Education for Sustainable Development in Manitoba Education Gerald Farthing Deputy Minister Manitoba Education

Purpose of Presentation To provide information that can form the basis for a discussion about how ESD can be incorporated into teacher training and education programs.

Context UN Decade for ESD UNECE ESD Strategy and Steering Committee UNECE Experts Group on Teacher Competencies ESD at CMEC - Learn Canada 2020 Provincial commitment to being green Working with many partners including schools, school divisions and deans of education In a very difficult financial situation Teaching and learning with our students how to live sustainably is non-negotiable

Community Expectations Canadians have expressed their support for the idea of including environmental education in school curricula. According to data from the 2008 Survey of Canadian Attitudes toward Learning (SCAL), Canadians believe it is either “important” (46%) or “essential” (50%) to include learning about the environment as part of compulsory topics at school.

Aboriginal Perspective The concept of sustainable development is not new to First Nations – it is demonstrated in the peoples’ traditional belief that their life system is centered on a reciprocal relationship with the natural environment. (MFNERC) Chief Seattle in the Washington territory in 1854 said: If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to the man. All things are connected…whatever befalls the earth befall the sons of the earth. The overall objective for the ESD partnership program is to ensure that the First Nations education system has the opportunity to build capacity and knowledge of ESD. (MFNERC)

Student Achievement Research conducted in the past several decades suggests that participation in environmental education helps students develop knowledge about the environment, positive environmental attitudes and environmentally friendly behaviours. In addition to these outcomes, some forms of environmental education have also been shown to be associated with learning advantages such as: improvements in achievement, critical thinking, attitudes toward learning, and motivation to learn and achieve in school.

Embedding ESD in Manitoba Education Mission: to ensure that all Manitoba’s children and youth have access to an array of educational opportunities such that every learner experiences success through relevant, engaging and high quality education that prepares them for lifelong learning and citizenship in a democratic, socially just and sustainable society Vision: that every learner will complete a high school education with a profound sense of accomplishment, hope and optimism First Overarching Goal: to ensure that education in Manitoba supports students learning and experiencing what it means to live in a sustainable manner Staffing: two staff with direct responsibility for ESD

Some Important Initiatives in Manitoba Education Continuing to integrate ESD in curriculum Developing ESD Units (with Manitoba Hydro) Providing Professional Learning Opportunities Implementing an ECO-Globe School Recognition Program Providing funding to schools in support of ESD Developing a senior years Global Citizenship and Sustainability course Encouraging the incorporating of ESD in teacher education

ESD and Teacher Education First focus has been on in-servicing Need to put an equivalent focus on pre-service Sustainable Development and Living through Changing Teacher Education and Teaching in Manitoba – U of M Faculty of Education and the Canadian Council on Learning UNECE Expert Group on Competences in Education for Sustainable Development

UNECE Expert Group on Teacher Competencies in Education for Sustainable Development Dr. Len Rivard is representing Canada First meeting in Sept – work to take 18 months Three issues: defining competences for students or learners defining competences for teachers or educators determining the target audience for the report It has been suggested that the target group for the report be policymakers, while providing guidelines for educators

ESD in Teacher Education in Manitoba Teacher education is already long and demanding in Manitoba ESD competencies need to be incorporated in existing programs as much as possible Need to learn as much as possible from the work of the UNECE Experts Group on Teacher Competencies in ESD Perhaps an optional course that focuses on what it means to teach from an ESD perspective could be developed and offered

Many Partners including . . . Schools and School Divisions Deans of Education Council of Ministers of Education, Canada Manitoba Hydro Ducks Unlimited International Institute for Sustainable Development Manitoba Forestry Association Green Manitoba Learning for a Sustainable Future Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre

Concluding Thought Teaching and learning with our kids what it means to live in a sustainable manner is the most urgent and important objective in education today – we have no time waste.

Merci, Miigwetch, Thank you Questions?