Update: OECD Education Policy Outlook 2023—Empowering Learners for Green, Equitable Futures

Source: OECD (Nov 20 2023), “Education Policy Outlook 2023: Empowering All Learners to Go Green”

https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/education-policy-outlook-2023_f5063653-en.html

“Education and training systems have a unique potential to build the foundations of equitable, sustainable societies.”

Comments

Before diving into specifics, it’s clear this report offers a sweeping vision: it frames education as a catalyst not only for environmental stewardship but also for social inclusion. By examining dozens of countries, the OECD pinpoints practices worth emulating.

Strengths

1. Global scope: Draws on 36 education systems, offering cross-national lessons on equity and sustainability.
2. Learner agency: Calls for active pedagogies and student voice structures to translate environmental awareness into real-world action.
3. System resilience: Aligns environmental goals with digitalisation and inclusion, reinforcing education’s strategic role in polycrises.

Gaps

1. Accountability blindspots: Lacks clear, comparable metrics for tracking equity and green-learning outcomes across countries.
2. Implementation support: Minimal guidance on funding models and professional development needed for systemic shifts.
3. Stakeholder engagement: Emphasises MOE-environment ministry ties but underplays partnerships with businesses, NGOs, and families.

Question @everyone: How are your local curricula—and school- or district-level policies—reflecting this call to build both environmental agency and equity? What concrete strategies (e.g., project frameworks, assessment rubrics, community partnerships) have you used—or might you propose—to embed learner co-agency in shaping green, socially just learning experiences?