Integration of ESD in French primary schools: for what purpose, with what form of integration and with what content?

Abstract

This article examines the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the French educational system and more especially in primary schooling. The research question concerns the purposes, the form of integration and the definition of the content of ESD. To answer these questions, I present and analyse the main features of these three questions as presented in the official texts of the Ministry of Education. I also draw on a case study focusing on the integration of ESD at primary level. Thirty-four semi-directive interviews were carried out with local ESD actors working in two communes in southern France. In this study, the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis using NVivo 12 software. The results show that, both in the official texts and in the discourse of the interviewees, the purposes of ESD tend to be civic and emancipatory. Furthermore, while the choice of content is left to the actors on the ground, the incoherence and lack of clarity of the official texts complicates their task. They thus have difficulty in setting ESD projects within an interdisciplinary approach.

Keywords:

• Education for sustainable development
• curriculum
• purpose
• form of integration
• content
• France
• primary school

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest to report.

Data availability statement

I declare the availability of the data associated with the paper.

Notes

1 Ministry of National Education (MEN), Circular No. 2004-110 of 8-07-2004

2 MEN, Circular No. 2007-077 of 29-03-2007

3 MEN, Circular No. 2011-186 of 24-10-2011

4 MEN, Circular No. 2015-018 of 04-02-2015

5 MEN, Circular No. 2019-121 of 27-08-2019

6 The fluctuation refers to the instability of official orientations due to the lack of a long-term vision.

7 School project: This is a compulsory project for all schools since the orientation law of July 1989. This project must be carried out jointly by the school council (the main body of the school chaired by the school principal). It is designed to meet the particular needs of pupils, taking into account the characteristics of the school. It is established for a period of 3 to 5 years.

8 Class project: This is a project that could be carried out at class level on the initiative of the teacher and his/her pupils in order to solve a real problem or answer a complex question.

9 MEN, Decree 2006-830 of 11-07-2006 introduced under the framework law on the future of schooling of 23-04-2005.

10 © QSR International, UK.

11 The labelling of schools: this means awarding labels (such as the E3D label), under certain conditions, to schools involved in education for sustainable development projects.

12 Eco-Ecole is the French version of Eco-Schools, an international ESD programme developed by the Foundation for Environmental Education. The Teragir association launched the Eco-Ecole programme in 2005. https://www.eco-ecole.org/

13 These four educational pathways are set out in the Loi d’orientation et programmation pour la refondation de l’école de la République of July 8, 2013. The Eduscol website (official website of National Education professionals) defines the educational pathway as a structured, progressive and continuous range of teachings, not limited to one discipline, and of educational practices, both in and out of school, around a theme. Eduscol website. URL: https://eduscol.education.fr/676/les-parcours-educatifs-l-ecole-au-college-et-au-lycee, consulted on January 25, 2021

14 Consensual knowledge refers to valid knowledge that is free of debate and social controversy, and is transmitted in such a way that students adhere to it. Non-consensual knowledge refers to controversial knowledge based on criticism, uncertainty, values, conflict and that refers to systemic or multiscalar approaches (Tutiaux-Guillon and Considère 2010; Considère and Tutiaux-Guillon 2013).

15 This is an EEDD facility consisting of an educational farm and a resource center, welcoming various publics (leisure visitors, schools, specialized centers and kindergartens).

16 These are teachers responsible for implementing the Ministry on ESD at the level of the Rectorate or the DSDEN.

17 The Rectorate is the directorate of the Ministry which implements the national education policy at the level of the Academy (i.e. one or several départements).

18 The Direction des Services Départementaux de l’Education Nationale (DSDEN) is the locally-based service which implements Ministry policy at the level of the département.

19 In France, the primary-level education advisor has three main pedagogic roles: pedagogic support for school teachers and teams; initial and on-going teacher training; implementing education policy.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the ‘Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Research in Didactics, Education and Training (LIRDEF), University of Montpellier and Paul-Valery University, Montpellier, France’ under Grant number BDC4500262732.

Notes on contributors

Smail Charif

Smail Charif is a Doctor in Education Sciences attached to the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Research in Didactics, Education and Training (LIRDEF), at the University of Montpellier and Paul-Valery University in France. He has been a primary school teacher since 2004. His research interests focus on the construction of transversal education curriculum, in particular the ESD curriculum at primary school level. They are also focus on the gaps between the prescribed curriculum and the real curriculum.