Eco Schools in Action: 2GETHER: Project Report

The Eco schools project has been very successful in primary schools but less so in the secondary sector.

“The Scottish Executive is committed to sustainable development and implementing action following the World Summit in Johannesburg. Promoting sustainable development in schools is an important element of our approach, and we have identified it as a key area within our school improvement framework. The Eco Schools programme provides an ideal means for us to encourage schools to take this forward, through practical local action as well as an understanding of the wider issues”

Jack McConnell, MSP, First Minister for Scotland, letter to the Eco Schools International Coordinator, dated 23 Aug 2002

“Values and citizenship are key aspects of our National priorities in Education which all local authorities are developing. Achieving Eco School status is one way of demonstrating practical involvement in promoting citizenship and environmental awareness."

Cathy Jamieson, Scottish Minister for Education, 02/09/02

Background

The international Eco Schools programme was initiated in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education and the European Commission as one of four programmes to deliver and promote education about sustainable development and the environment.   The programme is delivered by both a formal and informal approach allowing participation by and across many disciplines in education.

The Eco Schools programme specifically aims to enable young people to identify and develop solutions to local environmental and sustainable development issues.   It aims to raise pupils’ awareness of these issues through classroom study and by a practical and active approach to the reduction of the environmental impact of their school.   The attitudes and responsibilities pupils develop should then be extended into the wider community and beyond their school life.

Schools can work towards different levels of awards which recognise and celebrate the work done in schools and lead ultimately to the Green Flag award which is recognised as a standard for environmental education and performance.

More than 9000 schools in 23 countries across Europe are currently involved in the programme and schools in South Africa and pilot projects in Chile have joined them in 2003.

The programme has an excellent website ( www.Eco-Schools.org ) which is regularly up-dated and allows schools to access information about work being done in other schools and countries and to share their own successes and ideas. Each country has it’s own website with local news, ideas etc.

Eco Schools in Scotland

The Eco Schools programme in Scotland is at a very exciting stage!

Since the introduction of the programme in 1995 the uptake of the Eco Schools programme had been slow but is now beginning to increase rapidly with 1023 schools registered and 288 achieving awards, including three permanent Green Flag Awards (October 2003).

The Scottish Executive Education Department is actively encouraging participation in the programme as a means to deliver and measure performance in National Priority 4: Values and Citizenship. As part of the School Improvement Framework, Education Authorities have been asked to report on “the number/percentage of primary and secondary schools within their area that are participating in the Eco Schools award or similar accredited environmental award.”

Some Education Authorities have been more active in the programme than others due to location, resources, local expertise and individual enthusiasm.   However with the production of a new Scottish Eco Schools Handbook and video and the grants available when schools achieve the Bronze Award, schools across Scotland should feel more comfortable about embarking on the work required to make the programme an integral part of the school life.

Many organisations outwith education are also using the Eco Schools programme to support their programmes for education for sustainability, citizenship and the environment.   This has added to the wealth of material available to schools to support all areas of the programme.

The appointment of a full-time development officer and team should further encourage and support local authorities and schools in their participation in and implementation of the Eco- Schools programme in Scotland.

Implementing the Eco Schools Programme

The Eco Schools Handbook is issued to schools when they register for the programme. This contains information required to begin implementing the programme and has suggestions for activities etc. It is supported by the Eco Schools UK website.

The Eco Schools Programme consists of a core of Seven Elements, which are used to measure a school’s environmental achievement and improvement leading to Bronze, Silver and Green Flag awards.

These Elements are used as the framework for a review process, which is used by an Eco Committee to make decisions about action needed in the individual school.

The nature of the Eco Committee can vary depending on the individual needs and circumstances of the school. Suggestions are given in the Handbook for the basic requirements of a committee.

The principle of the programme is that it should be pupil-driven and should benefit and involve the whole school community in improving the school environment and raising awareness of environmental and sustainability issues.

The Eco Schools programme is flexible and can be used in the best way to suit individual schools circumstances and experiences. The approach taken by a school will develop over time as the programme becomes more of an integral part of the school ethos and as the needs of the school change.

Schools across Scotland have implemented the Eco Schools programme in a variety of ways. Subject areas to help deliver the curriculum, as a school club, as part of a Personal and Social Education Programme and as a whole-school initiative for an Eco-Day have used it. The most successful approach seems to be a mixture of strategies suited to the individual school. Schools in urban areas have different needs from those in rural areas, primary schools seem to have more success than secondary schools, and different geographical areas have differing experiences. Until recently it has often been an enthusiastic and motivated teacher or group of teachers who has initiated the programme within an individual school with limited cooperation and coordination with other schools or outside agencies. The appointment of a national development officer and increase in education authority support should be of help to schools at all stages of the programme and should broaden the experiences of the schools involved.