College publications about sustainable schools

The journey of sustainable schools - new Read the final findings from the College's sustainable schools project
Sustainability and renewal characteristics of sustainable schools and the key leadership qualities required to develop them.
Every Child's Future: leading the way Jonothan Porritt and David Hopkins stimulate debate around the responsbilities of leaders working with children.
Leading sustainable schools: what the research tells us 2008 report looking at why and how school leaders develop sustainability.
Against the tide: challenges of leading a sustainable school. What are the challenges and how can you overcome them?

Resources

Why is sustainability so important?

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In the video clip, leaders and pupils talk about why schools have a responsbility to educate our future generations about the importance of sustainability.

"Every year we lose 100 million acres of farmland and 24 billion tons of top soil, we create 15 millions acres of new desert...mankind is using 160 million tons of water each year".
James Martin, founder of the 21st Century School, Oxford University

At the Copenhagen Summit 2009, the United Nations forecast that the number of malnourished children could increase by a quarter and climate change could see another 100 million people face starvation by the middle of the 21st century. The future for today’s young people will be different and challenging, and while educators and leaders cannot know the exact nature and extent of the hurdles to come, they do have the skills, qualities and moral purpose required to help prepare the next generation to tackle what lies ahead.

"People starting education now will be retiring in 2065 – we are educating them for a future, we cannot see, predict or understand. We need to re-think the fundamental priniciples for educating our children. Our task is to educate their whole being so they can face this future – a future we may not see… our job is to help them make something of it!"

Sir Ken Robinson June 2006