Education for sustainable community development : Barefoot College, Tilonia, India

Abstract

An integrated process for education and sustainable community development has not been incorporated in countries of the North or the South. Although environmental education has been introduced into many curricula, this is only a beginning step compared to what is required to rebuild our understanding of development and set ourselves on more sustainable paths.

The Barefoot College, in India has developed an education process for sustainable community development and has experience with reinventing the concepts of education and development. Their process has broad implications for educators, policy makers, academics and the general public in the South and North.

The main objective of this study was to examine the essential characteristics of an education process which contribute to sustainable community development as exemplified by the Barefoot College. The participatory research data has been used to extend theoretical perspectives on sustainability and education and to reinforce new directions for research on education and sustainable communities.

Students of the Barefoot College emerge as potential partners for the development of their communities. They learn skills to support themselves and to facilitate sustainable community development. Specific implications for applications of the Barefoot College process to Western education are suggested.