Specifics of the EECCA Sub-region with Regard to ESD Implementation: Good Practices, Needs and...

Specifics of the EECCA Sub-region with Regard to ESD

Implementation:Good Practices, Needs and

Possibilities

Victoria Elias, ECO-Accord (Russia)/

European-ECO-Forum

Victoria Elias, Workshop for EECCA sub-region on UNECE Strategy on ESD implementation. 08.11.2006, Moscow2

ESD: conceptual background (theory)

ESD includes:• Environmental education

• Economic background of SD

• Social aspects and ethical values (integration into coltural, ethical background and ideology of modern society)

• Continuinity of education and awareness and education for all ages

• Establishing a model of responsible behavior aimed at SD in all spheres of life

• Broad public raising on SD


Some specific characteristics of educational systems in EECCA (from ESD point of view)

<+> High scientific, methodological and organisational level Centralised approach, state educational standards Reach experience and high qualification of teachers Established system of basis curricula Traditions Obligatory secondary education for all Big experience in informal and non-formal education Integration of citizens’ education, high commitment and readiness of all interested

groups of the society to interaction and cooperation<->

Lack of knowleadge and understanding of SD Lack of resources, low salaries of teachers, brain drain and outflow of qualified stuff and

young people from education sector in some countries Insufficient cooperation of secondary and high schools and other sectors Lack of motivation of teachers under the pressure of a bifg volume of required palns,

reports, etc. Difficulty of access to modern data Problem of training and re-training


Development of formal ESD in EECCA (Practice)

General approach: “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development”Pre-School Rare author’s teaching programmes on EE No ESD (an attempt to develop Local Agenda 21 for Kindergartens in Russia)Secondary EE is included in curricula as a part of a number of subjects in all countries. ESD – only

in authors’ programmes. In informal education – EE everywhere, ESD – widely, but financial barriers remainSecondary professional EE- much less, ESD – practically abscentHigher EE - in all countries for environmentally “profiles” specialities ESD – in selected universities mostly as a part of original authors’ programmes or in

connection to EEStudents and pupils research EE – up to 5%, ESD – less then 0.5% in general, but in a number of universities and schools – more

(Institute for Problems of SD of Russian Chemical-Technological Univ., Yerevan State Univ., Moscow State Univ., Bishkek, etc.)


Awareness systems and non-formal ESD in EECCA

Various national materials, rich traditions and experience in environmental awareness raising, but not ESD .

Main focus – nature conservation (biodiversity, pollution). In a majority of countries – Aarhus Centres (environmental information) or Information Centres of Ministries of the Environment

At local level – recourse centres are mostly established and supported by NGOs in the conditions of constant continuous fundraising

SD: a lot of information, but no offical portals-catalogues. Problem to assess the quality of materials (printed and available on the web in EECCA)

Insufficient coverage of SD problems by mass media


Legislative Support of ESD in EECCA countries

Mostly – EE is reflected in laws on environmental protection adopted in 1990ies

2 countries – Armenia and Azerbaijan – laws on EE Georgia (2005) – Parliament considers a possibility of a law on

ESD Mainly – EE – Ministries of the Environment (in Russia and

Ukraine – passed to Ministries of Education completely) In national programmes and plans – most often EE (Kazakhstan

– EE Concept; Armenia – NEAP, Turkmenistan – Programme of biodiversity conservation, etc.)

There is no special progammes to support ESD EE and ESD are declared to be conceptually separated only

in Belarus(according to European ECO-Forum Review of EECCA Strategy

Implementation, October 2006)


EE and ESD in international agreements of the EECCA sub-region

UNECE Strategy on ESD (March 2005) provided for conditions at national levels

EECCA Environmental Strategy – Strategic Goal 6.3 (May 2003) – inclusion of ESD in educational systems

Interstate programmes on EE and ESD in Central Asia

Perspectives: “Environment and Security”, SCP initiatives, sub-regional initiatives, etc.

???- other sectors ?


Multistakeholder cooperation on ESD in EECCAFormally: Since March 2005 Multistakeholder bodies (councils, commissions)

on ESD were established (f/ex. in Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine) Interagency Commission on Implementation of the UN Decade on

ESD was established in Armenia Central Asian Working Group (CAWG) on ESD (cooperation of

Ministries of Education and the Environment, academia, NGOs) Hearings, meetings, consultations on ESD (Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine) NGO progects are mostly supported by foundations and donor

countries (partly – by states – Armenia, Russia, Ukraine) Really: Cooperation is only at a starting point Private sector, business /CSR - ???


ESD in EECCA – problems(formal education)

ESD promotion - educators, scientists, NGOs working on EE

ESD is understood as a «green problem», there is no conceptual ceparation of EE and ESD

***** There is no legislative base for ESD. Low priority of ESD in

educational programs and in national\state priorities Support at national level – most often by Ministries of the Env. Or

Ministries of the Env and Education (and similar regional and local bodies) – lack of motivation for cooperation

Weak multistakeholder cooperation

***** Insufficient practical application of SD principles (estate

management, procurement, energy efficiency, responsible consumer behavior)


ESD in EECCA - problems(formal education / 2)

Priority is given to translated materials. Quality assessment is a problem.

Outdating handbooks, limited access to modern data Strong limits of curricula – lack of experience, materials, skills on

interdisciplinary approach and use of interactive materials Limited circulations of ESD teaching materials Limited use of Higher education and research institutions’

opportunities Lack of ESD-qualified teachers – problem of training and re-training ,

“brain drain” from education sector and from EECCA “Paid – free” education problem - limited resources and opportunities

of education institutions (especially schools) Insufficient use of NGO capacities – problem of implementation in

formal education, problem of getting official recommendation for the materials to be used for education purposes

Lack of private sector support


ESD in EECCA - problems(non-formal education) Insufficient understanding of sense and tasks pf SD, limitation of

SD to nature conservation and pollution prevention Minimal coverage of SD in mass media

• ESD does not belong to “hot” themes• Absence of TV programs and magazines on SD (only EE)• Decline of national documentaries production• Insufficient knowledge on SD by journalists• Social advertisement on EE – up to 2 %, ESD - no

The need to systemize the available resources and prepare modern awareness materials on SD

Theory and practice are not connecetd to each other (education, management and business)


Other problems

Lack of support to ESD at the state/national level. No “niche” for ESD in formal education (only EE)

Issue of stuffing (trained specialists) Lack of understanding and interest from economists,

sociologists, managers, psychologists and other “non-green” specialists

Gap and unequal opportunities between urban and rural areas

Insufficient interaction on ESD between secondary schools and higher education institutions

Insufficient legal awareness for ESD Lack of financial resources Other…???


ESD in EECCA – NGO opportunities

High level of motivation and interest to ESD Human resources (aslo coming from academia and education to

NGOs) Experience, interest to intersectoral cooperation Participation in decision-making process (consultative bodies<

multistakeholder groups, international cooperation) Raising additional resources for ESD projects Publishing activities, awareness campaigns on national

languages Opportunities to use different methods and forms of work to

public Support to educators Perspectives to use NGO materials in formal education if

necessary expertise and certification organised


Needs

Conceptual separation of ESD and EE. Attraction of support by economists, sociologists, psychologists, etc.

Legal support to ESD, inclusion of ESD into educational standards

Copperation btw Ministries of Education and Ministries of the Environment, other sectors of the society

Training and retraining of specialists for ESD Development. Publication and re-publication of teaching materials

for ESD , catalogisation of Internet resources (in Runet) Exchange programs on ESD for EECCA More active involvement of NGOs Cooperation with mass media, using the opportunities of social

adverticement on TV, radio, FM radio, external adverticement, etc.

Involving private sector in cooperation on ESD Attraction of budgetary, extrabudgetary, donor financial resources,

liberalisation of fiscal regime for those who supports ESD


Suggestions

Call upon Governments and international organisations in the framework of the UNECE Strategy on ESD implementation (art. 67)

To develop (?) a regional Program of support to ESD in EECCA, including: • Trainings for national ESD coordinators, including multistakeholder

cooperation, monitoring, assesssment, etc• Systematization of ESD resources, establishing national portals and EECCA

portal on ESD• Sudents and professionals exchanges in EECCA• Trainings on ESD for decision-makers and educators• Involvement of NGOs in formal education• Support to research and awareness projects on ESD• Training for journalists• Awareness on sustainable consumption and production, support to SCP

initiatives• Publishing and re-publishing of national ESD materials• Regular meetings of national ESD coordinators and their partners at EECCA

level


Suggestions (2)

To donors: Establish a fund to support a Program for ESD in EECCA.

Invite national gov’ts of EECCA, private sector, non-for-profit private foundations to participate in the Program. Prioritise ESD in international programs and projects in EECCA

To education governing bodies: Ensure ESD implementation in formal education, re-training,

materials development…To NGOs: Promote and actively participate in non-formal ESD

developmentTo private sector: ….To other sectors…

Thank you

Specifics of the EECCA Sub-region with Regard to ESD Implementation: Good Practices, Needs and...

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