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Opening Session of Education Seminar

Held on Wednesday 28th November 2001 at Tipperary Institute, Thurles, Co Tipperary

The seminar was opened by Ciarán Lynch, Director of Rural Development in Tipperary Institute. The participants were welcomed by Pádraig Culbert, Chief Executive, Tipperary Institute.

Address by Séamus Puirséil

Mr. Puirséil congratulated FEASTA. Tipperary Institute and Kimmage Manor for organising the event. He outlined the history to the HETAC guidelines on environmental awareness. The European Commission required that sustainable development be an important consideration in the Community Support Framework for Ireland's National Development Plan. HETAC were therefore requested by the Department of Education and Science to draw up guidelines for their section of the educational sector, in order to help meet this broad requirement from Brussels. HETAC does not have a firm legal basis on which to require course providers to include certain content in their course, hence the guidelines use language such as 'suggests' and 'encourages'. The guidelines apply to all areas of education under HETAC - not just 'environmental' courses. Mr. Puirséil concluded that there was a challenge ahead in finding how society could develop without damage to the environment, while also ensuring economic sustainability.

Introduction by Tom Campbell

The idea for this seminar came from a group of us who are members of FEASTA, the Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, and who all happened to be working in the education sector.

As one of a number of working groups of Feasta, we have been exploring ways in which sustainable development, and ecological economics in particular, can be promoted at all levels within Irish education, both formal and non-formal.

We feel strongly that although Irish people are increasingly aware of, and concerned about, issues of the environment and the need for sustainable development at both the local and global level, there has been little debate on the policies and processes that are necessary to bring about a more genuinely environmentally sustainable society, as well as asking what role our educational institutions can play.

We were pleased to learn that earlier in the year, HETAC had issued a set of what we believe are very positive Guidelines for HETAC designated institutions, in line with the commitments laid out in the Governments NDP, which deal very specifically with the need for greater integration of environmental and sustainability education, not just across the curriculum and in new course development, but also at the levels of the individual learner and, significantly, that of the institution itself. The concept of 'environmental responsibility' or 'greening the institution', is one which many of our colleagues in Europe have committed themselves to but, with a few honourable exceptions, has yet to become part of institutional culture in Ireland. A copy of these guidelines were sent out with the brochures for this event and we are very pleased that Séamus Puirséil, Chief Executive of HETAC, is with us this morning to give you the background to this initiative.

This event was thus organised with a view to providing a forum whereby interested individuals from the Higher Education community could get together to discuss how best we could respond to these Guidelines, as well as identify the opportunities and constraints in meeting this challenge. It would also be an opportunity to showcase examples of good practice and innovative ideas that are already happening around the country which could broadly come under the heading 'education for sustainability'. Furthermore we were keen to provide a platform to give you some idea of what 'ecological economics' has to offer and what role an organisation like Feasta can play.

Tipperary Institute was the ideal venue, not just because some of our members happen to work there, but also because it offers a model of an Institution that has made a deliberate effort to 'take on board' the principles of sustainable development and put them into practice. We will hear more about what Tipperary Institute are doing from Ciarán Lynch later this morning. The Development Studies Centre was keen to be involved in this event because we are interested in the global politics of sustainable development and the particular needs of the developing world.

Although we have lined up a number of eminent speakers to provide the first part of today's proceeding we hope the day will be as participatory as possible. There will be a number of workshops after coffee which I tell you more about a little later, as well as plenty of opportunity for more open discussion in the plenary session in the afternoon. I am sure people will also avail of the coffee and lunch breaks as an opportunity for more informal networking! For those of you who want to check out various books and publications on sustainable economics, or find our more about Feasta, a bookstall can be found in the lobby.

Tom Campbell
Development Studies Centre and member of Feasta

Continue to Keynote Address by Richard Douthwaite

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