Taking the first step forward ... towards an education for sustainable development: good practice in primary and secondary schools

The english government brought together a panel of experts to provide advice on education for sustainable development (ESD), in particular, to recommend what action should be taken in schools to promote ESD in order to ensure that ‘pupils are fully-equipped to be active citizens for the new millennium’. ESD is not a new concept. It has evolved from a mixture of environmental as well as development education ideas and links to a number of related areas concerned with personal, social, economic and citizenship issues. The revision of the National Curriculum in 2000, however, raised the profile of ESD and schools are now asked to promote pupils' commitment to sustainable development. This is defined in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) publication National Curriculum Handbook for Teachers as enabling pupils to: ‘...develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions about the way that 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.’