Authors

Joyceline Dzordzi Esi Lawoe
Department of Visual and Industrial Art, Sunyani Technical University, Sunyani – Ghana

Ninette Afi Appiah
Department of Fashion Design and Textile Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi – Ghana

Elanor Mawuliba Adom
Department of Clothing and Textiles, Ave Senior High School, Ho – Ghana

Corresponding Author’s Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Sustainability of the fashion industry has become increasingly crucial amidst growing concerns about its use of resources and impact on the environment. Currently, fashion and textile waste dominate landfills, waterways, market centres, and gutters, making it difficult for most Ghanaians to enjoy environmental sanity. This study, therefore, assessed the technical universities’ curriculum contributions to sustainable fashion practices in Ghana. This study used a descriptive research design. Interviews were conducted to elicit primary data, while secondary data was acquired from technical universities’ fashion design and textile curriculums in Ghana. Fashion lecturers constituted the population. According to the findings, the curriculum comprises only a few academic courses that address sustainability issues; the majority of courses are not sustainability-centred or connected. This highlights the reality that Technical University fashion courses in Ghana contribute relatively little to sustainability issues, reaffirming the view that higher education curricula have not historically been developed to build a sustainable world. It is proposed that higher education stakeholders offer sustainable courses to raise students understanding of sustainability issues. In addition to academic lectures, the curriculum should be revised to incorporate outreach programs that cultivate students’ interest in and capacity for addressing sustainability challenges. Each of these activities has the potential to dramatically educate and mobilize students around the concept of sustainability.

Keywords

Sustainability Concept; Fashion; University Curriculum; Sustainability Fashion Practices

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Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Common Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Fashion and Textiles Review © 2019 by Institute of Textiles and Fashion Professionals, Ghana is licensed under CC BY 4.0.