Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration
Abstract
This article argues that many of the aims and objectives of educational leadership need to be re-focused upon a largely neglected issue, that of an education for sustainable development (ESD). Research suggests that the concept of ESD - and particularly the interrelationships between environmental, social, and economic sustainabilities - is not fully appreciated by many school leaders, and yet this is an essential precondition for educational action. This article suggests one way in which this area might be conceptualised, and argues that an appreciation and development of more sustainable schools should lead to a refocusing of the work of educational leaders. Such refocusing would also present new challenges for educational leaders, for it will initiate debates about what constitutes a 'good society', about permissible levels of economic growth and consumption, about how to address current and future problems, and what actions need to be taken to achieve these
