Whole-School Project-Based Approach to Promote Education for Sustainability: A Mauritian Experience

Abstract

The whole-school approach to education for sustainability (WSAES) involves calls for sustainable development to be integrated in the school curriculum in a holistic manner where sustainability also is incorporated through sustainable school operations such as integrated governance, stakeholder and community engagement, long-term planning and sustainability monitoring and evaluation. The WSAES advocates for active and participatory learning, calling for the engagement of the entire school community including students, educators, administrators and other stakeholders. This chapter showcases the Mauritian experience of using WSAES in 30 primary schools in Mauritius. Drawing from the UNESCO whole-school 4Cs (culture, campus, curriculum and community) model, each school was engaged in (i) setting up a school-based sustainability team, (ii) identifying a sustainability related issue in their school context, (iii) conceptualising, developing and designing a school project to address the issue and (iv) a reflection on the challenges and learning experiences that students gained through the implementation of the project.