A comparative analysis of environment and sustainability in policy across subnational education systems

Abstract

The aim of this study was to better understand how Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) policy has been developed and mobilized across subnational contexts in a federated system. We undertook a comparative analysis of sustainability-specific policy and curricula documents from all Canadian provinces and territories. We identified three thematic clusters in the data; two aligned with major global ESE policy initiatives, and a third cluster centered on localized Indigenous education in a northern territory. Conclusions and implications include that the absence of globalized ESE uptake in the northern territory demonstrates localized, relevant, and appropriate policy development, which could inform future global sustainability education initiatives. In addition, with only 6 of 13 provinces and territories having specialized education policy or curricular documents focused on climate and sustainability, there is an urgent need for increased focus in these areas in responding to calls from students and communities for climate action.

Keywords:

• Education policy
• curriculum
• environmental education
• education for sustainable development
• Indigenous education
• climate change education

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge and appreciate the work of research assistants and associates involved in data collection and analysis, other team members involved in the research design and implementation, and the anonymous reviewers and journal editorial staff who provided feedback. For more information, see www.sepn.ca.

Data availability statement

Some project data can be accessed via www.sepn.ca.

Notes

1 Manual website surveys were complemented by using Ministry-specific search engines, using the Boolean search terms “sustain*,” “environment*,” “ecological,” and “green.” For further details of these searches, refer to Beveridge et al. (2019). In the following sections we will use the term “ministry of education” except where referring to specific provincial/territorial contexts where another term is used.

2 This encompassed approaches as education for sustainable development (ESD), sustainability education, education for sustainability, environmental education (EE), and Indigenous education.

3 The Yukon territory had developed an ESE scoping document reviewing activities undertaken in other ministries of education; however, this document which did not result in a sustainability-specific education policy for the Yukon. Other provinces have developed innovative programs, projects or stand-alone courses (see CMEC, 2014, Canada’s Response to the UNESCO Questionnaires on the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development).

4 According to one Manitoba policy, as part of developing sustainability knowledge, skills, values, and practices, students will be enabled to “advocate for a strong economy and for government policies that support a strong economy” (Manitoba Department of Education and Training, 2000, p. 11)

5 The preface to the Québec sustainable development policy described educational systems as producing “citizens, workers, and entrepreneurs” (Québec Ministry of Education and Higher Education, 2008, p. 5, translated from French).

6 There is an extensive body of literature, films, websites, radio interviews, podcasts, etc. that document Inuit concerns about climate change (see Kunuk & Mauro, 2010; Watt-Cloutier, 2015; the Inuit Circumpolar Council).

7 The most populous provinces (Ontario, Québec, and BC), comprising nearly three quarters of the total Canadian population (2016 Canadian census), all had developed ESE policy.

8 The ministry of education in Manitoba has since released climate change education resources, in response to requests from teachers who indicated a lack of appropriate resource material.

Additional information

Funding

This publication draws on research from the Sustainability and Education Policy Network (SEPN), supported by a Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Grant No 895-2011-1025, Principal Investigator Dr. Marcia McKenzie).