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INTEGRATION OF IDEAS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CURRICULUMS OF GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN AND MODELLING OF EDUCATION QUALITY MONITORING
M. M. Vakhabov
The article describes the integration of sustainable development ideas in the secondary education curriculum, considers methodical bases of Education for Sustainable Development, and analyzes some of the topics closely related to issues of sustainable development, and considers challenges of education quality monitoring modeling.
Key words: national model of training, integration, principles and indicators of education quality, monitoring modeling.
The Republic of Uzbekistan is involved in the gradual creation of a democratic rule-of-law state and open civil society providing observance of human rights and freedoms, formation of a socially and ecologically oriented market economy, and full integration in the world community. The major goal and driving force of the transformations in the republic is harmonious development and wellbeing of man, and creation of conditions and effective mechanisms of implementation of the interests of the individual. A specific feature of the national model of the education system is continuous education of the population. Every person has the possibility to acquire knowledge, professional skills and specialties throughout his life. The functioning of the system of continuous education is ensured on the basis of state educational standards, the consistency of educational programs of different levels, and includes the following kinds of education: preschool education, general secondary education, secondary special vocational education, higher education, postgraduate education, advanced training and staff retraining, and out-of-school education.
The fundamental principles and targets of the state educational policy, and its focus on the individual and education of the modern generation are defined in the National Program for Staff Training approved by the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan (1997). The Program provides for implementation of the national model of staff training, creation of social-economic, legal, psychological-pedagogical and other conditions for formation of a many-sided individual, adaptation to life in the modern changing society, the conscientious choice and further assimilation of educational and professional programs, and education of citizens aware of their responsibility to society, the state and their family. The issues of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) are reflected in the National Strategy of Sustainable Development (1998), the Concept of Education for Sustainable Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan (2011), and the National Action Plan within the Framework of the Program of “Education for Everybody” (2003-2015) implemented under the auspices of UNESCO.
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The principal goal of the ESD is integration of the ideas and principles of sustainable development aimed at forming an individual with a systemic worldview, critically, socially, economically and ecologically oriented thinking, and active citizenship in all education forms and levels. The determinant idea of the ESD is development of skills and abilities, extension of knowledge aimed at prevention and resolution of social, economic and ecological challenges, and threats to the present time and future, including the Aral Sea crisis. The ESD still continues functioning as a vast and comprehensive concept encompassing the interrelated ecological, economic and social problems. ESD is a lifelong process starting from early childhood until acquisition of higher education and education for adults, and goes beyond formal education. As the system of values, lifestyle and life attitudes is formed in early childhood, the education of children acquires special significance. Taking into account what we learn while fulfilling different tasks throughout life, ESD should be considered as a process encompassing all elements of the life sphere.
Based on the above, it is important to integrate the ideas of sustainable development in the subject-related environment at every level of education. ESD is related to all aspects of the school subject. As a result, ESD integration can be considered to be a good way of achieving one’s learning goals and increasing the effectiveness of teaching of all subjects. This is integration of ESD ideas and content in curriculums of different levels. This is lifelong education. Education in the interests of sustainable development is to contribute to: (a) extension of ideas about the interrelation and interdependence of development of the society, nature and economy; (b) understanding the substance of ecological problems; (c) the increasing significance of ecological and environmental traditions of the people living in Uzbekistan and ecologically expedient techniques of economic management to build a careful attitude to natural-cultural heritage; (d) personal growth, self-development, self-actualization, and self-education of all categories of learners and social groups; (e) identification of the causes of deterioration of the environment; (f) development of the system of dissemination of knowledge about the environment and its condition among all social groups, etc.
ESD is to answer the following questions: which knowledge and skills learners must have when graduating from an educational institution, and which knowledge and skills are to be acquired by adults to be the most useful for improving the quality of life and solving the problems of society and the state, including harmonization of relations between society and nature. Based on the above, it is necessary to define the principles, criteria and indicators ensuring adequate assessment of the activities of the educational institution in ESD. Therefore, the problem of development of the education quality monitoring model taking into account sustainable development ideas becomes relevant today. In the process of development of the system of indicators, it is necessary to coordinate the principles of development of the national system of continuous education, conceptual positions, and approaches to identification of education quality guarantees taking into account the progressive international experience. In the process of assessment of ESD goals achievement, we can use the model of education quality monitoring which allows assessment of skills and conditions such as critical and systemic thinking of learners, awareness of national values and
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active citizenship, the idea of a sustainable future, identification of problems and application of the acquired knowledge in practice, independence and responsibility in decision-making, and development and publication of teaching-methodological materials, and use of new approaches and methods, etc.
References
1. Вебстер К., Желвакова М. А., Кирилов П. Н., Корякина Н. И. От экологического образования к образованию для устойчивого развития. САГА, Наука, 2005.
2. Азизов А. А., Акиншина Н. Г. Образование в интересах Устойчивого Развития: учеб.-метод. пособие. - Ташкент, 2009.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translastions Bureas
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