Monday, May 17th, 2021 – Global Schools will launch the results of its pilot country-level ESD research at the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development. The Conference will be hosted virtually by UNESCO in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany and with the German Commission for UNESCO as an advisory partner.
"Please note that all three country reports, as well as the evaluation paper, are first drafts and are not yet finalized. The draft reports have been launched at the UNESCO World Conference in order to solicit feedback from participants and experts before the final reports are published at a later date."
In light of the pressing environmental issues the world is facing, the conference will create momentum for the new framework ESD for 2030, which aims to build a more just and sustainable world through strengthening ESD to build education systems that support learners of all ages to be responsible and active contributors to more sustainable societies and a healthy planet.
Approximately 2,500 stakeholders from all regions of the world, especially policy-makers working in education and other areas related to sustainable development, ESD practitioners, NGOs, experts, and members of the development community and the private sector will also participate.
Global Schools is proud to present the session “ESD localisation in Morocco, Ghana, and Turkey: launch of the Global Schools Country Reports” on Monday, May 17th, from 16:30-17:00 CET, featuring the launch of Global Schools’ Draft Country Reports with experts from the three pilot countries.
Global Schools has worked with its partners, Hacettepe University in Turkey, University of Education and Millennium Promise in Ghana, The Mohammed VI Foundation for Environmental Protection, and Al-akhawayn University in Morocco, in a 6-stage research pilot with the mission to align each country’s national curriculum with ESD and Global Citizenship Education (GCE) frameworks.
More than 60 researchers have analyzed national textbooks, curriculum, and policy to develop localized curriculum on sustainable development and global citizenship. This approach has brought together 80 in-country partners and stakeholders to propel a movement for sustainable development education across the three pilot countries. The final project outcomes and the findings will be presented at the session, including an overview of the major challenges and opportunities.
Please visit http://bit.ly/unesco-world-conference-on-esd to register for “ESD localization in Morocco, Ghana, and Turkey: launch of the Global Schools Country Reports.”
"Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is one of the most crucial enablers of social transformation and progress. For the past 18 months, together with our partners in Ghana, Morocco, and Turkey, we have identified opportunities for reforming education policies and aligning them with sustainable development objectives. Following extensive analyses, curriculum audits, lesson adaptations, and classroom evaluations, the studies show that ESD not only has immense potential in accelerating societal change but can also lead to a more effective learning paradigm for both students and teachers….furthermore, by using the global principles of sustainable development and adapting them to local circumstances, the country teams have in effect created a comprehensive methodology and toolkit for other governments that wish to pursue this goal. Global Schools, and our partners, are very proud of this work and stand ready to support schools, educators, and ministries around the world interested in aligning their work with ESD and Global Citizenship”.
Sam Loni, Director of Global Schools and Head of Research
Attendees of the Conference are also invited to visit the virtual booth “Pathways to a Sustainable World: SDSN’s Education Initiatives,” which will showcase the sustainable development education work of Global Schools and their colleagues at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
Access the country reports for Ghana, Turkey, and Morocco on the Global Schools Research Page.
Learn more about the UNESCO World Conference on ESD at https://en.unesco.org/events/esdfor2030
Learn more about Global Schools and our research projects at https://www.globalschoolsprogram.org/
For more information and media inquiries, please contact us at globalschools@unsdsn.org
