Sustainable development
The ITENSA-project have 8 teacher students from NMU doing their practice in schools Norway for a four-week period in April and May. We discussed the concept of sustainable development in education, and what it means for them. We asked them to define the concept together in the first week of their practice.
Week 1: What is sustainable development?
Group 1 at Borgtun school, Tromsø:
We believe sustainable development in education is the process whereby development takes place and resources are maintained. It focuses on improving the system without depleting its resources. Sustainable development carries the purpose of improving its systems for the benefit of future generations.
Group 2 at Stonglandseidet school, Senja:
Sustainable development refers to strategies that are enforced to protect the environment we live in, to ensure that the only earth we have to live on, lasts for and is inhabitable for our future generations. It is the prevention of the depletion of our natural resources and the prevention of the increase in harmful greenhouse gases.
Sustainable development also includes the social aspect of our society. Through having a socially nurturing environment, and a society that helps everyone strive and excel with the help of the whole community. It means that everyone is afforded equal opportunities and treated with dignity regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Us as humans have the responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure the conservation of our planet. This will not be achieved in isolation. Humanity needs to stand together and unite against the fight that is global warming.
Week 2: How does the concept affect you during practice?
Group 1 at Borgtun school, Tromsø:
The concept of sustainable development has encouraged thoughts based on our level of sustainable development back home, in South Africa. We have considered how well we, in South Africa are equipped to access resources and make them last. We have noticed how we are able to work with the little resources we have while the system in Norway overflows with resources. We have observed that sustainable development in Norway is taken much more seriously. Their resources and interventions are well protected and constantly advanced. The concept also placed a ton of pressure on us as it caused a stir in our methodology principles. We thought about how we can contribute to the development of the schooling system back home, for future generations. Sustainability in South Africa is greatly different to what we have experienced in Norway.
Group 2 at Stonglandseidet school, Senja:
Something we were exposed to for the first time in school was the fact that waste is sorted into specific categories. This teaches the learners practical awareness of environmental sustainability.
Educating the society about the importance of sustainable development is one of the ways to achieve environmental sustainability. We had to prepare a lesson based on sustainable development to educate learners about it for them to be mindful of their actions in the society.
Sustainable development aims to provide high quality education and enhance the well-being of citizens. Therefore, the high quality education provided by the school has enhanced our understanding on the importance of having to take care of the well-being of learners in school. For example, not being hard on them and connecting with learners through games outside and even checking up on them.
Week 3: How is the concept thought of and understood in the practice school?
Group 2 at Stonglandseidet school, Senja:
The United Nations stipulates that technology forms part of one of the goals of sustainable development. Being in practice at Stonglandet Skole has made us see the value of technology in education. Most of the lessons and class activities use digital resources which reduces the use of paper. The school utilizes more technology, not only for its convenience and access, but also to decrease the paper trail humans are leaving. The more paper we use, the more deforestation takes place which in itself has numerous other consequences. Using less paper means conserving energy used in converting those trees into paper and in transporting paper products.
During practice, we have also experienced recycling taking place and waste being sorted into specific categories. Each type of waste is put into a different container, and it is important to teach the learners to be mindful of adhering to recycling regulations. The school works hard to teach the learners practical ethics which includes taking care of the environment. They do a lot to give back, for example, doing beach clean-ups and planting trees.
Sustainable development in our practice affected us in many positive ways. Most importantly, we have got to work and be in classes that have learners from countries that are experiencing wars. Peace, social justice, and strong institution being one of the goals of sustainable development, this was a new experience for us. Our host school is promoting peaceful and inclusive societies through accepting learners and parents from countries that are at war and being here is teaching us how important it is to be welcoming, accepting, and accommodating to everyone to promote peace. By accepting refugees, the school is building an effective, accountable, and inclusive institution.
