Whole school environmental activities

Pupils learning about their local environment and developing a sense of care and responsibility can go on to consider environmental and development issues on a more global scale.

A small rural school in Co Down, Carrickmannon is representative of many schools of its type throughout Northern Ireland. With 96 pupils and four members of staff, Carrickmannon adopts an integrated approach to education that reflects the main principles of Education for Sustainable Development.

Activities

Environmental awareness is an ongoing theme, with all classes involved in investigation of their immediate environment and the wildlife dependent upon it, with a particular focus on birds based on RSPB support materials, such as Our World, Our Responsibility: Environmental Education: A Practical Guide. Pupils are encouraged to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour beyond the school and feedback is always positive and enthusiastic.

Investigation of local issues and the development of a sense of care and responsibility leads on to consideration of environmental and development issues at a global scale. The school supports a charitable cause every year, alternating between local and international charities. Projects that stimulate investigation of new horizons while meeting curriculum requirements are selected. The school has supported organisations such as Tear Fund and Concern. For example, the whole school engaged in a 'Water for Life' project where in addition to fund raising, pupils studied a range of issues associated with developing countries, comparing these with their own experience. They developed an end of term service exploring the theme of water to which parents and the local community were invited, demonstrating the school's holistic approach to learning.

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Success Factors

• Enthusiasm and dedication of staff;
• Rural location - impossible not to be aware of local environment and seasonal change;
• Availability of participative programmes of environmental education in the area;
• Availability of classroom resources on environmental and development topics;
• Persistence of agencies in providing good, usable materials;
• Parental and community support.

Limiting Factors

• Lack of planning time;
• Education for Sustainable Development is not a recognised area for which a co-ordinator is required. Therefore, opportunities to integrate environmental and development education can be missed;
• Lack of familiarity on some issues - lack of time and financial resources to address this through in-service training.

This case study is taken from Education for Sustainable Development, One World Centre and Environmental Education Forum, 2000.