Posted on December, 01 2014

The UN summit on sustainable development at Johannesburg in 2002 asserted that ‘… education is the primary agent of transformation towards sustainable development, increasing people’s capacities to transform their visions for society into reality…’ Education for Sustainable Development includes processes that cultivate knowledge, skills, values and attitudes that affect the individual’s, the school’s and the community’s work in creating a fair and just society, economic security, ecological capacity and democracy. We have been striving to build capacity in Education for Sustainable Development and mentoring schools to become models of sustainability.

Our work in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Assam has succeeded in orienting the State Education departments in Education for Sustainable Development and also in establishing 12 Model schools across these states which uphold the approach. It is through the reorientation of formal, nonformal and informal education towards Education for Sustainable Development that students and participants can be empowered to think creatively, make informed decisions and act towards a more desirable future for their own lives and their societies.

The ‘Methodologies for the Future’ is intended as a source of inspiration and support for teachers and trainers, it lays down concepts and equips them with forms, tools and methodologies that will develop action competence for sustainability in students. It provides in-depth examples of sustainable development, illustrates what needs to be taught and how, and paves the way for schools and communities to develop together. This handbook has also been done in 5 regional languages (Hindi, Axomiya, Bangla, Kannada and Malyali) and I am sure will be of great service to teachers who play such a critical role in shaping the future of India.

Original report dated: 01.04.2014