“Sustainability and education are considered as two sides of a single coin”. It was about 1987 that the concept of sustainable development was introduced, aiming to address the significant need for development, where everyone should update their life by adopting advanced technology and connecting with the global world, while ensuring that future generations’ needs are not affected by today’s development. Sustainable development is the best concept by which nobody is left behind and grows without affecting others. But many questions are raised, such as why we can’t adopt sustainable development yet? Why has the world failed to implement policies that can promote sustainability? Why are many countries still facing difficulties? After 38 years of this concept, there are still challenges that cannot be minimized by those who have responsibilities. We will try to answer all these questions in this blog.
Education And Sustainable Development
There is a close relation between education and sustainable development. We always heard that “Education has the power to change the entire world,” but still, it cannot promote sustainability. The reason behind the lack of sustainability in many countries is low access to SDG4 quality education. However, quality education cannot be defined as what it actually is, but is the process where everyone can get equal access to resources and totally focus on development rather than theoretical knowledge. When education prepares individuals for a better and developed society, after that they will serve for the betterment of the society, and through this, sustainable development will be ensured.
Role Of Youth In Sustainable Development
“Youth are the change maker of today-they are not only the leader of tomorrow”. Sustainable development is a broad term, each and every field is crucial for sustainable development. While Youth have more responsibilities compared to others, as they are serving in different fields. And the question is, what do they need to do? Sustainability cannot be promoted until everyone, regardless of their gender, cast, color, ethnicity, race, and culture, can play their role. Youth can arrange environmental awareness programs, engage society, and use social media to spread the importance of sustainability education.
Steps that are Taken for Sustainable Development
When the world started focusing on sustainable development, it took some major steps to ensure sustainability.
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
MDGs were a set of eight global development goals in 2000 by 190 UN and 18 international organizations, aiming that these goals should be achieved by 2015. The goals include decreasing poverty, ensuring free access to primary education, ensuring equality among genders, reducing child mortality, enhancing maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases, developing environmental sustainability, and ensuring global partnership. While the entire world failed to achieve this, the reason behind not achieving these goals is that these goals were set for developing countries, and developed countries didn’t play their role.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS)
Sustainable development goals replaced MDGs, 196 United Nations set 17 goals by 2030. And these goals were for both developed and developing countries. Goals include, zero poverty, no hunger, ensure good health and wealth, quality education, gender base equality, access to clean water, affordable clean energy, employment and economic growth, promote industries and Innovation, promote equality, safe and sustainable cities, consumption and production, climate action, life in water, life on earth, peace and justice, and partnership for achieving the goals. These 17 goals were set by the United Nations and have released billions of rupees every year to ensure sustainable development.
SDG 4: Quality Education
Quality education not only focuses on quality and equitable inclusive education but also targets 4.7 of quality education, focusing on education for sustainable development (ESD). Lifelong learning is also an important aspect of ESD. This emphasizes the importance of gender equality, equity, and climate justice skills development and diversity acceptance. Nowadays, quality education is used as a term for focusing on providing education instead of skills development and critical thinking. And I must say this mindset should be changed.
Sustainability and Education
Sustainability education is the process of providing knowledge and skills for the students about environmental, economic, and social development. Here are some steps that need to be focused on to ensure education for sustainable development. The first and foremost important step is to develop and update a green curriculum by mainly focusing on the environment. Secondly, education should focus on practical climate action rather than theoretical concepts, and lastly, provide training to the young people for the purpose of lifelong learning and development. These steps can be considered as providing education for sustainable development.
Education For Climate Action
Education for climate action means providing education in such a way that focuses on climate and the science behind climate change. In my recent article about climate change, I demonstrate how we are lacking and ignoring climate change education and its importance. “Plant a tree and save a life” is a great slogan, but it remained a slogan; we didn’t use this slogan practically to save a single life. Unfortunately, our state does the same. However, education for climate action is a concept where education should be provided based on environmental needs.
Lifelong Learning And Development
Sustainable education does not focus on a graduation degree;, it is about lifelong learning. Means that after graduation, there should be possibilities to continue learning through skills development programs throughout life. This can be possible in such an advanced global world where technology and sustainable policies are developed monthly. There is a crucial need to provide opportunities for youth so that they can continue learning throughout their life.
Shaping Future Generations
Sustainable development is mainly focused on the future generation. It aims to develop nations without affecting future generations and also provide opportunities for them so that they’ll easily access their needs. To shape the future of new generations, the SDGs are directly linked with it; these goals will promote gender equality and global partnership to shape the future generation. While quality education is also crucial for shaping their mind in such a way that they can develop themselves without affecting others. Quality education also has the power to promote empathy with unique critical thinking, which will make one creative. It will ultimately serve for the betterment of society.
Conclusion
Education for sustainable development is not anyone’s choice but it is mandatory to shape future generations. As they’ll be living their life in such an era where they should have access to technologies and they are responsible for shaping the entire world. Lack of social justice is the main hurdle that affects us in adopting sustainable development. Many policies are made at the national and international levels about sustainable development, but due to political instability, we have failed to implement them properly, especially in developing countries. Many developed countries are responsible for lacking sustainable development as they are contributing to climate change. Therefore, there is a crucial need for sustainable development. “Education for sustainable development is not about providing education, but it is about shaping the future generation’s mind”.
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