Schooling’s Contribution to a Sustainable Future in Asia: Can Schools Develop ‘Green’ Citizens?

Abstract

This chapter draws on data from five Asian societies that participated in the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). Samples of students from the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taipei, China, Indonesia and Thailand, aged approximately 15 years, answered a number of questions that tested their knowledge of issues related to sustainable development, and teachers and school principals were also asked to indicate the opportunities that were provided for students to engage with these issues both inside and outside school. The results showed that while environmental education appears to be part of the school curriculum across the region, its outcomes are uneven and the opportunities for students to engage with real-world environmental problems are also uneven. Suggestions are made as to how this situation can be improved.