Published as part of the work of the Development Education Commission, Essential Learning challenges short term perspectives and the effects of fragmentation, and invites you to look afresh at the potential for core curriculum and common agendas. It:

• debates strategies for change and advocates a ‘dispositions’ approach
• offers proposals for a core curriculum framework
• builds common educational agendas (based on human rights education, development education, anti-racism education, environmental education and more)
• suggests opportunities for furthering work on global dimensions, development perspectives and human rights principles

It builds on the surveys carried out for the Commission in Scotland, Wales, England and Ireland [north and south]. The surveys, other documents, and the experience of the Commission members lead to considerable debate about challenges for education posed by contemporary civil society and world citizenship.

Such work has a pivotal role in new analysis and new approaches to the contemporary challenges facing education.