Families in BalanceThe post 2015 Development Agenda- Setting a new course for the world families want …..

World Family Summit +9 Berlin- Germany

2-5 December 2013

Success storyEducation for Sustainable Development

in Higher Education (2012-2013)By

Mona Sharaf Abdelgalil ( PhD)

Associate professor household management and family sciences Department of Home Economics Faculty of Specific Education

Alexandria University- Egypt

Liaison of IFHE in Egypt

Email: mon_abdelgalil@hotmail.fr

Alexandria University Research , Teaching, Interaction with the surrounding society

Home Economic

s Food & Nutrition

Art Education

Music Education

Educational

and psychological sciences

Home Economics pedagogic interest is preparing a home economics teachers for primary, middle and

secondary school*Preparing home economics’ teacher program, is a

multidisciplinary program include humanities, social and economic sciences and applied sciences (e.g. physiology, microbiology, organic and analytical chemistry).

whose Vision is To become a leading, educational and research institution in different approaches of Home Economics studies.

• Its mission is to educate, train, research, disseminates knowledge and technology, and promotes family in its 3 domains;

• Home economics focus on the family , as primary unit of change in human society. We propose that the basic unit of society is the family, and define it as a household, no matter who the members are, so long as they are living together intentionally.

• Man's life and its development as well as food, clothes and health issues are studied.

• Teaching Home Economics is addressed to students from 11 to 18 years of old at the primary , middle and high school.

What is The change project Education for Sustainable Development ESD ?

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Sida offered Advanced program (as a change project) to the social and economic development in the participants’ countries.

-The program is a collaborative venture with UNEP’s Environmental Education and Training Unit (EETU) and seeks to support the Global University Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES).

-The program are specially designed for persons qualified to participate in reform processes of strategic importance on different levels and hold a position in their home organisation with mandate to run processes of change, it seeks to support creative thinking and the development of Education for Sustainable Development practice in higher education in Africa and Asia. The program is built around an ESD change project conceptualized by an institutional team consisting of the participant and a selected co-participant.

-The project objectives : -To provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences in ESD in the higher education sector.- deepen understanding of the environmental, social-cultural and economic dynamics of sustainable development. -Enhance the teaching, learning, research, community involvement and management of higher education institutions with regard to ESD.

This change project can be innovations in teaching, research, community engagement or university

policy and management.

To contribute to: - Poverty reduction and sustainable development;- Capacity development and change processes in participants´ institutions and home countries; -Strengthening of methods, processes and monitoring to enable effective education; - Improved institutional infrastructure for ESD.- Increase the awareness of the importance of effective ESD in the higher education sector; and-Stimulate development and sustainability of networks in the field of higher education.

The long term specific objectives

The program has been structured into 5 phases outlined below. Each phase is structured to support the development of the ESD Change Project which be worked on over a year. Each phase has results associated with the ESD Change Project.

Main problem in the first stage of the change project :

1. How can ESD be integrated at the Home Economics program ?

2. How can the department of Home Economics ’s work on ESD be visible for the university, the community and internationally?

There is an opportunity for changing project as

the university mission and vision enhance the

sustainable development

How to change?

Lectures – seminars – workshop –

Training programs for teachers and students

Reorientation of the scientific research planHow did we work?• integrate of Environment- life Science / family affaires - daily life activities

What did we achieve?

• Initially, the objective of this change project is to mainstream and implement the idea of sustainability in household management education program at the faculty of specific education in Alexandria University within some courses of under and postgraduate students.

• However, after several meetings with the dean, vice dean and the staff member we decided to :

1- held an information day for all students about sustainable Development with the collaboration of some staff members

2- insert the concept of sustainable development in both under and post graduates program;

3- Re orient the scientific research plan of the department to include the sustainability under titled “management of family resources and sustainable development in home economics”

4-Reorient the content of some courses to be integrated with sustainability issues e.g.a- family health, ( grade 1) b- family economics and consumer guidance ( grade 4) c- Home task management (grade 1 and master ) d- Family relations and family crises(grade 3) e- human rights to water” is a small chapter added to consumer rights course in the university compulsory course “human right” addressed to all the faculty students ( grade 1). 5- change the content of 2courses for master degree titled “family health and the environment” and “Advanced Home task management” focus on the sustainability issues and some relevant skills and activities to integrate the community issues.

That was done during phase 1 ,2 and phase 3

6- Reorient the curriculum of home economics by adding 2 new courses design addressed to 3rd and 4th year students titled “Strategies for Sustainable living and family wellbeing” this objective came up where the faculty intended to transfer the education system to credit hours system for under graduate students according to university demand. The course explores the use of management systems and performance frameworks to make sustainability part of family daily life tasks. Projects, activities and scientific ideas are used to reinforce the concepts and develop the skills to enable students to use the knowledge imparted in the course.

Practical outcomes:- the curriculum become more relevant and responsive to

changes in urban and rural area.- the new courses will improve the students’ cognitive,

about social sustainability which is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human need,

- the courses will support the capacity of current generations to create healthy and livable communities and will reflect to the future generation .

then 3 proposals at the department was approved for PhD and master degree; the first is a PhD proposal “ the effectiveness of a training program for developing time management skills for life satisfaction on a sample of Alexandria university students” by assistant lecturer Shaimaa El Naggar .

the second is for a master degree “ the effectiveness of a training program to develop consumer skills in making a fortified bread and its impact on management and simplication of domestic tasks” by Ghadir post graduate student , work as a teacher of home economics at private middle school. Another master proposal was approved about the knowledge and attitudes of girls at middle schools about the risk of early marriage.........by post Graduate Shaimaa a school teacher

Example of a course content ( What we teach)(Home tasks management)

Approach to household management Natural resources

Minerals used in fabrication of household utensils and cook ware

Properties – the best practices in handling, caring,…..

Types of flooring ( wood- plastic- marble – ceramic): properties

Caring and cleaning .Producing a low price liquid soap.Produce a liquid environment friendly for cleaning floor and glass

Social inclusion

The art of hospitality – the art of setting table - different ways in how to serve the food.

Flower arrangement on the table- Different ways of folding napkins-Setting table and serving .Making deodorant from environment–friendly ingredient ( bio )

Human resources development. Work environment

Kitchen design Time and effort management Purchasing managementStorage management Food and clothes management

Applications on saving time and effort when working in the kitchen .

Evaluation

What is discussed in this course (applied part )?

• Academic tutorial for household management for social stustainability • some practices and activities to develop students’ skills as a tool for development • importance of Student involvement and engagement .• specialized content to future home economics teacher working For Sustainable Development

Applied part of the course

It was planned to:- realize some of the activities to mainstream the sustainable development (sustainability) principles

and practices among the students. to integrate some of the sustainability issues in

the activities of the course content. By the end of the course ( module ), students were

be able to :Define and link the sustainability in each activity

they have done

- A concern for sustainability taken up in student research for grade 4 department of home Economics, through course titled family economics and consumer guidance. They made researches on “emphasising operational practices that include ideas for domestic waste reduction, recycling the food residues to make different varieties of receipt, e.g. take advantage (make benefits) of the bread crumbs instead of , which has received in the trash

Plastic Cups

Plastic Spoons Flower

• Rationalizing consumption in different resources, Consumer guidance and protection discussed in Family economics and consumer Guidance

• carbon dioxide and air pollution reduction, safe gas stove used at households , energy and water conservation practices, and so on ... were discussed in both courses family health and household establishment and development

And is it ESD?Our course•Focus on natural resources linked to the social behavior and economics •Room for discussions and team work•Student involvement•Innovative forms of learning

Training program for some HE teachers and students about “How to establish a small business domestic

project

international workshop at the university on “Sustainable Development” in the presence of the program co-ordinator

from Rhodes University – South Africa

A workshop How to addressed the eco system, sub marine and African mask to activities for the students by using compilations of natural colors. A Collaborative work

with the department of art education

Students’ practical work to establish a small domestic project

Students design and make their garments – graduation project course . Home Economics program promote fashion and design

Establishing small business projectsin graduation project course (home management

program) based on a feasibility study

•What did we achieved?

• 1- Development of existing course .2- Involvement of students (post graduate ) in activities in mainstreaming education for sustainable development as staff members .3- Participation of young future teacher of home economics ( in middle and secondary school) with their new ideas .4- producing low cost household products can be contribute to reduce household expenditure.

AcknowledgmentI present my thanks to the World Family Organisation for giving me the opportunity to participate and talk about our project in this prestigious summit +9I acknowledge with deep thanks the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) , the program organizer of the training program NIRAS which provided opportunity for exchange knowledge and experiences in ESD in the higher education sector, and collaboration amongst African, Asian and Swedish universities, also, I present my great thanks to Alexandria University, the dean, vice dean,s , my colleague ‘contributors’ and all staff members contributed , whose commitment and dedication have made this work is done.

The situation prior to the change project

• Although the study of home economics can be used to achieve social sustainability and sustainable living for individuals , families and communities, where it aims at teaching many skills, activities of interest to the girl, who is the mother of the future, and transfer- in turn -these knowledge , experiences and practices to the next generations through the family. But

• the study of home economics at schools today is not a compulsory education and became an optional study instead for middle and secondary schools.

• No enough fund at schools for the applied and practical lessons,• The ministry of education has stopped issuing the home

economics’ textbook for girls at middle and secondary schools many years ago, teachers depends on the old textbook and their experience .

• Because the study of home economics became non compulsory course at schools; many schools’ directors replaces the Home Economics quotas, with mathematics, science and/ or languages.

The objectives of the program of Home management are: Student must be familiar to the basic skills in the areas

associated with household management , and employing skills, cognitive ,knowledge and sciences associated in household management , as well as the use of modern strategies in the development of critical thinking and creative skills in domestic environment.

To raise the awareness’ level of the values of responsibility and the consumption behavior.

to participate in the development of household small business projects,

The Home Economics profession will contribute to support Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity through

· Home Economics research addressing aspects of socialintegration and intergenerational solidarity in relation to families

and households.· Home Economics education to improve the capabilities of young

and old including resource management and income generation.

· Supporting families and communities to contribute to social integration and intergenerational solidarity. (IFHE Press Release

International Day of Families, 15th May 2013“Advancing Social Integration and IntergenerationalSolidarity” Bonn April 2013)

• The IFHE supports comprehensive approach to the six “Education For All” goals: each one counts for providing quality education throughout life - strong foundations in early childhood, universal primary education, gender equality, life skills, literacy and quality learning at all stages, in both formal and non-formal approaches. The six Education for All goals to be met by the learning needs of all children, youth and adult by 2015 are:

• 1. Expand Early Childhood Care and Education• 2. Provide free and compulsory Primary Education for All• 3. Promote learning skills for young people and adults• 4. Increase Adult Literacy by 50• 5. Achieve Gender Parity by 2005 and Gender Equality by

2015• 6. Improve the quality of Education. we hope to elicit response with reference to the

understanding of how to balance: • - the transfer of knowledge of his/her subject; • - the acquisition of transferable skills;