Are Educators Ready forthe Next Earth Summit?: the millenium papers: issue 6

Education is widely recognised as one of the major implementation toolsfor Agenda 21, the action plan for sustainable development developed at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment & Development (UNCED). However, education’s progress compared to other Agenda 21 issues and implementation mechanisms has been slow, as although considered important it is all too often dismissed. The idea is for sustainable education not to provide all knowledge, but to teach how to look for knowledge – to be a tool with which to action sustainable development. Sustainable education requires an understanding of education beyond the formal system, and as such calls upon us to reconfigure ourt raditional perception of ‘education’. John Smyth gives a comprehensive view of how the issues surrounding the education community have developed and outlines the areas still needing attention, as well as offering constructive criticism of action so far. He looks at the stakeholders within the process, suggesting a holistic approach where we can learn from other people’s examples, and places the responsibility for thison the wider education community. By giving recommendations on ways to move forward and create links to overcome these gaps this paper hopes to inspire those with that responsibility. The conclusion is that we need to redefine education in sustainable development policy. All stakeholders need to come together to generate a much needed breakthrough in education, leading to a better informed and sustainably motivated public.