Understanding Sustainability

The Understanding Sustainability content strand outlines the need for whole school and community education and engagement with sustainability. Global issues such as climate change, water shortage, rising cost of resources have a direct impact on the ecosystem socially, economically and environmentally.

Education for Sustainability (EfS) is grounded in three basic understandings:-

Moral & Ethical Decision Making

Building Preferred Futures Social Justice & Sustainability

Understanding Sustainability

Education - about the environment where we focus on students’ understanding of important facts, concepts and theories. - in the environment which involves students in direct contact with the natural world to develop awareness, affinity and care for the environment. - for the environment where we aim to promote a willingness and ability to adopt life styles that are compatible with the wise use of environmental resources and minimising impacts on the natural and social world.

Primarily the function of Education for Sustainability is to influence teaching and learning to develop and extend skills and knowledge, promote, investigate, analyse and ultimately change practice in people. This is necessary to develop a new ‘mindset ‘for environmental protection, sustainable use of the world’s natural resources and social justice.

Over the past four decades Education for Sustainability has developed around eight Key Principles:

Transformation and change Education for all and lifelong learning Systems thinking Envisioning a better future Critical thinking and reflection Participation Partnerships for Change Relationships with the natural world

These principles are based on the view that people need to know, both how to act and what to act upon, as well as why they should act towards a more sustainable future.

Refer to Page 31 for Principles of Education for Sustainability Descriptors

Kinship with the Earth is aligned to the Australian National Environmental Education Statement (NEES 2005) which classifies Education for Sustainability into the following areas:

Learning and Teaching for students, teachers and the whole school community about, in and for the environment

Curriculum Organisation around VELS, AusVELS and AuSSI Vic outcomes, leading to more challenging, real and engaging learning for students

Resource Management of school energy use through tracking, monitoring and behaviour change. Systems and procedures coordinated by students that save the school money, protect the environment and engage the wider community

Physical Surrounds ensuring that the natural aspects of the school grounds, and buildings become part of the learning experience for students

Governance and management structures that lead to whole school plans for Education for Sustainability

Networks and Partnerships with supportive organizations that assist the school with projects while promoting Education for Sustainability to the wider community