How to Educate Children for Sustainable Learning and for a Sustainable World

Abstract

This article discusses how early learning might be made sustainable for children. It considers the application of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals to early childhood education to ensure that inclusive and equitable quality education that promotes lifelong learning opportunities is available to all children. Early childhood practitioners and researchers are encouraged to implement curricula and pedagogies that can support sustainable learning. While educational research about sustainability is necessary, understandings of sustainability policies and values are also required. Values related to sustainability promote a certain type of pedagogy in which the child should be allowed to take initiatives, think, and reflect. This requires high-quality early childhood education. How sustainability concepts can be applied to both content and pedagogy are discussed, as well as different preconditions that are necessary so that all children can access education for sustainability. Important preconditions of education for sustainability include a need for awareness that lifelong learning is applicable to early childhood education, as well as educated staff who are aware about what is relevant for young children to learn about sustainability. © 2017, The Author(s).