Khan, Shirley Ali

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TowardssustainabilityabriefingnoteforcollegesShirleyAli KhanSustainable DevelopmentEducation PanelTowards sustainability: a brieﬁng note for collegesGovernment Further  education sustainability indicators sustainability indicatorsEconomic l Total output of the economy (GDP) l Percentage of full-time students who, by l Investment in public, business  the end of their learning programmes, have and private assets been taught key sustainability conceptsl Proportion of people of working  l Compliance to a nationally or age who are in work internationally recognised sustainabledevelopment standardl Percentage of students achievingqualiﬁcations who ﬁnd full-time employment,or embark on further study, within six monthsof completing their programmesEnvironmental l Emissions of greenhouse gases l Carbon dioxide emissions per FTE per annuml Days when air pollution is  l Percentage of FTEs’ daily journeys to the moderate or high college routinely made by carl Road trafﬁc l Volume of water (litres) used l Rivers of good or fair quality per FTE per annuml Populations of wild birds l Key regional habitats/species l New homes built on previously  actively stewardeddeveloped land l Kilograms of waste per FTE per annuml Waste arisings and managementSocial l Qualiﬁcations at 19 years l Percentage of full-time students l Expected years of healthy life gaining qualiﬁcations at 19 yearsl Homes judged unﬁt to live in l Percentage of FTEs participating in local l Level of crime community activity relating to sustainabledevelopment (e.g. local learning partnerships,volunteering, national, regional and local committees)l Percentage of full-time students from disadvantaged groupsFTE =full-time equivalent members of staff and students unless otherwise stated e.g. full-time students, indicating students onlydimensions of sustainable development havedeepened. To reﬂect this new understanding the UKGovernment has recently produced a new sustainabledevelopment strategy, A better quality of life(HMSO.1999), which includes a series of 14 headlineindicators against which progress will be measuredand the Government will be judged.The Government’s headline indicators are intended to focus public attention on what sustainabledevelopment means. To help focus the FE sector’sattention on what sustainability means, a set ofheadline sustainability indicators for further educationhas been developed which uses the Government’sheadline indicator set as a point of reference. The FE indicator set may be regarded as the ﬁrst word in a conversation about sustainabilityperformance which needs to take place between major FE stakeholders.Our emphasis is on continual improvement asopposed to institutional comparison.Sustainable development deﬁnitionSustainable development is a process that enables allpeople to realise their potential and improve theirquality of life in ways that protect and enhance theearth’s life support systems.Sustainable development: a mainstream issue for further educationIn 1992 around 180 governments met at the EarthSummit in Rio de Janeiro to discuss how to achievesustainable development. They all agreed a forward-looking, comprehensive global action plan, Agenda 21,and were called to produce more speciﬁc nationalsustainable development strategies. The UKGovernment was one of the ﬁrst to produce a national strategy, in early 1994.Since then, our understanding of the connectionsbetween the environmental, economic and socialSustainable development is now recognised as amainstream issue for further education and theresponse called for from the sector is not simply one of damage limitation. The FE sector has a major role toplay in building the capacity of its staff, students andlocal communities to fully and effectively participate intranslating the rhetoric of sustainable development intoreality. Of particular signiﬁcance is the sector’s role in facilitating social inclusion, sustainable regionaldevelopment and responsible global citizenship.The UK’s prosperity in the long term depends on our capacity to learn about sustainable development.Sustainable Development Education Panel’s ﬁrst annual reportGovernment SustainableDevelopment Education Panel’sgoals for further educationIn 1998 the Government established a SustainableDevelopment Education Panel to consider issues oneducation for sustainable development, in its broadestsense, in schools, further and higher education, atwork, during recreation and at home; and to makepractical recommendations for action in England. The idea is that sustainable development educationshould be a seamless process which is systematicallyprogressed through the formal education system andreinforced in society. The panel reports directly to the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of Statefor Education and Employment and is chaired by Sir Geoffrey Holland, the Vice-Chancellor of Exeter University.The panel has set FE colleges the followingchallenging goals in its ﬁrst annual report. By 2010 all colleges should:l Be accredited to an internationally or nationally recognised sustainable development systems standardl Have staff fully trained and competent in sustainable developmentl Be providing all students with relevant sustainabledevelopment learning opportunities.These goals are consistent with the recommendationsof the 1996 environmental responsibility report(Toyne) review.To encourage and help colleges to move towardsthese goals the panel commissioned FEDA and theAssociation of Colleges (AoC) to develop a practicalsustainability management guide. A copy of this guide,Towards sustainability: a guide for colleges(FEDA,1999) will be sent to all FE colleges.Education for sustainabledevelopment: deﬁnitionEducation for sustainable development is about thelearning needed to maintain and improve our quality oflife and the quality of life for generations to come. It isabout equipping individuals, communities, groups,businesses and government to live and actsustainably; as well as giving them an understandingof the environmental, social and economic issuesinvolved. It is about preparing for the world in which wewill live in the next century, and making sure that weare not found wanting. The beneﬁts of proactivityThere are numerous beneﬁts associated withproactivity relating to sustainability. Equally there are costs associated with ignoring what is now a mainstream issue.Quality gainsThe most signiﬁcant, positive contribution a collegecan make towards shaping a more sustainable futureis through its students. The challenge is to develop inall students the ability to make choices and decisionswhich take account of sustainability principles. It ispart of providing quality education and is in keepingwith the repeated call of employers for sustainabilityliterate employees. College programmes which do notmake the appropriate sustainability connections maybe regarded as dated and of inferior quality.Any attempt to communicate sustainabilityprinciples through FE programmes will be negated if, for example, the way a college chooses and usesresources and manages waste contravenes theseprinciples. Colleges must simply practice what theyteach if they wish to claim that they are taking theirsustainability responsibilities seriously.Cost savings through improved resource efﬁciencyResource efﬁciency is about using resources in wayswhich improve quality of life, pollute and deplete lessand save money. Doing more with less also reduceswaste disposal costs which have risen substantiallyfollowing the Duty of Care Provisions in the 1990Environmental Protection Act. Incineration costs tend to be even higher than landﬁll.Positive imagePeople expect their colleges to be managed in a waythat is exemplary and colleges, in turn, want to beviewed as responsible neighbours, employers andservice providers. Active involvement in the pursuit of sustainability solutions communicates the kind ofinstitutional values, including a care for others and aTowards sustainability: a brieﬁng note for collegesLearning to succeed – a new framework for post-16 learningsense of fair play, which people want their publicinstitutions to have. Colleges’ involvement insustainability issues provide an excellent vehicle forbuilding purposeful and respectful relationships withlocal and regional communities – the spin off from this being a good local image.Compliance with Government and EU legislation and policiesBreaking the law can result in prosecution and liabilities. Such actions can leave a question mark over an institution’s credibility. The beneﬁt of having a system for managing sustainabilityresponsibilities is that compliance with all legal and policy requirements is routinely addressed.Recent developments in environmental legislationreﬂect a move to viewing the sustainability impact of a product or service in a holistic way and to making product and service providers responsible for their wastes.ISBN 1 85338 518 2© 1999 FEDARegistered with the Charity CommissionersFeedback should be sent to: FEDApublications, Citadel Place, Tinworth Street, London SE11 5EHTel: 0207 840 5302/4Fax: 0207 840 5401e-mail: publications@feda.ac.ukSustainable communitiesBuilding sustainable communities involves:l Strengthening regional and local economiesl Meeting people’s social needs: promoting better health, housing and access to services and recreationl Improving local surroundings: revitalising town centres, tackling degraded urban environments, and ensuring that development respects the character of the countrysidel Reducing crime and fear of crimel Addressing problems of poverty and social exclusion in the most deprived communitiesl Making it easier for people to get involved in their communitiesl Coordinating policies to bring these objectives together

Towards sustainability : a briefing note for colleges

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Towards sustainability : a briefing note for colleges

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