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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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)

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. Merci, Miigwetch, Thank you Questions?