5 - Pathfinders for a Thriving Planet

Summary

What does it look like when schools try to foreground planetary thriving? More and more schools across the world are creating opportunities for children to look after and regrow part of their environment. Often it is diverse groups of indigenous peoples who have managed to create this work in schools. The goal here is not only knowledge and understanding – though this is certainly important – but also developing the values and ethic of care for the planet and its ecosystems. This is what it looks like when environmental and sustainability education moves from being something school's do to part of their purpose. In addition, a growing number of schools are making global competence part of their purpose. There is a long tradition of schools founded in the name of international cooperation, such as the United World Colleges, but increasingly this applies to state (or public) schools as well, such as the Asia Society's International Studies School Network. Developing global competence, including understanding of perspectives and working across cultures, but also working with a view to collective wellbeing, informs curriculum, teaching practice and assessment at these schools.