PEACE EDUCATION AS AN ETHICAL FOUNDATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AND CONFLICT-FREE SCHOOLING

In response to escalating global challenges such as environmental degradation, social inequality, and conflict, education is increasingly positioned as a transformative force for shaping ethical, peaceful, and sustainable societies. This paper explores peace education as a foundational ethical framework that intersects with green technologies, inclusive pedagogy, and global citizenship to cultivate conflict-free and future-ready schools. Drawing on critical pedagogy, humanistic theory, and philosophical traditions, including Gandhian and Ubuntu thought, the study outlines how peace education goes beyond the mere absence of violence to nurture empathy, justice, environmental responsibility, and intercultural respect. Through participatory learning, restorative justice practices, and sustainable school infrastructure, peace education empowers students to act as ethical stewards of both society and the environment. The paper further integrates policy recommendations aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Indias NEP 2020, emphasising the role of all stakeholders, educators, communities, and policymakers, in institutionalising peace education. Ultimately, it positions peace and sustainability not as add-ons to curriculum, but as core pillars of 21st-century education aimed at building inclusive, resilient, and harmonious learning environments.