5.2 Interaction with other Sub-Systems - Expectations and possible tensions

The “teach your own” sub-system differs from the rest of the ST systems. It is both specific and general at the same time, and thus it can affect all of the Texel’s sub systems. This starts from the realization that knowledge is contained or should be contained into all aspects and activities of our lives, let alone into the effort for a sustainable transition. It is a key feature of every socio-technical system, as their definition indicates; “Collective knowledge production, knowledge utilization and innovation, and which are oriented towards specific purposes in society and economy” is a precondition.  Designing education for a sustainable future in Texel, means designing the distribution of knowledge, which is the basis for a successful transition in all the sub systems. The actors have primarily to be informed and well educated in order to support a transition not only in its very beginning but through the whole process, untill the goal is achieved.

Every single sub-system, “sustainable lifestyles”, “accommodation”, “live with the sea” etc., can be really close connected to the “teach your own”. In all of these projects, people must be aware of what,why and how; what should change (what is going wrong), why there is need for change, how will this benefit them, how can change come. And all these can be obtained through the educational procedures that our subsystem is designing.

Specialised education can enhance the activities around certain sub-systems; it could possibly lead to the creation of research centers and institutions, not to mention the creation of working opportunities for educators, professions related to every project etc.

The overall connection of the “teach your own” system with the rest of them can be strong.

There were already some ideas on how Accommodation and Teach you own could collaborate. With the new way of education, local connection buildings are needed, where students can gather, get inspired or do a project. Empty accommodation spaces during winter time that are mostly occupied by tourists in summer can be used during educational periods. Thus, the amount of empty spaces is decreased and the there is no need of spending sources into building new ones. However, possible problems can be entangled interests, the cost for building rent could be too high, inefficient organisation can lead double booked spaces etc.

Sub systems that their subject is directly environmentally oriented, such as Close the water chain, Feed Texel, Go emission free, Regenerate organic waste etc. can be supported by Teach your own, by educating the actors involved. Both passive and active learning, with ITCs or even distance learning integrated on the procedures can highly contribute to them. Research projects during MBO, HBO and WO educational levels can also be established. 

We can also imagine that making people aware of "sustainable lifestyles" and convincing them to adopt such ways of living, it is primarily a matter of proper knowledge distribution.

Go emission free could provide meaningful options to our system; eliminating the impact of transportation on the environment would promote commuting of people that want to reach educational spaces within the island or even in the mainland.

Lastly, another significant benefit of the involvement of Teach your own into other sub-systems in the way that it was described earlier, is the creation of vacancies for educators or researchers for each project.