Eco And Organic Schools

Summary: To reduce climate change we need both adults and children to become greener and to think more about the environment. The question is how do we engage children and pull them away from the TV and Play station and promote a sense of citizenship and environmental responsibility in them? Companies often have environmental policies where they recycle waster paper, ink cartridges and have energy saving stickers at the switches to remind people to switch off the lights. Companies ...

To reduce climate change we need both adults and children to become greener and to think more about the environment. The question is how do we engage children and pull them away from the TV and Play station and promote a sense of citizenship and environmental responsibility in them? Companies often have environmental policies where they recycle waster paper, ink cartridges and have energy saving stickers at the switches to remind people to switch off the lights. Companies are also increasingly becoming Fairtrade Workplaces by making a commitment to only buy Fairtrade tea, coffee and sugar. But this is for adults, what about the children? Well, the Eco-Schools Programme enables schools to become a more stimulating place in which to learn about eco issues and the schools themselves will be able to reduce their environmental impact within the school itself and the wider community including their own homes. Once registered the school will be part of an international group of schools working towards education for sustainable development and a better quality of life for local and global communities. This global development perspective will enable them to better understand poverty and appreciate the work that Live Aid and international charities such as Oxfam and the Red Cross are doing. The Eco-Schools programme provides a simple framework to enable schools to analyze its operations and become more sustainable. A bit like business re-engineering in companies but in manageable bite size chunks. Pupil involvement is a key part of the Eco-Schools programme. Having pupils engaged in the whole process, including monitoring, action planning and decision-making, leads to genuine ownership of the programme and an increase in their sense of responsibility for the school environment and local area. There is also an award scheme that will raise the profile of the school in the wider community and provide an incentive to participate. Schools can also be featured in local and regional media when they reach award level. There are three award levels: