ESD between Systemic Change and Bureaucratic Obfuscation: Some Reflections on Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development in Switzerland

As in many other countries, the transformation of the Swiss education system into one that is conducive to a sustainable society is difficult. This article attempts to clarify a framework within which such change could happen. Following an extensive review process, the author has compiled essential learning approaches, knowledge, skills, values and action competencies for education for sustainable development (ESD). He argues that learners can become effective change-agents--even within an overall economic, political and educational context which is not keen on giving up the current unsustainable paradigm--just by seeing models of the desired change and being able to experiment with them. (Contains 15 notes.)