Evaluation of Social-economic Context of Sustainability Education in India with Reference to Unesco Guidelines

Abstract

The present discourse on sustainability is limited to review of development strategies in the light of conservation strategies. We can describe sustainability as a compromise between developmentalism and environmentalism. The logic behind sustainability discourse, as described comprehensively in recent Unesco sourcebook, is that global management of natural resources can prevent exhaustive use of nature. This logic stands challenged by local ecological movements which have their own claims. Further, the neoliberal economy has shrunken the role of the State having natural resources as its eminent domain to that of public trustee of such resources. In effect, sustainability becomes a multi-contested issue in which each party has its own definitions and claims. Unesco has declared the claims of the global community and it demands evaluation of local contexts for universalisation of sustainability education. To do justice with such a complex contest, one needs a robust and autonomous education system. This study evaluates the inherent weaknesses of Indian elementary education system in carrying forward sustainability education. It also presents the social-economical context of the debate. Methodology used is time-series analysis of data provided by different monitoring agencies including NCERT, NEUPA, MHRD, JRM on SSA, and Unesco. Whether we do it in our own interest or we follow the Unesco guidelines on sustainability education released in 2014, we have to contextualise sustainability within our social-political reality. This paper is only making an attempt.