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
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.
