Non-formal Education for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of the ‘Children in the Wilderness’ Eco-Club Programme in the Zambezi Region

Sarah Adams, Trisia Farrelly and John Holland
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Sarah Adams: Sarah Adams is with the Environmental Management Programme, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Trisia Farrelly: Trisia Farrelly is Senior Lecturer, School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. E-mail: T.Farrelly@massey.ac.nz
John Holland: John Holland is Professor in Environmental Management, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. E-mail: J.D.Holland@massey.ac.nz

Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 2020, vol. 14, issue 2, 117-139

Abstract: Augmenting low income or subsistence lifestyles in developing countries with knowledge, skills and values to enable communities to live in a more sustainable manner is becoming increasingly important as the demands to simply survive increase. Consequently, education for sustainable development (ESD) has emerged strongly in recent years to become a key mechanism for a more sustainable future. Using a case study approach to determine a non-formal ESD programme’s response to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO’s) (2005) ESD ‘characteristics’, this study aims to gauge the success and value of non-formal ESD. A qualitative research was undertaken in 2017 employing various data collection methods, including interviews, focus group discussions, observations and the examination of national policy documents and the non-formal ESD curriculum. The study found that the non-formal education sector provided significant support to the formal education system, leading to improved vertical integration from international guidelines to local-level implementation. The findings demonstrate the potential of the non-formal sector to augment ESD in developing contexts where the national government may lack policy or the ability to provide schools with adequate educational resources.

Keywords: Education for sustainable development; non-formal education; primary education; developing country; policy integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:jousus:v:14:y:2020:i:2:p:117-139

DOI: 10.1177/0973408220980871

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