Développement durable et apprendre tout au long de la vie

L'UNESCO a lancé l'ébauche d'un "Programme" pour l'éducation en vue du développement durable. Pédagogiquement le programme recommande une approche interdisciplinaire, la pensée critique et la problématisation, l'appel aux expériences locales : beaucoup de point commun avec l'autoformation tout au long de la vie. Et si l'interrogation sur le développement durable devenait le déclencheur d'une réflexion en profondeur sur les finalités de l'éducation tout au long de la vie ?

 http://portal.unesco.org/education/fr/ev.php-URL_ID=36025&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

(Page 7) Education for Sustainable Development is for everyone, at whatever stage of life they are. It takes place, therefore, within a perspective of lifelong learning, engaging all possible learning spaces, formal, non-formal and informal, from early childhood to adult life. ESD calls for a re-orientation of educational approaches – curriculum and content, pedagogy and examinations. Spaces for learning include non-formal learning, community-based organisations and local civil society, the workplace, formal education, technical and vocational training, teacher training, higher education educational inspectorates, policy-making bodies, …and beyond.

(Page 18) Education for sustainable development will aim to demonstrate the following features:

Interdisciplinary and holistic: learning for sustainable development embedded in the whole curriculum, not as a separate subject; • • • • • • •

Values-driven: it is critical that the assumed norms – the shared values and principles underpinning sustainable development – are made explicit so that that can be examined, debated, tested and applied;

Critical thinking and problem solving: leading to confidence in addressing the dilemmas and challenges of sustainable development;

Multi-method: word, art, drama, debate, experience, … different pedagogies which model the processes. Teaching that is geared simply to passing on knowledge should be recast into an approach in which teachers and learners work together to acquire knowledge and play a role in shaping the environment of their educational institutions;

Participatory decision-making: learners participate in decisions on how they are to learn;

Applicability: the learning experiences offered are integrated in day to day personal and professional life.

Locally relevant: addressing local as well as global issues, and using the language(s) which learners most commonly use. Concepts of sustainable development must be carefully expressed in other languages – languages and cultures say things differently, and each language has creative ways of expressing new concepts.

The role of science and technology deserves highlighting as science provides people with ways to understand the world and their role in it. ESD needs to provide a scientific understanding of sustainability together with an understanding of the values, principles, and lifestyles that will lead to the transition to sustainable development. Science should be regarded broadly to include social sciences as well as natural sciences and traditional approaches to learning and understanding as well as formal science. Technology provides people with the tools to change their situation as results of learning and expression. Technology should also be regarded broadly to include traditional use of materials and application of knowledge as well as manufactured items. Technology must be applied consistently with the goals of sustainability;