The Norwegian curriculum clearly distinguishes education for sustainable development (ESD) from environmental education.
In the Norwegian curriculum, sustainable development is highly interdisciplinary and taught across almost all subject areas. Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), 1987)” (Korsager & Scheie, 2019). For instance, as part of the ESD program, students in the Flaktveit School (Municipality of Bergen, Norway) are taught to
“ • Understand and take care of themselves
• Understand and take care of one another
• Understand and take care of your local community
• Understand and take care of nature
• Understand and take care of the planet
• Make good sustainable decisions about the future of a democratic society”
(OECD - Innovative Learning Environment Project)
Meanwhile in the Ontario curriculum, the concept of sustainable development is not explicitly defined or separated in the same way. Aspects of sustainable development are taught as part of the science curriculum’s STSE expectations (relating Science and Technology to Society and the Environment). This can be seen in the Ontario Grade 9 Science curriculum; in the sustainability unit, students learn both about how ecosystems function, as well as how human activity, society and technology impact the sustainability of ecosystems. Students are encouraged to think about how they themselves can support sustainability in their local environment.
We believe that the Norwegian structure of teaching sustainable development is incredibly powerful, as it emphasizes the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of the topic. It lends itself to systems thinking and the development of problem-solving skills. In Ontario, there is no explicit focus or interdisciplinary approach specific to sustainable development and could therefore be less impactful.
In Ontario, environmental education is integrated into all subject areas.
The environmental education policy framework in Ontario emphasizes that environmental education is the responsibility of the entire education community, and must be taught to some extent by each and every teacher. While the expectation is for environmental education to be integrated into all subject areas, the topic is most prevalent in the science curriculum.
Meanwhile in Norway, environmental education is solely taught as part of the natural sciences curriculum. Environmental education is certainly seen as part of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), but ESD encompasses knowledge and competencies in subject areas beyond environmental education (e.g. the arts).
Ontario and Norway both have a similar vision for environmental education.
Environmental education is a core value in the Norwegian curriculum. The curriculum states “School shall help the pupils to develop an appreciation of nature so they can enjoy and respect nature and develop climate and environmental awareness.” It emphasizes that students must experience nature firsthand, and understand the necessity for nature to be protected.
The Ontario curriculum also emphasizes environmental education, and in particular emphasizes how science relates to technology, society, and the environment (STSE): “The STSE expectations provide meaningful contexts for applying what has been learned about the environment, for thinking critically about issues related to the environment, and for considering personal action that can be taken to protect the environment.” The Ontario curriculum highlights the importance of students’ sense of place, their understanding of the environmental impacts of human activity, and the development of their ‘systems thinking’ skills.
The Norwegian and Ontario curriculum have language proficiency considerations that are tailored to each cultural heritage.
The Ontario curriculum puts emphasis on considerations for English Language Learners (ELL) which make up a significant demographic of students in Ontario. The Grade 9 Science curriculum states: “Ontario schools have some of the most multilingual student populations in the world. The first language of approximately 20 percent of the students in Ontario’s English-language schools is a language other than English.” The Ontario curriculum prioritizes support for English language proficiency, providing guidelines for teachers on how they should approach teaching ELL.
The Norwegian curriculum also values language proficiency, with consideration for their own cultural heritage: “In Norway, Norwegian and the Sami languages, South Sami, Lule Sami and North Sami, have equal standing. The Norwegian language comprises two equal forms of Norwegian bokmål and nynorsk. Norwegian sign language is also recognised as language in its own right in Norway. Knowledge about the linguistic diversity in society provides all pupils with valuable insight into different forms of expression, ideas and traditions. All pupils shall experience that being proficient in a number of languages is a resource, both in school and society at large.”
Both the Norwegian and Ontario curriculum value cultural diversity and antidiscrimination.
A core value in the Norwegian curriculum involves giving students a historical and cultural insight into their identity within an inclusive and diverse environment. In this regard, indigenous Sami cultural heritage is seen as an important part of Norway’s overall cultural heritage. Furthermore, “[f]ive groups with a long-standing attachment to Norway have the status as national minorities in accordance with our international obligations: Jews, Kvens/Norwegian Finns (people of Finnish descent in northern Norway), Forest Finns (Finnish people who settled in Norway), roma (the East European branch of the Romani, Gypsies) and Romani people/Tater (the Romanisel/Sinti, the western branch of the Romani, travellers). These groups have contributed to the Norwegian cultural heritage, and the teaching and training shall impart knowledge about these groups.”
In Ontario, the equity and inclusive education policy framework states the following:
“We believe that Ontario’s diversity is one of its greatest assets – both today and for the future. Embracing this diversity and moving beyond tolerance and celebration to inclusivity and respect will help us reach our goal of making Ontario’s education system the most equitable in the world.”
The Ministry of Ontario has also made First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education a priority, and has embedded indigenous perspectives into many subject areas as outlined in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Connections – Scope and Sequence of Expectations (2016).
References
Korsager, M., & Scheie, E. (2019). Students and education for sustainable development –
what matters? A case study on students’ sustainability consciousness derived from
participating in an ESD project. Acta Didactica Norge, 13(2), Art. 6. https://doi.org
/10.5617/adno.6451
OECD - Innovative Learning Environment Project. (n.d.). Education for Sustainable
Development - Flaktveit School, Municipality of Bergen. http://www.oecd.org/education
/ceri/49765675.pdf