SUMMARY OF AN INTERNATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON THE PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTING THE PRINCIPLE OF 'Sustainability'
IN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS.
initiated by Dieter Gross, email: Dieter.Gross@t-online.de

The following ideas and suggestions may produce something which may enable political leaders and the public to deal appropriately with SD in education and business.
Addressees

Experts and Educational Leaders on Educational Research from the USA, Canada, Australia and Germany
Questions
1.What are the main obstacles in imple-menting the principles of SD in educational and economic systems?
2. Which are the qualities young students need for coping with the challenges of an economic, ecological and cultural globalization?
3. Which are the next important steps to overcome the previous deficits and deficiencies in education and economy?

1. WHICH ARE THE OBSTACLES AND DEFICITS IN IMPLEMENTING SD IN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS?

1.1 The causes and consequences of unsustainable practices are not analyzed, i.e. there is no insight and readiness to change this. That's why 'Sustainability' won't appear on the agenda.

1.2 Due to the fact that the principle of sustainability and the concept behind this approach hasn't been explained sufficiently, most people still do not understand it. Moreover the political leaders have missed to address the general public on this issue from the very first.

1.3 Since there is a general lack of strong community approaches to SD due to human selfishness and other ego-driven values, people in our societies concentrate more on the world of work rather than on the social and environmental worlds.

1.4 On the other hand political leaders do not know how to motivate people to become a part of a civil society.

1.5 The majority of political leaders and members of the educational administration are not really interested in implementing SD in education (and business) because they do not under-stand SD at all. They do not recognize the necessity for a change or even see the need for financial resources. Budget cutting is their program!

1.6 Members of NGOs who might implement SD in education and business appropriately are lacking a mandate.

1.7 Highest priority for political leaders now: the inclusion of technology and job training instead of education for a sustainable future. And few leaders in education have the desire, skills, vision, resources or public mandate to make the necessary reforms.

1.8 With regard specifically to the school systems, one of the key obstacles is the lack of synergy between the sciences - each science is being thought as if there is no link with other teaching subjects. Curricula are not transdisciplinary.

2. WHICH ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS STUDENTS NEED FOR COPING WITH THE FUTURE?

2.1 Students have to re-direct their learning strategies, no enrichment by information but knowledge which is focused on objectives and accompanied by the following abilities and skills.

2.2 Students should have qualities such as human values, perspectives such as respect and tolerance, a sense of caring for the environment and others, and the personal and vocational skills to be self reliant and not become a victim, (vid. ESD Toolkit Website of Rosalyn McKeown,. http://www.esdtoolkit.org )

2.3 Students will need to understand the strategic issues facing them at the local and global levels and how each of these issues regarding the environment, the economy and society's well-being are interdependent.

2.4 Fundamental skills such as critical and ethical thinking, problem-solving, consensus-building and conflict resolution as well as the knowledge that science, business, and politics must work together.

2.5 The capacity to empathize with the cultures and values of peoples from different cultural groups.

2.6 The ability to think openly and laterally and a capacity to act collectively.

3. WHICH STEPS HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES?

3.1 Politicians should commit their constituents and themselves to both a global and a local solution to SD.

3.2 The general public should be addressed and linked to the whole process of implementing SD. The only basis for a change is the public's understanding of their role in this process.

3.3 New legislative frameworks should be created that will incite the principle actors of the economy to understand that their field is intertwined with the environment and society's well-being - we must also create new spaces for dialogue and education between society's stakeholders - legislation will not be enough.

3.4 There must be an intensive cooperation among communities, schools and teacher education institutions. This means that teacher education institutions have to be reformed first and students be trained for a Sustainable Future.

3.5 Educational leaders should meet and design some of these possible, practical examples. At the moment, the leaders of ESD do not have the critical mass, resources or mandate to launch real experiments that could be test piloted.

dg. Nov. 18.2000