47 associations, clubs and organizations in Bavaria are calling for a paradigm shift in the Bavarian education system. On Wednesday in Munich they came together to form an action alliance that is committed to more “education for sustainable development” (ESD). The issues are far-reaching: climate change, species extinction, human rights violations, poverty, war. In concrete terms, students should learn to think about the future of the earth in everything they do, to act accordingly and to understand the effects of their actions on the world.
From the point of view of the 47 Bavarian organizations, far too little is happening in this field in Bavaria. Among others, the Bavarian Teachers’ Association, student representatives of the Landesastenkonferenz, the Bund Naturschutz or the youth organizations of the Greens and the SPD signed this “pact” and demanded from the state government a master plan, more content space in the curriculum, appropriate further training for teachers and more Budget. ESD must become the guiding principle of all educational institutions and school types.
The basis of the alliance should be the sustainability agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and its vision of a peaceful society. It defines 17 goals, such as sustainable consumption, sustainable production and gender equality.
Encouragement came from the Greens in the state parliament: Max Deisenhofer called for “more than a few projects” in schools. ESD should permeate all areas, but for this the CSU and Free Voters must “finally think about school and education in a more diverse and broader way”. The Ministry of Education, on the other hand, did not see any urgent need for action: the topic is important, which is why it is already anchored in all curricula. In addition, there has been a separate staff unit for ESD, environmental education and climate protection in the ministry for several months.