Educating for sustainability

“it is worth noting that (the catastrophic state of the world) is not the work of ignorant people. Rather, it is largely the results of work by people with BAs, BSs, LLBs, MBAs, and PhDs.”
David Orr, Professor, Dept of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College, Ohio

What do i mean by the world is hurting? I like to tell my friends that the degeneration of our environment is likened to the “aging” process..... it is irreversible..... no matter how we deal with it..... whether it is through “botox” or “firming masks and creams”......we can never stop it.... at the most, we can slow down the process. Nevertheless, we would still be quite adamant about staying youthful.....the rich would even spend millions to do it.....

The world is changing at a speed that is unparalleled.... and what is most alarming is that this speed of change is exponential.... the change in the next 5 years is probably going to be equivalent to the change that took place over the past 10-15 years??? What’s even more alarming is that we are not merely thinking of the environment as one and only issue that needs tackling.... it goes beyond just saving the environment, it borders on socio-economic and political agendas as well...... If not for a visit to UN in 2004 when I was in USA, I would not have realized that the devastating effects posed by the great division between the first and the third worlds. How many of us know that about 87% of the world’s wealth is owned by a mere 25% of the world’s population? Simply put, we, in the “developed societies” are totally at ease with concepts such as “get now pay later” .... with little consideration of our impact on our future generations..... totally embracing of ideas of “meritocracy” and capitalism.....feeling that we deserve every bit of what we strive for. I have often wondered what life would be like for me if I’m born into a third world?

With such brutal truths confronting us, shouldn’t we not take education even more seriously? Perhaps, through education, we may be able to change the attitudes and values of the leaders who will be making critical choices about our world. Education for sustainability calls for all educators to have a clarity to rethink, courage to refuse, charity to reduce and creativity to reuse......”

Challenge yourself

I've made it a point to learn one new skill every year.... it is an interesting way to get into the shoes of the learner and walk around in them. Well, learning something new and posing new challenges to ourselves keep us very much in tune with our own limitations and strengths... in fact, it gives us fresh insights and first-hand experiences of how a learner responds to various modes of instructions. It helps us understand and empathize with those who may not have the aptitude for certain tasks..... that is why it is so important that teachers, facilitators and educators continue to be learners.