An Analysis of Education for Sustainable Development in Chinese Primary Schools

XIAJIEYING

【Abstract】In some developed countries， people' attitude toward ESD have changed to be positive， while people in China still consider this new concept as a sense of crisis. In this paper， it introduces the ESD programs implemented in China. By analysis， the paper has concluded the challenges for Chinese primary schools to carry out ESD and submit some feasible suggestions.

【Key words】ESD； Chinese primary schools

Introduction

Definition

According to the report that United Kingdom Government's Sustainable Development Education Panel announced in 1998， ESD enables people to develop the knowledge， values and skills to participate in decisions about the way we do things individually and collectively， both locally and globally， that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.

The importance of carrying out ESD in China

On one hand， it is well-known that China is facing the challenges of environmental pollution and resource conservation. On the other hand， the 1.3 billion population puts China into a difficult position that there are more and more people but less and less resource， worse and worse environment.

Implementation Cases in China

In 1983， Chinese government launched Hope Project in some western or mountainous areas to support poor areas to build schools and to help poor children to enter these schools. This project not only focuses on the students' sustainable development but also emphasizes the importance of teacher's quality， which in my view is an indispensable part for the promotion of ESD in current China.

In 1996， the Green Schools Program， that launched by SEPA（State Environmental Protection Administration）， offers a good platform for children to participate in environmental protection and build the awareness of resource-saving. Now the Green School program becomes one of the fundamental and important programs for China to implement the policies and projects of sustainable development.

During the year of 2001 to 2003， Implementation Guidelines on Environmental Education for Primary and Secondary Schools officially issued by MoE （ Ministry of Education of China） has incorporated ESD into the curriculum of primary and secondary schools and becomes a main content of China's basic education reform.

Difficulties and Challenges in China

First and most important， most of people in China are in passive attitude toward ESD and regard ESD as a sense of crisis. Furthermore， for a majority of students in Chinese primary schools， ESD is still a concept in the textbook and the purpose of learning it is to pass the exam. Secondly， carrying out the programs on ESD lacks governmental attention and funding. Thirdly， the examination-based education system puts great burden on the shoulder of teachers and the school. It is hard and unrealistic for teachers and schools to spend more time and energy in ESD rather than the regular education. Last but not least， the developmental level of ESD among different areas in China is considerably uneven. In the poor regions， children have few and even no chance for being educated thus ESD is usually also weak.

Conclusions

Recommendations

First of all， it can be seen as an approach of combining China's characteristics by localizing ESD with the current education policy and activities. The “quality education” is opposite to the examination oriented education in Chinese primary schools. In some extent， the goal of quality education is similar to that of ESD. Therefore， there can also be a policy in China which combines the promotion of ESD with quality education. In this way the contradiction between examination-based education system and ESD can be alleviated in some extent.

Secondly， the cooperation with local communities can be made full use of to facilitate China in various aspects. It is well-known that there are a large amount of communities in every city across China. Therefore the teachers and students can take advantage of this close relationship among communities to disseminate the meaning of ESD in various and active ways， such as building an ESD-focused book in teamwork between schools and communities.

Thirdly， making use of technology in promotion of ESD is a way that can be accepted and understood easily. In the light of Filho （2006） and WWF-China， a school online community can be built to explore their understanding of sustainability， assess their current practice and inform planning.

References：

[1]Filho，W.L.eds.（2006）Innovative Approaches to Education for Sustainable Development.Frankfurt am Main：Peter Lang.

[2]Mee Young Choi.，& Ru Guo.eds.（2009）Education for Sustainable Development Practice in China.Hayama：Institute for Global Environmental Strategies.

[3]Program of Action for Sustainable Development in China in the Early 21st Century，NDRC NEWS（2007-02-05）：http：//en.ndrc.gov.cn/newsrelease/t20070205_115702.htm.