Teaching and Learning
©Yann Arthus-Bertrand www.yannarthusbertrand.org
"1 in 5 adults cannot read or write; 98% of them live in developing countries and 66% of them are women."
The Teaching and Learning section contains information about curriculum requirements and opportunities for sustainable development (SD), both in general terms and by subject. It also provides links to case studies illustrating some of the different ways schools are approaching sustainability.
The national curriculum acknowledges that education is a route to equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy and sustainable development.
Sustainable development is also included in the values, aims and purposes of the school curriculum.
SD is about helping pupils to develop knowledge, understanding, values and skills. The curriculum, approaches to teaching, and the learning experiences that pupils have are all key elements of effective SD.
There are requirements (either references within the programmes of study that refer specifically to sustainable development or references that clearly promote the study of relationships between environment, society and economy) for SD in some subjects.
There are also opportunities (either using programme of study requirements in a subject to engage pupils in learning that may support sustainable development or using sustainable development as a context for learning) to promote SD in other subjects, and to use sustainable development as a stimulating context for learning across the school curriculum.
The development of skills, including responsible decision-making and lifelong learning, supports education for sustainable development.
SD has clear links with a number of curriculum subjects, notably geography, citizenship and science, and many other aspects of the curriculum, for example, literacy, numeracy, thinking skills and key skills.
You can find a professional development activity to develop understanding of SD and help to identify where it is already happening in the classroom in the professional development section of the site.
