Abstract
Wales is often praised for its approach and progress regarding sustainable development. Actions to embed Education for Sustainable Development in Wales began to gain traction in 2006 with the launch of an action plan for Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship. Sustainable development is a central organizing principle for the Welsh Government, and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act passed in 2015 set long-term well-being goals into law. This chapter explores the extent of the coherence between the nation’s policy intentions and practice for Education for Sustainable Development. Current education reform in Wales offers opportunities to embed the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal’s target 4.7. Reviewing key sustainable development policies, education policies, the new Curriculum for Wales guidance, a small number of school policies, and Initial Teacher Education curricula provides an insight into the nation’s priorities for Education for Sustainable Development. A core purpose of education in Wales is for learners to become ethically informed citizens, and therefore, progress is positively contributing to SDG 4. To understand this further, it will be critical to examine individual school curricula specifically, once they are written, as well as research the experience of the learner in the classroom to gather further insight regarding embedding Education for Sustainable Development in the Welsh education system.
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Glover, A. (2023). Education for Sustainable Development: Policy and Practice in Wales. In: Leal Filho, W., Dinis, M.A.P., Moggi, S., Price, E., Hope, A. (eds) SDGs in the European Region . Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals – Regional Perspectives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17461-2_2
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