Agenda 21, Education and Training (4th section)

Essential among future citizens for raising awareness about the social, ecological, and economic risks of their time, education and training are the focus of the fourth section of Lausanne’s Agenda 21.

Of course, parents are responsible for their children’s education, but teachers and authorities (not to mention the indirect role that media plays) supplement this education. Although curricula are the responsibility of the canton, the City of Lausanne, which contains 12 educational institutions, has a hand in education. Going beyond the defined boundaries of teaching, its activities must physically take place outside of school, including within the city in general.
This notice seeks to broaden the discussion around the role that education can play in a society’s sustainable development. In 2003, this question led to an itemized list of activities to be taken to consolidate and build upon the work that had been accomplished up until then. Proposed projects addressed four major topics: learning about city life, children’s health education, the prevention of social exclusion, and citizenship.

Several of the City of Lausanne’s activities that have been carried out along these lines in recent years also promote sustainable development. For example, they conducted various activities to educate Lausanne school children about environmental issues. They also organized visits to two educational farms and the composter of La Tuilière. As far as social issues are concerned, they have proposed extracurricular activities supporting the quality of community life, such as subsidizing of courses for allophone parents.