The Netherlands is a member of ENSI. Education for Sustainable Development is placed highly on the agenda in The Netherlands, for more then 10 years already. The Dutch program Learning for Sustainable Development (LfSD) is the central point in The Netherlands who coordinates most of the processes around ESD. CINOP is an independent, international research and consultancy agency specialised in lifelong learning, vocational education & training (VET), adult education, career guidance and human resource development. Together, CINOP and LfSD are the focal point for ENSI.

Practising sustainability is a skill that can be learned!

In the Netherlands students, professionals, companies, organisations and individuals are working on the issue, in there own work and in networks.

Education

Education is in motion. Elements of change include the promotion of competencies, the New Learning and systems thinking. As the knowledge-intensive society that we pursue needs to be rooted in education, the teacher holds the key role in this development.

In the Netherlands all kind of activities are carried out and policy is being made on the issue of ESD. For formal education for students between 4 and 18 a Core Curriculum Learning for Sustainable Development was made. In formal education four networks for sustainable development are established in The Netherlands.

Higher Education
DHO, the Dutch Network for Sustainability in higher Education, was founded in 1998. It is a network for more than 1500 teachers, board members from all universities and almost all polytechnical universities (hogescholen). The board of the network is formed with board members of universities and hogescholen. All kind of activities are carried out, for instance the Auditing Instrument for Sustainability in higher Education (AISHE) is created.

Morgen, the Dutch student network for sustainable development was founded in 1994. Hundreds of students are member of the network, on different universities students are working together in sustainability groups and Morgen coordinates a lot of activities. Like a site on internet on which student can choose a course on sustainable development.

TVET
DMBO, the network for Sustainability in Vocational education was founded in 2005 and works together with 19 TVET schools. National meetings, newsletters a website, facilitation of implementing sustainability in the school curricula…all kinds of activities are carried out.

Teacher Training
Duurzame Pabo, the network for sustainability in Teacher’s Colleges was established in 2005. The educational sector responsible for quality education is now also being called to attend to social responsibility. We, after all, anticipate that the young adults in training – students and schoolboys and girls – will make the world of tomorrow a better place. The network enhances meetings, integration in curricula publications and many more.

At this very moment sustainability is embedded in many curricula in primary, secondary, TVET and higher education. However, sometimes only as a project, sometimes not in all courses or in all programs. So works need to be done to make sustainability mainstream. We are on our way, but not there yet.

Young & sustainable
Young people, sustainable development and education - Judith van Heeswijk MA

  Hiteq young and sustainable_tcm24-290908.pdf

Sustainable development is learning to look ahead
Core Curriculum Learning for Sustainable Development, Basic education 4 - 16 years of age

  kernleerplan engels_tcm24-290165.pdf

Learning for Sustainable Development: exploring learning strategies across the lifespan

  Learning_Sstnbl_Dvlpm_tcm24-298876.pdf

Accelerated Learning Pathways
For Sustainable Development with International Context

  Accelerated Learning Pathways - Final - Webversion_tcm24-245562.pdf

Sustainable Teacher's Colleges
The Dutch network for sustainable development in higher education curricula

  www.duurzamepabo.nl/artikel.php?aid=833