EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN A PERIOD OF SOCIO-POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY.

Abstract

Sustainable   development   is development   that  meets  the  needs  of  the  present  without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Education for sustainable development gives learners of all ages the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources and inequality. The roles of teacher education in sustainable national development cannot be underestimated. Despite this fact, Teacher Education has not been  well  strategized  and  focused  for  achievement  of  this  sustainable  development  in Nigeria. This paper therefore focused on the importance of teacher education and how it can help to sustain the national development. It also x-rayed the teacher education in Nigeria with a view to producing quality teachers in Nigeria and in relation to the sustainable  national development.  It reviewed  the relevance  of teacher  education  and  also  highlighted  on the training and professional competencies of teachers. The concept of sustainable national development was also highlighted  as related to teacher education. Types and objectives of teacher education were briefly discussed in relationship with teachers’ roles in national development.   No   nation   builds   a   strong   and   effective   educational   system   without improvement  on  its  teacher  education  programmes.  This  is  because  teachers  remain  the pillars through which education can transform and improve the development of any nation. The paper therefore, looked into teacher education and its objectives; the roles of education in national development and suggested ways to improve teacher education in order to achieve sustainable national development. Conclusions were made and recommendations drawn from the discussions.