Education for Sustainability

Foreword

Growing communities

In my twenties I worked as a gardener for five years. It was joyous but hard work. In 1987 I became a primary school teacher in Bristol. Working in early-years settings convinced me that gardening, food production and cooking could act as a basis for pretty much all learning in the primary curriculum, as the children were utterly enthused and absorbed when they were practically engaged in these life-affirming pursuits, and learned effortlessly, their creativity and curiosity constantly stimulated and nourished by the natural world around them. What's more, gardening made them happy and they loved learning outdoors. Dismayed with the educational policies of the 80s and 90s, like so many others who loved teaching but ...