Andrea Wheeler: How do we teach young people about sustainable citizenship?

How do we teach young people about sustainable citizenship? Will an opportunity be missed? 

I would like to suggest that one of the best opportunities we have to motivate communities towards environmentally-friendly behaviours, is the new Building Schools for the Future programme. Whilst it has been described as set up to transform learning and embed sustainability into the educational experience, it has also been met with some criticism. The Sustainable Development Commission, states that the BSF programme will not deliver sustainable schools, because the vision has not yet been sufficiently developed.

The BSF programme is informed by design guidance. It promotes exemplars, case studies and standard layouts, but the speed of delivery and number of schools required is encouraging standardisation. There is a real danger that the opportunities schools have to develop their own vision for what a sustainable school and community might be, are being lost. Moreover, focusing only on providing innovative learning technologies or just merely teaching young people about physical sustainability features in buildings (the two ways that the policy aims of improved learning and sustainability are currently being considered), are very limited approaches in comparison to what could be possible in terms of participation. However, co-design practices for new sustainable school buildings, if they are to encourage sustainable behaviour and community engagement, cannot be just tokenistic half-day events.

They need to be broad ranging and explore some very complex issues surrounding ethics and consumerism as well as difficult questions pertaining to power relations (especially between children and architects). Improved learning and sustainability should not be considered as separate issues. BSF represents a unique opportunity, but the ways to fulfil its aims are ill defined. Each potential BSF funded school redevelopment will have its own set of issues to address. Schools, children, parents and the wider neighbourhood are placed to determine these.

This engagement has potential as a teaching opportunity and community building exercise. To respond to Ian Christe’s paper, it has the potential harness personal and community concern in neighbourhood-level action: with an emphasis on sustainability, to make people feel connected and that they are making a real contribution to future lives.