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Although global access to schooling has increased over the last several decades, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), which champions inclusive, equitable, quality education, is far from being achieved. Experts predict that if the global community continues to operate education systems in the same way, by 2030, only one in six countries will reach the universal secondary school completion targets, and approximately 300 million students in school will continue to lack basic numeracy and literacy skills. The 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit emphasized the urgent need for a complete overhaul of education systems to meet SDG 4 targets. One significant outcome of the summit was a call to improve student learning by transforming teacher classroom practice. This paper is the first in a series of three working papers meant to serve as references and conversation starters for policymakers and researchers as they navigate pedagogical reform for education system transformation in their local contexts. This paper explores various definitions of pedagogies, the lack of consensus on what pedagogy means in practice, and the effects of Invisible Pedagogical Mindsets on pedagogical approaches.

This Policy Paper aims at analysing the most important aspects of Public Responsibility, Financing and Governance of Higher Educations while seeking to formulate a students perspective on the state of play within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In doing so it touches upon the very foundation of how and in which socio-political environment educational systems and higher education institutions work nowadays. The European Students' Union (ESU) believes that open access to all levels of education is the cornerstone of a socially, culturally and democratically inclusive society, and a prerequisite for individual and societal development and well-being. ESU sees higher education as a human right, which is guaranteed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. How education is seen in society, how it is funded and how it is governed are tightly interlinked areas. This policy paper focuses on: (1) Public responsibility of higher education (fundamental values; institutional autonomy and academic freedom; academic integrity; intellectual property; education for sustainable development; human rights and democratic citizenship education; digitalization, artificial intelligence, learning analytics and privacy; commodification; partnerships between higher education institutions and industry; internships; and internationalisation and international trade); (2) Financing of higher education (financing of higher education; the funding gap; optimisation of funding of higher education institutions; performance based funding; and education free of tuition fees); and (3) Governance of higher education (students participation; working conditions of academic staff; committees and ombudsmans and leadership, intersectionality and training). [For the 2016 version, see ED587168.]

This paper was presented at the International Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development: Developing a Research Agenda for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, 12-13 January 2011. Tom Karmel suggests that there are four implications of an ageing population: the need to improve labour force participation and productivity; the ageing population will provide a "demographic dividend" because there will be fewer young people to school; increasing life expectancy changes the arithmetic of the return to investments in human capital and makes investment in the middle-aged more attractive; and ageing populations in developed countries provide an opportunity for developing countries through the export of labour services. (Contains 4 tables, 6 figures and 2 footnotes.)

This paper was presented at the 2009 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, November 5-6 at the University of Melbourne. It takes a sceptical view of the push for "green skills", arguing that skills required in the labour market evolve relatively slowly, and that the way business operates is driven by changing costs, new technologies and new regulations, with sustainability being only one of many factors. In addition, the presentation provides some data on "sustainable" courses in tertiary education and then looks at three areas which have implications for the public investment in education and training: the levels of skill acquired through apprenticeships and traineeships, the pay-off to undertaking VET qualifications, and the role of diplomas in the labour market. (Contains 9 tables, 3 figures, and 1 footnote.)

A strong VET system is increasingly seen as essential to overcoming the current economic crisis in Europe. VET is seen as a powerful tool to assist in balancing labour market inefficiencies, increasing youth employment possibilities, and reducing skills mismatch. Its inherent flexibility and closeness to the labour market place VET in a good position to contribute to a faster economic recovery and long-term sustainable development. However, crucial for this role is continuous and systematic VET renewal that assures its relevance for the labour market. This publication explores 15 European national approaches to feedback mechanisms between VET and the labour market. It illustrates the diversity of solutions currently applied across Europe and how they are embedded in national traditions and education philosophy. The study asks three fundamental questions: how inclusive are national mechanisms for feedback between the VET system and the labour market; how responsive are existing mechanisms; and how transparent? Three annexes provide: (1) Case Studies; (2) List of interviewees; and (3) List of experts responsible for the country overviews. Bibliography and references are included. [This paper is the result of a team effort reflecting the work of a research consortium led by Jörg Markowitsch from 3s Research Laboratory who together with Tanja Bacher, Carol Costley, David Etherington, Gerhard Geiger, Günter Hefler, Jelena Helemäe, Triin Roosalu, Ellu Saar, Auni Tamm, and Odd Bjørn Ure conducted the research and fieldwork and drafted the report. This work was carried out under Cedefop's service contract No 2011-0161/AO/ECVL/JB-IPS/Cooperation Labour market--VET/007/11.]

This discussion paper presents an overview of key concepts, trends and issues in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for sustainable development. It examines interlinkages between the world of work and environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development, as well as ways in which TVET can be reoriented to advance the transition to a more sustainable future. This paper is the result of collective brainstorming and was prepared in consultation with a number of UNEVOC Centres, partner agencies and several leading researchers, policy-makers and practitioners working in the field of TVET. It reflects the outcomes of discussions that took place at the UNESCO International Experts Meeting "Learning for Work, Citizenship and Sustainability" (Bonn, Germany, 2004) on the threshold of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, for which UNESCO is the lead agency. This paper appears as the first volume in the Discussion Paper Series, which is part of the UNEVOC International Library of TVET--an extensive publications programme prepared by the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. Annexes include: (1) The Bonn Declaration; and (2) Suggestions to UNESCO for action planning in TVET for sustainable development during the United Nations Decade of Education for sustainable development. (Contains 53 footnotes.) [For Volume 2 of the UNESCO-UNEVOC Discussion Paper Series, "The Development of a National System of Vocational Qualifications," see ED495379.]

The System-wide Collaborative Action for Livelihoods and Environment, or SCALE process, has become one of the Academy for Educational Development's (AED's) and the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) most utilized and replicated models, with applications in education, health, natural resources management, tourism, sustainable agriculture, and energy, among others. SCALE was originally designed through the GreenCOM project, which was funded by the USAID/Economic Growth, Agriculture, and Trade Bureau's Natural Resources Management Office and implemented by AED. This paper illustrates how the SCALE model can be modified for use in the context of international workforce initiatives.

Instructional designers can embrace leadership skills to shape the culture in educational entities toward a "living" institute (Senge, 2000, p. 54). Assessment and measurability set the direction toward the design of plan, implementation and strategy to organization. Paradigm shifts must take place in education.

Universities in Latin America and in the Caribbean (LAC), and throughout the world, are facing one of the most challenging eras in their history. Globalization presents many important opportunities for higher education, but also poses serious problems and raises questions about how best to serve the common good. The traditional values of universities are still valid (autonomy, academic freedom, research, students' work, assessment), but they should be viewed within the context of new global norms. Until the decade of the 80s, public Higher Education (HE) with institutional and academic autonomy, had predominance in the region over the private education. At the end of the 80s and beginnings of the 90s, globalization meant neoliberal strategies. This implied replacing the typical policies of the "Welfare State", for others of reducing funds to public services and privatization of them. These market strategies had an impact in the increasing privatization of HE and in the deterioration of public universities, due to the lack of appropriate financing among other factors. In spite of this, during the 90s HE grew a great deal. HE reforms in LAC in the last two decades, have been oriented towards the satisfaction of an increasing demand according to World Bank policies and in much lesser degree to the policies recommended by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE) (1998). Because of it, these transformations are mainly counter-reforms and not the needed reform of the national public university. This essay provides an outline of the major challenges facing universities throughout the world. This then gives context to a discussion on current policy reforms and the future of higher education in Latin and Caribbean nations where enrollment and program growth is robust. This includes: cooperation in networks as an alternative to competition; open content and open knowledge versus privatization and marketing visions of new providers of for-profit higher education; new participative instruments of management, evaluation and accreditation; research aimed at global and local needs simultaneously; a sustainable development vision in order to achieve the millennium goals should be incorporated to curriculum as well as studies on multiculturalism and diversity. A bibliography is included. (Contains 10 endnotes.)[Minor changes have been made to this abstract to comply with ERIC guidelines.]

This report examines how California's massive and ongoing investment in school construction could better advance the shared goals of school improvement, sustainable urban growth, and equal opportunity. This brief is organized in five parts. First, the authors sketch a "framework" for how smart growth principles could help guide school facilities investments. This includes not only the bricks and mortar of infrastructure but also the creation of more effective forms of schooling, such as small, human-scale schools which are better integrated with their communities. Second, the widening "scope of school construction and renovation" is described. They outline how these $82 billion in bond revenues are being distributed to California's various regions. Third, the lack of coordinated planning is placed in sharp relief, once all the people illuminate "demographic and economic shifts" that shape quality of life in California, from where they live to how far they travel to jobs. Fourth, the authors detail what's known empirically about the "benefits of high-quality school facilities" that accrue to students and teachers. Smarter forms of schooling, in carefully designed facilities, could spur stronger engagement and motivation among children and educators alike. Finally, they argue that state policy makers, local educators, and city planners face key decision points, and they could exercise these influential policy levers more wisely. They highlight four communities that are grappling with these challenges in innovative ways and constructing smart schools that build from smart growth principles. These cases appear in boxes throughout this report. (Contains 4 figures and 44 endnotes.) [This report was produced by Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE) and the Center for Cities & Schools.]

This paper describes how the trend toward building new schools on large sites far from existing development centers, called "school sprawl" or "school giantism," can have far-reaching impacts on school children, school districts, and the larger community.Educators and parents express concern that large schools reduce educational outcomes, particularly for at-risk youth.Schools that are more distant can diminish student participation in extracurricular activities, parental involvement, and taxpayer support. Students are walking and cycling to school less,which contributes to alarming rates of childhood obesity. Many suggest that the growing physical disconnect between schools and community helps create a level of student anonymity and social alienation that sets the stage for tragic events like Columbine. Smart growth groups, which traditionally have not weighed in on educational matters, are now questioning the same trend. Rather than build shopping mall schools at the edge of town, smart growth advocates encourage the continued use of existing schools and the construction of new schools on infill sites within existing neighborhoods.Smart growth advocates' interest in neighborhood schools dovetails with education reformers' interest in small schools, presenting an important opportunity for collaboration. Scattered efforts are underway across the country addressing the shared interests of educator sand smart growth advocates. (Author/EV)

A project has been designed to identify how a non-metropolitan community consolidates and develops sustainable social and economic activity. For many authors, the political position reiterating vocational education and training (VET) as the pivotal contributor to building national economic sustainability is framed in terms of human capital imperatives, economic rationalism, and corporate managerialism. Contemporary research on VET's value or outcomes often focuses on industry outcomes or particular activity rather than value to its wider community. The project would examine whether models of vocational provision constructed to service one sector, as opposed to mutualities of sectors, may mitigate against attempts by non-metropolitan communities to reposition themselves economically and socially in an increasingly globalized economy. A more inclusive definition of VET may be appropriate to more accurately describe the true value of VET activity and its benefits to communities in their quest for economic and social sustainability. The research method combines the focused interview process with open-ended questions. The sample consists of two strata: those employed in 17 industry groupings delineated for benchmarking performance in VET in Australia and those affiliated with community groupings operating in the study community. (Contains 56 references.) (YLB)

Changes in the nature of work have resulted in a significant loss of employment opportunities for Australian youths. Since the 1980s, the Australian government's perspective on the problem of youth unemployment has moved from emphasis on job availability to emphasis on individual job readiness. A 1999 Tasmanian study of early school leavers and their attempts to gain employment confirms the disjunction between the world of work and the educational experiences of youths who leave school after completing compulsory education. For the 63 Tasmanian youths studied, the pathway to work was not easy. Many reported negative experiences in their job searches, and many viewed themselves in a no-win situation as welfare officials pressured them to find employment without providing them with any meaningful assistance in doing so. However, the respondents did not perceive all attempts to assist them negatively. Those who participated in short training programs emphasizing generic skills and knowledge in specific areas of work generally considered the programs beneficial. Vocational training programs with no waiting periods were seen as key to easing the Tasmanian youths' transition from school to work. It was recommended that the issues of youth unemployment, forging school-business partnerships, and revising existing curricula be revisited. (Contains 13 references.) (MN)

This discussion paper is intended for policy makers, program managers, technical specialists, and others seeking new tools and ideas with which to achieve environmentally sustainable development. Effective techniques from the field of environmental education and communication (EE&C) that can help biodiversity conservationists and program managers are demonstrated. The first section, entitled "A Conversation about Protecting Biodiversity," describes the need for increased public awareness and action at a time when few people understand biodiversity and why it should matter to them. The next section, "How EE&C Can Help," delves further into the specifics of how EE&C can help achieve biodiversity objectives and establishes basic parameters for EE&C. Case studies are then presented to illustrate how successful programs combine formal activities with programs through nonformal settings and informal channels. A robust EE&C strategy consists of assessment and research, planning, pretesting, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The third section, "Measures of Success," suggests how EE&C strategies that focus on knowledge, attitudes, and practices can contribute to meeting biodiversity indicators. Finally, "Parting Thoughts" discusses the contribution of technological advances to the field of biodiversity conservation. (PVD)

Rural poverty and wide-ranging environmental concerns are some of the problems driving a growing public debate on rural issues across the United Kingdom. This briefing paper assesses the contribution that a community development approach can make to these issues. Rural areas have a long history of collective action, from farm families helping each other at harvest time to communal efforts to provide village services, schools, carnivals, and drama events. Recent decades have seen increasing outside efforts to influence policies, decisions, and trends that threaten local areas, such as school closings, environmental issues, and large new housing developments. The role and challenge of community development is to reinforce local collective action where it is already occurring, and encourage more communities to acquire the confidence and skills to take collective action. Chapters set the rural context; identify broad trends related to rural population, changing employment, declining services, the market economy, and rural-urban conflicts about the environment; provide examples of effective community work around village services, schools, community centers, housing, economic development, village appraisals, and environmental action; and identify the main agencies and programs in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The booklet concludes by recommending consolidation of the community work occupation; promotion of a community approach; appreciation of the Europe-wide perspective; a reappraisal of values; development of political responsibility and citizenship; and adoption of a more strategic approach. Contains 19 references and 29 organizational contacts in the United Kingdom and Europe. (TD)

This report offers numerous cross-sectoral explorations in the context of health and human resources analyses in Africa. Intended as a resource document for funding agencies, program managers, and policy makers in Africa, the study aims to spark interest in using basic education to foster behavior conducive to broad-based, sustainable economic development. The report presents findings and analysis of research carried out in missions to Botswana, The Gambia, and Senegal from December 1992 to October 1993. The paper evaluates and documents lessons learned from programs designed to integrate health, population/family planning, environmental issues, privatization, and democracy education into basic education curricula in African nations. The first section of the report discusses recent findings about the way students learn and how this research affects curriculum development, curriculum and instruction, and curriculum and evaluation. In the second section three case studies outline the curriculum development process in Botswana, The Gambia, and Senegal. The third section of the report presents recommendations and observations. An annotated bibliography of programs and materials is included in the appendix. (EH)

In much of the nonindustrialized world, women are the main providers of water, fuel, food, and other basic necessities, and thus often play the part of environmental managers. Because they are more directly connected to the environment, women are the most directly affected by environmental degradation, yet rarely have women been heard in discussions about global environmental problems. Economic development projects generally ignore women's needs and knowledge; most are oriented toward the expansion of cash economies and income generation, which often undermines stable subsistence economies, and displaces poor rural people who are then forced to destroy their own environment to survive. The solution to rapid population growth, also a factor in environmental degradation, centers on the need to improve levels of education and economic and social opportunities for women and girls. The importance of women in development and environmental management is being increasingly recognized by governments, lending institutions, and international development agencies, such as the World Bank, which has announced the education of girls as a top priority in its lending programs. Few tasks offer the potential for such sweeping improvements in both environmental protection and the quality of life around the world as does ensuring the equality of women. (TD)

Transforming education systems to be fit for the 21st century is the common thread for creating inclusive and equitable societies resilient to conflict, climate change and economic crises. Now is the time for increased investment in African education systems. This paper describes: (1) the state of Africa's educational landscape; (2) innovative approaches to increase education financing; and (3) what can be done to put education back at the forefront of Africa's policy agenda while sparking improved outcomes across the entire education spectrum. [Additional collaborators for this paper include the African Development Bank and the African Union.]