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.
