Education for sustainable development in the era of decolonisation and transformation

Abstract

The voices demanding the decolonisation and transformation of education have become louder, stronger and clearer. These happen when the whole of humanity has bound itself to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2015–2030 building onto the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000–2015. What is unclear to many is whether decolonisation and transformation of education on the one hand, and education for sustainable development on the other, refer to the same processes. It is also unclear whether the intents and purposes are the same, whether mechanisms and strategies to operationalise them are similar or whether we are being confronted by irreconcilable contradictions that will make the realisation of either and/or all impossible.