UNECE Expert Group on Competences on ESD

1. 5th Meeting of the UNECE Steering Committee on ESD, 18-19 March 2010 UNECE Expert Group on Competences on ESD Prof. Michael Scoullos, Chairman

2. The UNECE Expert Group on Competences in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) was established by the UNECE Steering Committee on ESD at its fourth meeting (19–20 February 2009). • Countries & stakeholders participating: Belgium, Canada, Central Asian Working Group on ESD,Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, UK, European ECO Forum, UNESCO, UNU, UNICEF. • Chair: Prof. Michael Scoullos, Greece and Vice-Chair: Mr. Roland Tormey (Ireland).

3. Mandate - Timeline of work • (a) To prepare general recommendations for policymakers, • (b) To prepare a range of core competences in ESD for educators. • To hold five meetings in 2009–2010 (one in 2009 and four in 2010) • Goal of preparing a draft document on competences for consideration at the Steering Committee’s 6th meeting in 2011.

4. Meetings • 1st Meeting, Lund, Sweden, 30 September - 2 October 2009. The report has been submitted to the UNECE SC. • 2nd Meeting, Lieden, the Netherlands, 13-15 January 2010. • With regard to the standards, it agreed that rather than looking at minimum acquired standards, it should focus on what it would like educators and students to aspire to.

5. Competences • A series of alternative classifications were examined. • Indicative list of competences System-thinking, Transformation, Dealing with risk/uncertainty and сontradictions/ complexity, effective facilitation of learning, Participatory pedagogy, Critical reflection, ‘’values’’ clarification, Shifting perspectives in time, space, culture and discipline, Transdisciplinary, Futures orientation Relevant to the four categories of the Delor’s framework (“The educator for ESD knows…”, “The educator for ESD is able to….”, “The educator for ESD is…”, “The educator for ESD lives and works with others as follows…”) . • To identify specific issues under each such cross-cutting issue under the four categories, through group work in three small groups.

6. Policy recommendations Proposed structure at the final product: Section 1 –preamble of recommendations • Mandate • The importance of the issue: strong link to existing international/national priorities, European year innovation/ creativity e.g. Lisbon agenda; engagement of young people in education, emergency preparedness, ‘business case for ESD’, towards SD etc. • Vision of education and purpose of education • The breadth of competencies (to do; to know; to be; to live and work with others) • How we understand competencies -System and individual -Assessable in broad terms -etc. • Variety within the region – provides universal competencies for social change • Recommendation to move towards implementation of these competencies for educators

7. Policy recommendations Section 2 - implementation of recommendations (at national and international level) • Communicating competences to relevant bodies, stakeholder engagement • Link to existing action plans or goals (mapping on the international [e.g. standard giving bodies, Bologna process], national policies as well as local/ regional) • Identification of barriers and ways to overcome them • Key actors -Initial Educator Education -Continuing Educator Education • Creating enabling framework in education systems – Leadership • Enhancing Synergies (at regional/ sub-regional level) Section 3 – Competencies and Illustration of Competencies Appendix (possible)

8. WORK PLAN There will be several ISGs established to carry out drafting work between the sessions: • ISG on Competences – Anna Maria Hoffmann, Tatiana Shakirova, Yuri Mazurov •  ISG on Preamble– Michael Scoullos, Paul Vare, ZinaidaFadeeva, Leonard Rivard •  ISG on Recommendations for Policy-makers – Antoine Heideveld, KatalinCzippan •  ISG on Illustrations: Daniela Tilbury, LaimaGalkute, Inka Bormann. The Group noted the importance of striking a balance in consultations with various sectors and the particular importance of engaging governmental structures into this process. A number of stakeholders which could be consulted was discussed.

9. Consultation process • Stage 1. 1-30 April 2010. Individual experts, having received the first draft of the competences section, may engage in very informal consultations with their constituencies with respect to the scope of competences or recommendations. On 31 March the circulation of the 1st draft of Competences & on 30 April the 2nd draft. • Stage 2. 1 May – 15 June 2010. Individual experts are invited to share the 2nd draft of the document with other stakeholders and processes with a view to receiving their inputs and feedback in time for the 3rd meeting of the Expert Group. On 15 June the circulation of the draft concept of recommendations & the draft preamble. • Stage 3.1 July – mid September 2010. Continued informal consultations, including on the preamble and illustrations, as appropriate. The modalities and whether and at what stage any further drafts are to be shared outside the Expert Group are to be determined at its 3rd meeting (28-30 June 2010, Limerick, Ireland). The 4th draft on competences & recommendations will be ready on July-August for the 4th meeting of the EG in September.