Preface

Sustainability, as a concept for actions that will result in a viable future for succeeding generations, is a priority. Political, technological, social and economic changes are needed to effect sustainability and must arise at all levels: intergovernmental, governmental, regional, local and individual. While international political change is vital to supporting sustainability, individuals can respond positively by acting sustainably, so that the combined actions of populations will preserve our futures. Each individual's action adds up to the total effect of humanity on our planet. We are all responsible for our collective actions. Under these conditions, education for sustainability (EfS) must be a major focus. Given that young children will become the next generation of adults, it is vital that they are educated about sustainability issues so they can be critically aware of the problems and take positive action to help preserve their future in a rapidly changing world. While evidence suggests that primary teachers are generally concerned about sustainability issues, an acknowledged lack of understanding of how to teach for sustainability and the perceived constraints emanating from current curriculum priorities commonly inhibit EfS from being developed in many classrooms.