Education for Sustainable Development: A Framework for Jamaica

Shermaine Barrett
Education Division, Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies, University of Technology, Jamaica.

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     Last modified: July 31, 2006
     Presentation date: 11/02/2006 2:30 PM in ST Windsor B
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Abstract
This paper proposes a framework for conceptualizing, planning for and implementing an education agenda for sustainable development within the Jamaican context. The strategic questions informing this framework are: What is the context within which sustainable development is being proposed? What are the educational needs that arise within the given context? and what mechanism would best facilitate these needs thus satisfying the sustainable development objectives?

The central thesis of the paper is that “sustainable development ultimately depends on enhancing people’s capacities as individuals and groups to improve their own lives and to take greater control over their own destinies” (Ogun, 1982 p.2). Thus, education is contended to be a critical tool for achieving sustainable development. The educational implications of sustainable development within the Jamaican context are therefore assessed using the national social policy goals (2003) as the agenda for sustainable development. This assessment is facilitated through secondary and primary data collected through document analysis and interviews with a number of professionals working within the social and environmental sectors.