Environmental Education and Sustainable Development in Solomon Islands: Policy and Practice Disparity

Abstract

The paper begins with an overview of the state of the natural and socio-economic environment in the country. This is followed by an account and examples of educational responses to the challenges of sustainable development. The main argument developed here is that the Government of Solomon Islands has responded in terms of policies promoting and dealing with the challenges of sustainable development. However, the analysis of how these policies are translated into action indicates that these policies may represent a case of "policies without change" as there is little evidence of meaningful change in people's lives and/or in the broad reorientation of environmental practices, systems and structures of education that are necessary for education to support the processes of sustainable development at national or community levels. The article concludes with implications for policy and practice which are derived from the analysis of the key issues identified.