Introduction: Degrowth and Education – Expectations for an Anxious Future

Degrowth, often perceived as retrograde by contemporary standards, presents innovative alternatives by fundamentally breaking with the growth-centric paradigm dominating society and the economy. Rather than pursuing endless economic expansion, degrowth emphasizes quality of life through fair distribution, care, community, and autonomy. It advocates reducing overconsumption of energy and resources, especially in Western countries, aiming to balance the economy with planetary limits. While there is no unified degrowth theory, common values include consuming less, growing one’s own food, and repurposing existing structures. This special issue explores the implications of degrowth in education, driven by considerations of social justice, and existential wellbeing for learners and educators alike. The papers here do not blindly advocate degrowth, or merely deconstruct the concept of growth to replace it with another fixed model. Instead, they seek to foster open-ended exploration and criticism. The aim is to challenge the entrenched systems of growth, and promote a more inclusive, generous, and sustainable society, with particular focus on the role of education in this transformation.