Sustainable Development Education Panel
Supporting Sustainable Development through Educational Resources:
A Voluntary Code of Practice
The code of practice
As a contribution to the raising of standards of educational resources, a voluntary Code of Practice1 has been developed by and for producers of resources which support education for sustainable development.
The importance of education in moving towards more sustainable ways of living is acknowledged by the Government and by international agreement. Agenda 21, endorsed by 180 of the world's leaders at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, speaks of:
"nothing less than the complete reorientation of education towards sustainable development"
Well-produced educational resources can make an important contribution to this goal. Teachers and other educators, however, often express concern about the quality of material produced. Busy as they are, they need to be assured that resources are acceptable in both educational and sustainable development terms.
Responsible producers recognise and share this view. They accept that it is their responsibility to demonstrate to users of resources that their materials have been developed and produced in ways that follow sustainable principles. Therefore many have now agreed to adopt the voluntary Code of Practice, developed by the field itself, which is designed to improve standards in the quality of resources produced to support education for sustainable development.
What does the code do?
The Code of Practice sets out ten principles of good practice which producers commit themselves to working towards. Each principle is supported by guidance statements which illustrate how the principles might be achieved.
The ten principles making up the Code of Practice are shown on next page, together with a number of questions, based on the guidance statements, by which users may judge the extent to which producers have met their claims.
Producers adopting the Code make a commitment to making information about the resource explicit and easily accessible, whether in the resource itself or on promotional material. This includes a clear statement indicating commitment to the Code.
An example of a producer's statement, giving information about this document, is given. This information demonstrates ways in which the resource has been developed in accordance with the Code of Practice. Clearly, it cannot be totally comprehensive, but it should provide enough evidence on which users can make an informed decision about the suitability of the resource.
It is the intention that, as more producers adopt the Code of Practice and make information more readily accessible, educators will find selecting resources, both on educational and sustainable grounds, a less onerous and time-consuming task.
Will it work?
Of course a statement by a producer, indicating commitment to the Code of Practice, does not guarantee fitness to purpose of the resource in question. Educators will always be the final arbiters in assessing what is right for them and in using resources in a balanced and appropriate way.
We believe that the Code of Practice is an important step in raising standards in the development and production of educational resources. We hope that users of resources will find it useful and look for evidence of its implementation as they continue the vital process of educating for sustainable development.
Who supports the code?
The Code of Practice has been developed by the Council for Environmental Education (CEE) in consultation with its member organisations and others. A list of organisations committed to the principles of the Code is available from CEE. The Code of Practice is supported and endorsed by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department for Education and Employment.
1. Supporting sustainable development through educational resources: a voluntary code of practice
Page published 21 April
1999;
Page last modified
20 August, 2002