| Within the context of education for citizenship, the Eco-Schools programme is an active, participative learning experience for all those involved and is clearly an ‘Enterprising Teaching and Learning’ process as promoted by ‘Determined to Succeed’. It encapsulates the ethos of the Advisory Council of Learning & Teaching Scotland’s view that:
‘...each young person’s entitlement to education for citizenship can be secured through combinations of learning experiences set in the daily life of the school, discrete areas of the curriculum, cross-curricular experiences and activities involving links with the local community.’ Education for Citizenship in Scotland, 2002 Section 3.1 Page 12
Whilst involvement in the Eco-Schools programme can be linked to all five of the Scottish Government’s National Priorities in Education, the programme is a performance measure for National Priority Four: Values and Citizenship. Local Education Authorities must report on:
“...the number/percentage of primary and secondary schools within their area that are participating in the Eco-Schools Award or similar accredited environmental award.” (National Priority 4.2.C)
You will find more helpful information, together with easy-to-follow detailed links to the curriculum, a forum and a range of interactive games and activities, on the Eco-Schools Scotland website. Another useful website is that of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which was responsible for establishing the global Eco-Schools programme in 1994 in response to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
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