Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Capacity Development - UNESCO

The highlights of results achieved by this ESD-UNESCO project can be assessed as follows: - 11 countries have participated in the programme: Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Eswatini, South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, and in 2022 including Mozambique and Angola, but with continued support to the other countries. - Over 300 participants (at 114 insititutions) have taken part in the various trainings. - All 11 countries have a country analysis on education with focus on ESD and with baseline data. - An online digital training has been developed at Rhodes University which is now being used by the SST program, "Sustainability Starts with Teachers". - A digital platform has been created by Rhodes University where all training and educational materials. This data free website has available learning materials for teachers. https://main-coursesustainabilityteachers.sbox.datafree.co/ - Alumni networks have been created and maintained for the continued exchange och mutual support in ESD in each country. Aside from country networks, an SST alumni database can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rWRbmn9gbIEivhN9d6J2ylcqEbZ_1rduKT1RlBOmQVA/edit#gid=110284619 - 11 Policy Dialogues have been prepared in each country with input from government representatives for education and other relevant officials and education specialists. - Teacher education institutions with increased capacity to implement ESD for achieving Target 4.7 of SDG 4 leading to improved quality and relevance of teacher education and education achieved through ESD Educators Network Initiated, Developed and Supported. - A 'living' ESD Teacher Educators Network and Database exists for Target 4.7 to expand the initiatives catalysed by the ARTP programme contributing to an ESD literate and active Higher Education and TVET Educators system achieved through Advanced ESD Regional Training Courses given to STEM-ESD teacher educators. - Increased capacity for monitoring and evaluation of Goal 4, Target 4.7 in participating countries with training in Policy Dialogue, Monitoring Evaluation and Scaling Workshops. SADC secretariat now takes responsibility for the follow-up of and reporting on the ESD Regional Strategic Framework 2022-2030 for SADC countries. The SADC ESD Strategic Framework comes with a roadmap with an eight-year timeline for SADC and can be accessed on the link: https://www.sadc.int/file/6961/download?token=qwxBCnQf A brochure with infographics on key achievements and outreach of the programme is available at the link: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/notice?id=p%3A%3Ausmarcdef_0000383075&posInSet=1&queryId=1145031b-bc0d-49aa-b5c9-bfa3c49f3e49 A repository of all the Change Projects can be found online at the UNESCO Digital Library - Sustainability Starts with Teachers Programme. ESD principles are integrated into teacher and TVET education through Change Projects in the following manners: • Introduction of new courses or modules and/or revision of existing course outlines to ensure sustainability is a component of each subject area. • Redesigning assessment tools, including strengthening formative evaluation on ESD. • Improving the quality and relevance of education by collaborating with communities as well harnessing indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and formal education. • Improved pedagogical approaches in teaching and learning using nature sites and biosphere reserves as well as indigenous knowledge. • Transforming learning and training environments including greening institutions • Building ESD capacities of educators and learners. • Whole-institution ESD approaches through awareness raising, activities on the campus and in the schools communities. The Change Project at Lesotho College of Education focused on embracing the principles of the circular economy, with bio-gas digester taking up waste that is produced by agricultural projects (poultry and a piggery). The water from the system is then recycled to irrigate crops in agriculture. The gas produced reduces energy costs in technology workshop and contributes to cost reduction and management of waste materials. As a Change Project, Zambia became the first of eleven SADC countries to start drafting a national Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) strategy. In Tanzania participants found gaps with their curriculum practice and came up with various Change Projects that focus on capacity building of fellow teacher educators for improving ESD delivery in teaching and learning, integrating ESD principles in curriculum content, improving the quality and relevance of education by harnessing Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and formal education, and broadening pedagogies as well as an assessment framework to include formative assessment. In Zimbabwe Change Projects focus was on "Whole-Institution Approach" to ESD by harmonizing Teacher Education Curriculum with the Competence Based Education in schools, improving the quality and relevance of education by harnessing Indigeneous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and formal education, Broadening Assessment, and Transforming Pedagogies. Malawian participants decided to focus on integration of ESD in advocating for ESD-compliant curriculum practices, ESD capacity development of teacher and TVET educators, integrating and mainstreaming ESD across curricula and broadening of assessment. 15 Early Childhood Care and Education Facilities, 20 Technical Vocational Education & Training Centers (TVET) and 26 Primary and Secondary Levels of Teacher Education were targeted. An estimated 8 400 Students and 8 700 Community members were reached through the various Change Projects and ESD teaching activities. Participants from Eswatini identified the lack of an ESD policy to guide its integration and implementation in the education sector, lack of appropriate knowledge and skill to deliver ESD, lack of political will and supporting structures to implement strategic ESD plans as the main challenges. Change Projects, therefore, focused on empowering the next generation of teachers to integrate Education for Sustainable Development into their teaching as well as creating ESD communities of practice to enable students and learners to educate their parents and siblings about issues of sustainability. An investment in design for opportunities of peer-to-peer learning would have increased the results achieved for this ESD project.  

The overall objective of the SST programme was to develop capacity of teacher educators to integrate ESD into areas of training. UNESCO Regional Office of Southern Africa and partners carried out activities under this programme to achieve the following results: 1. Sustainability principles were integrated into education and training environments, with emphasis on curriculum change in TEIs and TVET institution programmes. 2. ESD capacity ofteacher education and TVET institutions was enhanced via an advanced ESD regional training course. 3. ESD was reinforced in national and international education and sustainable development policies, with emphasis on policies influencing the education of teachers and TVET educators for SDG Goal 4, Target 4.7. 4. ESD professional networks were strengthened in Southern Africa. 5. Science education and uptake of science-related careers were enhanced through ESD integration and