The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism on Tuesday launched the Environmental Education and Education for Sustainable Development Strategy and Action Plan, which is aimed at promoting environmental sustainability through formal education.
The 2022-2026 action plan, jointly developed with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, will promote the development of standards for environmental education and education for sustainable development (ESD) in school curriculums at all levels.
In a speech delivered on his behalf at the launch, Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta said the strategy calls for all levels of education and training systems to be oriented toward a model of education that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to sustain themselves.
Shifeta noted that the ministry has a mandate to ensure the maintenance of ecosystems, essential ecological processes and biological diversity of Namibia, and the utilisation of living natural resources on a sustainable basis for the benefit of all Namibians.
“It is high time for Namibia to increase local environmental content in the national education curriculum to make it easier for our children to learn environmental science subjects with reference to Namibia’s physical environment and biodiversity to which they can relate,” he said.
At the same event, the Education Ministry’s Deputy Executive Director, Gerhard Vries, said the strategy will allow Namibia to monitor the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) four, which aims for inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
“The strategy calls for an urgent need for us to mainstream environmental education in our programmes in order to save the soil and its natural resources. Therefore we call on all education practitioners and learners to embrace the action plan,” he noted.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) National Commissioner, Rod April, said 27 Unesco associated schools in Namibia engage in ESD practices through the whole school approach to climate change, as well as the green school concept.
“The ESD 2030 framework adopted in 2021 at the Unesco general conference underscored the importance of integrating ESD into the core curriculum at all levels by 2025 to empower the youth with necessary skills and mindsets, and to address national challenges,” he noted.