2. Know your subject

The world we know and love is in danger. The financial, social, political and environmental crises we are faced with on a daily basis has forced us to rethink the way we live and work. If we are to leave a legacy for generations to come, we need to understand what sustainability, green economy and green entrepreneurship is, and how these can be integrated in the South African school curriculum. Commerce subjects in the Senior and FET phase are viable curricula in which these notions could be integrated. Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) (Grades 7-9) and Business Studies (Grades 10-12) are identified as school subjects that present the opportunity to integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Educators are the key towards facilitating learners’ shift to sustainable ways of life, in a technological and information-driven age where change is at the order of the day. Educators in all educational settings can guide learners towards realising their role and responsibility in transforming themselves and society towards sustainability, and the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals can help learners understand the complex choices that sustainable development requires and motivate them to transform themselves and society.

In Module 2 we will be looking at Integrating Sustainability in the EMS curricula Grades 7-9 within the three major topics

The economy
Financial Literacy
Entrepreneurship

“We are increasingly asking if what people learn is truly relevant to their lives, if what they learn helps to ensure the survival of our planet. Education for Sustainable Development can provide the knowledge, awareness and action that empower people to transform themselves and transform societies.”

– Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO

The subject Economic and Management Sciences deals with the efficient and effective use of different types of private, public or collective resources to satisfy people’s needs and wants. It reflects critically on the impact of resource exploitation on the environment and on people. It also deals with effective management of scarce resources in order to maximise profit. (CAPS, p. 8)

In this module you will learn how to integrate key principles of sustainability, green economy, green entrepreneurship and green skills in the teaching of Economic and Management Sciences from Grade 7 to 9. Click on the links that follow for resources to support your teaching of EMS in each grade.

After completing this module you will:

Have a better understanding of how to integrate sustainability into the EMS curricular
Have a better understanding of the link between the Green Economy and sustainable development
Have a better understanding of what a Green Entrepreneur is and help learners become a sustainable entrepreneur
Have the ability to explain (understanding of) environment and sustainable development issues, risks and opportunities in the context of the Global SDGs and ESD in South Africa, with specific reference to the green economy and entrepreneurship

Module 2 is divided into the following sections: