Why do we need to teach Education for Sustainability at the primary level?

Abstract

There is a growing realisation among the peoples of the world of our impact on the environment. When we consider that we depend entirely on our environment to provide the resources to sustain our lives, and in fact those of every other living thing on this planet, we can see why this should be a cause for concern. Part of this concern is the knowledge that at current rates of population and consumption growth, we are far exceeding the natural capacity of our planet to sustain us and other species (see Friedman 2008). This trend is having consequences such as climate change, resource depletion and waste disposal, extinction of species and irreversible damage to ecosystems. It is clear that we, and particularly our children, need the knowledge and skills to understand these issues, and to be able to make decisions to resolve them.