
partnership working between youth, community and environmental
organisations.
6. The DfES should adopt an approach to
ESD and environmental education similar to the one they have employed
for issues such as citizenship and PSHE. For example, the Sports
and Healthy Eating Strategy released by the government has encouraged
youth organisations such as Girlguiding UK to launch their own
strategy and incorporate the issue into their programme and resource
planning. Links to funding are normally also easier to identify
when a comprehensive strategy is available.
7. If ESD was tied in closely with the work
of a government initiative/department (for instance volunteering
and the Russell Commission and DoH taking a lead on Obesity etc),
the issue of SD would be firmly placed on the agenda and resources
allocated accordingly.
November 2004
| 
