Environmental education now part of school curriculum

Mon, 23 May 2011

“As a result of the recycling project, our learners are not only aware of recycling, they practice using paper twice. The money earned from 2010’s recycling is a great encouragement. Now we are going to aim high and make craft items from waste to sell to tourists visiting the Midlands Meander.” Gladys Mncwabe, School Principal

Six months later: Midlands Meander Education Project

During 2010, the Midlands Meander Association Education Project (MMAEP) worked with 112 learners and six educators from Dargle Primary School in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands, with the aim of integrating environmental education into the school curriculum. The project facilitators revisited the school six months later to assess the lasting impact of this project on this school.

Increasing knowledge of the environment

The facilitators made use of two surveys as part of their evaluation of the project. A pre-intervention survey was conducted in February 2010 with the learners from grade 4-7, and a follow-up survey was completed in April 2011.

From the first survey conducted at the start of the project in 2010:

• 93% of the learners surveyed indicated that they had heard of the following terms, but could not explain their meaning: environment, ecology, recycling, values and global warming.
• None of the learners surveyed had heard of, nor could explain terms such as Permaculture, Organic, Biodegradable, Global Climate Change, Ecosystem, Biodiversity and Compost.
• 65% of the learners said they felt they had the skills and the knowledge to grow vegetables at their homes.

At the follow-up survey conducted in 2011:

• All of the learners immediately recognised and could explain the agriculture and ecology terms that they previously were unable to, as well as additional terminology introduced to them during the programme.
• All of the learners were able to explain the principles and practices of permaculture. The learners were now able to explain how to make compost, design and make a planting bed, and the role of insects and other invertebrates in maintaining a vegetable garden. These learners now felt they had the skills and knowledge to grow vegetables at their homes.
• All of the learners were able to explain the different processes involved in recycling different materials, and the importance of this to the environment.

In addition, the teachers at Dargle Primary School have also benefited from this programme. Although consistent participation in the training workshops was a challenge experienced during the project, the educators that did participate now feel that their knowledge of topics related to the environment, ecology, arts and life skills has improved. This has resulted in these teachers incorporating more games and outdoor activities into their lessons.

In addition to this, through SASIX funding, a recycling depot was created at the school to replace their ineffective refuse bag system. The school also received new recycling bins from the Wildlands Conservation Trust, and has earned R87 through their recycling efforts. Although this is a small amount, the school is excited by the realisation that they can generate an income from collecting waste, and is therefore intending to grow their efforts in this regard.

Silver Successes

Dargle Primary School submitted their Eco-Schools portfolio in October 2010 for independent assessment, which included lesson plans on topics relating to the environment, life orientation, art and tourism. The school passed this assessment and was awarded Eco-Schools Silver Certificate Status in December 2010.

Following on from this achievement, the school has committed itself to improving environmental learning and action through their curriculum, and is aiming to achieve Green Flag Status in 2011.

Increasing learners’ environmental awareness

Mon, 24 January 2011

‘Thank you so much. We have really gained a lot from the Bugs. You are always welcome at our school” Mrs Fruit Mncwabe – principal

REPORT 2: Midlands Meander Education Project – Integrating environmental education into the school curriculum

The Midlands Meander Education Project (MMAEP) provides comprehensive training in ecology and other environmental issues in a rural school in Dargle, KwaZulu Natal. Their focus is on supporting the UNESCO Goal of Education for Sustainable Development through regular, ongoing educator support and co-teaching.

The project began in February 2010 and is due to end in January 2011.

Activities and Outcomes

Activities

• The school has been visited six times since the programme was implemented. MMAEP co- hosted ten lessons related to eco-school themes, each in line with the school curriculum.
• 31 Grade 6 and 7 learns went on a field trip to the mist belt forest and were introduced to regional birdlife by an expert bird guide.
• There is ongoing recycling at the school. Educators, learners and local landowners have been bringing recyclables and these are being collected by a local recycling company.
• Learners are re-using suitable rubbish to for different purposes, e.g. using polystyrene trays for art.
• Workshops were held to encourage the creative use of waste, including a workshop on making musical instruments.
• The school submitted eco-portfolios for eco-school evaluation.
• During the strike, Grade 12s were assisted with schoolwork and exam preparation.
• Planting and caring for vegetable gardens.

Outcomes

• Learners are more aware of and committed to recycling.
• The knowledge that rubbish can be used for other activities has given them new resources and stimulated their creativity.
• Each lesson that the learners have attended has resulted in an increase in their awareness of the environment. As the lessons have been set out in accordance with the school curriculum, this can only benefit the learners academically.
• Learners’ submissions of their eco-portfolios and their constant involvement indicate their understanding of the eco-school concept.
• The Grade 12s’ worries about their exams were appeased, as they were assisted with their work despite the strike.
• A small yield of vegetables.

Expenditure

The total cost of this project was R50 000 which has been paid in full by SASIX.

Description	Budget	Expenditure
ES registration fees	-	-
Facilitators	20 400	16 800
Creative Environment Day - Facilitator	4 000	2 000
Materials for creative activities	2 000	1 375.57
Seeds and Seedlings	1 060	557.5
Recycling drums	300	300
Admin	3 600	3 000
Transport	2 640	2 200
Organic Farmer	1 200	300
Field Trip	3 000	2 923
Creative Waste Workshop	1 500	1 500
Forest Walk	1 500	1 500
Recycling Collection	4 200	1 000
Monitoring and Evaluation	2 200	1 000
Staff Dev - Conference Fees	2 400	4 400
Snake Expert	-	1 000
TOTAL	50 000	38 856.07

Challenges

Scheduled and unscheduled disruptions in the school year proved a great difficulty in the implementation of the project. Due to the Soccer World Cup, the June/July school holiday was extended. In addition, the nationwide teachers’ strikes kept the learners out of school for an additional three weeks in August/September. This led to a decrease in the number of events that they had outlined for the year and prohibited effective care of previously planted vegetables.

The Dargle educators have not attended the eight workshops organised for them by the MMAEP. A number of educators have requested activities that were not incorporated in the original proposal. This has required a careful allocation of funds.

Monitoring and evaluation

The vegetable gardens were partially destroyed during the school holiday and strike. A limited number of vegetables survived, but this was well below their anticipated yield. Eco-school portfolios were submitted and are to be evaluated. The recycling programme is in place. Learners attended lessons and workshops. These lessons covered aspects of the eco-school themes and the school curriculum; thus assisting learners with school work. Interaction with educators has been limited, as educators are unwilling to attend workshops which could affect the project’s planning and implementation within the school.

Conclusions

The project has acknowledged that they planned too many activities for the year and this was further affected by the strike. In particular, they have not managed to achieve as much success as hoped with food gardens. However, the gardens have been demarcated and fenced with a few vegetables planted but they hope to increase the outputs next year.

Their positive response to assisting learners during the strike, showed their commitment to the learners. Learners are demonstrating an interest in the programme through their attendance at events and their recycling efforts. Ongoing attempts to include educators in the programme need to be undertaken.

Educational Activities get underway

Fri, 11 June 2010

• ‘Well prepared and presented lessons. They did exciting exercises to keep learners attentive. I am so impressed because the Bugs are so helpful. Perfect and excellent lessons.’ - Gladys Mncwabe, principal*

REPORT 1: Midlands Meander Education Project – Integrating environmental education into the school curriculum

The Midlands Meander Education Project will improve environmental awareness and knowledge at a rural school in Dargle, KwaZulu Natal. The organisation’s vision is to help Midlands schools nurture capable, confident, curious children who are sensitive to environmental issues, who have the resilience to cope with a changing world and are able to contribute positively to their communities

The project began in February 2010 and is due to end in January 2011.

Outputs

• The project has worked with all 112 learners and 6 educators in the past 5 months, this included 8 visits to the school.
• 5 educators have attended one or more of the 6 workshops that have been held so far this year.
• A planning meeting was held with all educators in February to decide on their Eco-School Themes for 2010 and to plan projects and activities according to the curriculum plans of the school involved.
• Midlands Meander facilitators have co-taught classes on a number of environmental issues, including recycling, nutrition, healthy living and creative use of waste.
• The first collection of recyclable materials took place on 24 February and has continued on a monthly basis. Large bags and metal drums are used to collect recyclable materials and keep waste separate.
• An organic farmer visited the school in May 2010.
• The children were assisted in making collage posters to celebrate Earth Day. These have been entered into the HSBC Climate Change Poster Competition.
• 31 Grade 6&7 learners went on a field trip to the Go Green Recycling Centre and Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve on 14 May. They learnt all about how recyclables are sorted and they also did a mini species investigation in the Umgeni River Valley.

Expenditure

The total budget for the project is R50 000 of which R 25 050 has been paid to the project by SASIX. R18 481 of this first payment has been spent so far.

Description	Budget	Expenditure
ES registration fees	-	140
Facilitators	10 200	8 400
Creative Environment Day - Facilitator	2 000	1 000
Seeds and Seedlings	530	162
Recycling drums	300	300
Admin	1 800	1 500
Transport	1 320	1 100
Organic Farmer	600	300
Field Trip	3 000	2 923
Recycling Collection	2 100	1 000
Monitoring and Evaluation	2 200	1 000
TOTAL	25 050	18 481

The project has under spent by R 6 569. These costs will be incurred in the next 7 months of the project.

Challenges

One of the outputs of this project included the collection of recyclable materials by the students. Stopping the recyclable waste from making a complete mess of the school grounds was a challenge. Once the metal bins were in place, rather than the bags, this was alleviated. They needed to ensure that more indoor space was set aside for the storage of the waste, rather than under the trees, as having the waste outside made the school grounds look untidy.

The shortened school terms, which are a result of the World Cup, made it difficult for educators to set aside time for gardening. They have therefore prepared the garden for a spring planting and have planted a small number of cold weather veggies.

The teachers at the school often ask the project organisers to include activities which are not in their original proposal. Midlands Meander, however, are reluctant to deviate from the approved funding proposal. A boy in a wheelchair attended the Fieldtrip, which meant activities had to be altered slightly to suit him.

Monitoring and evaluation

A questionnaire was designed for educators and for learners. It was conducted in February and will be repeated in November. The questionnaire focuses on the things the project aims to achieve over the year. Focus areas include confidence, knowledge, skills and capability. To make it exciting for the learners, the class was divided into two teams in order to answer the questions. It became evident that the learner’s knowledge of basic ecological concepts was limited – no one had heard of biodiversity or climate change and one boy thought that eco-system was “a sound system for your car.” Many said that they knew how to grow vegetables and could also confidently name medicinal plants and wild greens. Most said that they recycled, but the project facilitators are unsure of exactly what the children mean, as there was no recycling service (or even waste collection) in the area, so it could mean that they reuse packaging. One learner attempted to answer the question about recycling by explaining the water cycle.
The educators’ questionnaire was a written one and asked some similar questions. Many said that they knew about gardening from attending previous workshops. They indicated that they would like to learn about Healthy Living, Permaculture, Biodiversity and the Use of Waste for Craft. The questionnaire also identified a number of areas in the curriculum where educators needed support – these included Life Skills, Natural Science, Social Science and Economic and Management Sciences. The questionnaires will be redone at the end of the year in order to measure the improvement in the knowledge, the confidence and the skills of both the learners and the educators.

Conclusions

The Midlands Meander Education Project set out to provide comprehensive training in ecology and other environmental issues in a rural school in Dargle, KwaZulu Natal. Both in the classroom, through co-teaching and teacher-support; and out of the classroom, through field trips and extra-curricular activities, the project has been highly effective and have been thoroughly enjoyed by the learners and educators alike. The enthusiasm for the project by both the learners and the educators should ensure the successful implementation of the project over the next 7 months.