Education as an Implementation Factor of the Sustainable Development of the Society

The topicality of a socio-philosophical study of education as an implementation factor of the sustainable development of the society is preconditioned by the fact that the reflected and substantiated understanding of both the axiology of contemporary education, its ability to exert influence on the spiritual and moral priorities of personality, and actualization of the sustainable societal development in the 21st century depend on the educational system. In modern world the search for alternative ways of social development and the problem of understanding of the adaptation of the society to a new reality in all its multidimensionality reached global dimensions. Among a number of possible alternative directions of social development the concept of sustainable development stands apart. This paper aims to study the role of education in the implementation of the sustainable development strategy and analyze the modern state of education in the interest of sustainable development (ESD). To attain the set goal an aggregate of mutually reinforcing research methods was used: study of scientific and regulatory sources, analysis and generalization of pedagogic experience and expert assessment. In author’s opinion the ESD is one of the most efficient methods of implementation of sustainable development principles by forming new thinking and behavior. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s5p26