Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Malaysia: Reorienting educational efforts for sustainable development in Malaysia

• In Event: Perceptions of sustainability from the Global-South: curriculum and textbooks in Malaysia, Mexico, India, and Pakistan.

Proposal

The transition of Malaysia in the last two decades from an agriculture to a manufacturing-based economy has played a significant impact on the country in terms of major structural transformation and notable social changes (Choi, 2011). Rapid development, coupled with widespread capitalism has brought adverse effects to the natural environment. A relevant study (Koh, 2007) revealed that Malaysia experiences the highest rate of deforestation in comparison to other developing South-East Asian countries. The need for education for sustainable development (ESD) is greater now than ever as Malaysia faces burgeoning environmental issues. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of reorienting educational efforts that incorporate ESD elements in the curriculum for Malaysian public schools.

This research focuses on the initiatives taken in the Malaysian education system that fall under the ESD umbrella. Through a critical discourse analysis of previous researches related to ESD, and a curriculum analysis of Malaysian higher education, this project discusses the challenges, opportunities, and strategies faced by the drivers of ESD, which are mainly universities and community colleges. It also addresses how ESD initiatives higher education percolate into public schools, in hopes to reorient the curriculum gearing towards the incorporation of ESD elements within the Malaysian schooling system. This research presents an opportunity to understand how peripheric initiatives can contribute to the goal of education for a sustainable development in Malaysia at a broader scale. Furthermore, this research examines the various educational reformations in addressing sustainable development, simultaneously challenging inherent anthropocentric worldviews (Yean, 2014) as well as promoting bio-centric viewpoints within the Malaysian education sphere.

References
Koh, L. (2007). Impending disaster or sliver of hope for Southeast Asian forests? The devil may
lie in the details. Biodiversity Conservation, 16, 3935-3938.
Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE). 2012. The Malaysia Education Blueprint. Malaysia:
Ministry of Education Malaysia. Retrieved from
https://www.moe.gov.my/images/dasar-kpm/articlefile_file_003108.pdf [
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Education for
Sustainable Development Country Guidelines for Changing the Climate of Teacher Education to Address Sustainability. By Mee Young Choi. Jakarta: Unesco Office, 2014
Yean, A. S. (2014). Education for sustainable development in Malaysia’s national curriculum
reformation: a theoretical exploration. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 3 (2), 199-212.

Author

• Pravindharan Balakrishnan, Loyola University, Chicago