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NEW EDUCATION - EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Т. А. Skopitskaya
This article discusses prerequisites and the role of education for sustainable development, its constituents, and ways of further development based on modern education requirements.
Key words: sustainable development, education for sustainable development, environmental education, contemporary education goals.
The issue of sustainable development is not a new one in discussions on various political, economic, social and educational levels. Preservation of the human activity environment, sustainable use and replenishment of natural resources, maintenance of safe productive interaction between people at the level of small groups and interstate communication, and development of every person's individual potential are the challenges of our time underlying sustainable development issues. Education is a priority factor of progress in the human community, and interaction plays an important role in promoting solutions to the specified challenges.
The UN General Assembly has declared 2005-2014 the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The goal of the decade was to promote public understanding of the importance of education and training for adopting sustainable development according to a balance of three environmental constituents: nature, society and the economy [3]. Education for sustainable development is becoming a global project, in the results of which every person on planet Earth has an interest. Sustainable development is a society development where the needs of the present generation are met without prejudice by future generations. This is a balanced, controlled development of society, non-destructive for its natural basis and ensuring continuous progress of human civilization. This definition does not explain the term as much as lists the objectives of civilization development. In other words, sustainable development is a socially desirable, economically viable and environmentally sustainable development of society [2].
Education as an "investment in the future" is an interconnecting tool for sustainable development and is intended to realize: (a) creation of an informational and educational field for presenting and discussing issues on the state of the social and natural environment, and awareness of what every member of society can do for its well-being; (b) formation and acceptance by every member of society of principles for the implementation of sustainable development; (c) training of "experts in the field of sustainable management of territories, resources, and sectors of the economy"; (d) formation of personality with a new form of consciousness and worldviews, understanding the values of life as an opportunity to live and develop in a healthy social and natural environment, and the need to preserve the natural constituent in cultural and economic human activities [5]. Social studies of education as a factor of sustainable development of society show that "reflected and informed understanding of both modern education axiology, the possible influence of education on spiritual and moral priorities of a personality,
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and actualization of stable social development strategy in the XXI century" depends on the education system. Education gives people and society every opportunity to reach their full potential, and at the same time to form worldviews to the full extent allowing them to assess and address problems facing man and society, isolate the axiological importance of the material and spiritual world, and learn the skills of behavior compatible with sustainable development, issues of which are actually included in the content of all disciplines and training programs of educational institutions [6].
The Results of the Decade of education for sustainable development have yet to be summarized and comprehended. However, a number of positive developments can already be identified. The initiative of education for sustainable development rightfully belongs worldwide to environmental education. However, only a proportionate development of all its constituents - environmental, social and economic - makes it possible to talk about education for sustainable development. Ecological education for sustainable development is a high priority. This is confirmed by various ecological circles and sections, Ecology as a training course in the school curriculum, ecological competitions and olympiads, and regional, national and international projects. Students at different levels of education are successfully involved in projects such as: "Agenda for the XXI Century"; the programs "Eco-Schools", "Green Flag", "Water Drop", "Water in the City"; "The Baltic Sea, Our Common Home", and "Protector of the Earth", the methodology of which is based on ISO 14001 standards of environmental assessment and management. The positive work experience of the Centers "Eco-Accord", "Forum for the Future", the "Environmental Education" Association for people of all ages, the project "Master's degree in "sustainable development", etc. was noted. The concept of environmental education for sustainable development in general education schools, approved by the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2010, determined the leading tasks in the education of schoolchildren: (a) formation of ecological thinking in students and its creative application; (b) accumulation of personal and collective experience of reflection and assessment practical activities focused on the values of sustainable development, as a condition for formation of a citizen’s ecological culture, and their responsible attitude towards compliance with the legal and ethical standards in the field of environmental protection, health and safety of life [5]. This is closely linked to the basics of the new federal education standards for pre-school, primary, secondary and basic general education. As with education for sustainable development, major innovations in the implementation of the FSES focus on personality-centered learning, situationally active modeling, metadisciplinary communication and a competence-based approach. The demands of the time were: (a) creation of a developing social and natural educational environment; (b) unity of educational and extracurricular activities, additional education; (c) modeling of joint activity of the teacher and students in the learning process and with social partners in out-of-class/extracurricular activities; (d) active involvement of students in project and research work; (e) selection of the content of educational material and practice-oriented learning activities.
Promotion of education for sustainable development has its own results outside educational institutions as well. The attitude towards energy-saving,
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environmentally friendly products, control of air pollution in metropolitan areas, conservation of natural water bodies, and forests has changed.
Education for sustainable development has no strictly formalized definition, and is not a priority in the development of science and technology in the Russian Federation. However, integration of national education in the international educational system, and joint efforts of the international community to preserve a favorable social and natural environment of human activities, is an indisputable fact in its development. A transition from reproductive to creative learning, a competence approach in teaching and upbringing, lifelong education throughout one’s whole life, and implementation of a value-motivational orientation of an individual have become the foundation of education we are creating, and fully realize the objectives of education for sustainable development.
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(http://www.un.org/ru/documents/decl_conv/conventions/agenda21)
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translastions Bureas
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