Interrogating Equity in Education for Sustainable Development
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Title
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Interrogating Equity in Education for Sustainable Development
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Description
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The discourse of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promises a brighter, more just, and equitable future by ‘leaving no one behind’ and identifies Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a tool for reaching this future. This paper presents a critical analysis of whether Education for Sustainable Development in its current form is fit for this purpose, based on its conceptualizations of equity. Through this paper, I argue that the way ESD is conceptualized today suffers from a ‘design flaw’ as it is embedded in the dominant theory of neo-liberalism. I showcase that neoliberalism promotes a narrow concept of equity that is (i) top-down in nature, (ii) a by-product of economic growth, and (iii) seen merely as distribution of resources. I assert that for ESD to truly deliver on ‘leaving no one behind’ it needs to be re-conceptualized through ideas and theories that broaden the concept of equity: reflexivity and ecojustice. I begin by elaborating on the evolution of ESD and sharing how the concept is conceptualized by key international organizations. I then situate ESD within the neoliberal paradigm before demonstrating how neoliberalism espouses equity. I problematize these conceptualizations of equity, contending that they are restricted in scope and inhibit ESD from being a ‘transformative’ education. Finally, I reconceptualize ESD using two intersectional frameworks that broaden the notion of equity: reflexivity and ecojustice.
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Creator
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Sharma, Richa
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Subject
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education for sustainable development
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ESD
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equity
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environmental education
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sustainability
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Publisher
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CERJ, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
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Cambridge Educational Research e-Journal (CERJ)
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Date
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2020-10-08T10:27:41Z
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2020-10-08T10:27:41Z
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2020-11-01
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Type
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Article
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Format
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application/pdf
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Identifier
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https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/311231
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10.17863/CAM.58326
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Language
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eng
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Rights
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
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https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/