- 1. The EkoSkola Programme Fulfilling the 7 Steps
2. D evelo pinga School Development Plan Aims Where do we want
to go? Source: School Development Planning Guidelines Committee,
Malta, 1999 Audit Where are we now? Priorities What do we want to
look at first? Action plans How do we get there? Implementation
What plans are we putting into practice? Evaluation How are we
doing? 3. The Seven Stepsof theEkoSkola process 4. Environmental
Review Action Plan Monitoring & Evaluation Curriculum Work
Informing & Involving Eco Code Eco Schools Committee 5.
- Reluctance to give students an opportunity to participate in
decision-making fora
- Power structures are reproduced
- Obsession with the product not the process
- Prefer to work in isolation - limited networking
Main issues 6. Awards Support Environmental Review Action Plan
Monitoring & Evaluation Curriculum Work Informing &
Involving Eco Code Eco Schools Committee 7.
- Low student representation on the committee : children feel
intimidated
- Adults run the meeting:token participation
- Students chosen by adults:no democratic process and upholding
adult biases
- All students from the final year : problem with continuity
- Students from one class/year : no wide representation of
interests
EkoSkola Committee 8.
- Brainstorming session : good ONLY as an initial step to
identify main school concerns
- No grid used:auditing is not systematic
- No results issued:decisions based on hunches and real issues
are not addressed
- Results are not communicated:issues are not shared by
everyone
Environmental Review 9.
- Achievements cannot be monitored becauseproposed tasks are not
specific:
- No deadlines are set:progress is slowed down
- No persons responsible identified:ownership and responsibility
of tasks is not clear
- Not communicated to all the school:collective responsibility is
low
Action Plan 10.
- Not given priority:EkoSkola process is stalled
- Deadlines are not followed : progress is slowed
- Progress is not communicated:success is not shared, sense of
achievement is lost and collective motivation is reduced
- Action plan is not updated:actions arefocused on controlling
symptoms noteliminating causes
Monitoring & Evaluation 11.
- Staff seminars to explore ways how to integrate environmental
education in the curriculum
- Environmental education is presented as an extra-curricular
activity : process is not valued by the school community
- EkoSkola is presented as an additionalchore:becomes an added
burdennot an opportunity for growth
Curriculum Work 12.
- Missed opportunities for communication:
-
- no (or static) notice board
-
- assemblies not used for addressing whole school
-
- EkoSkola not featured in schools main calendar events (e.g.
prize day, parents day)
-
- no involvement of local council
-
- no involvement of local businesses
-
- no networking with other schools
Informing & Involving 13.
- Scope of Eco-Code is not understood:presents clichs rather than
students beliefs and intents
- Given marginalised importance : environmental ethic fails to be
integrated in the school ethos
- Compiled by adult:no ownership by school
- Does not reflect Action Plan targets:lack of direction
Eco-Code 14.
- Anxiety to get the Green Flag:time is needed to establish.
School might get flag and lose out in its renewal with discouraging
results
- Process usually takes from 2 3 years depending on the prior
values of the school
- No time for assimilation/internalisation of values achievements
are only superficial
The Awards 15.
- 7 steps are seen as stand-alones no continuity more effort to
maintain and a lot of committee meetings
- Bronze and Silver Awards are not requested:missing out on an
opportunity to acknowledge effort through a tangible award
- School forced to participate/get award : EkoSkola
istotallyvoluntary and criterion referenced
The Awards 16.
- the National EkoSkola Co-ordinator
- regional EkoSkola Officers offering:
-
- support re the 7-steps process
-
- professional development seminars promoting a whole school
approach
-
- SDP planning sessions to introduce ES and/or integrate the
Action Plan
- nationally based in-service course: The EkoSkola Programme: a
whole school approach to environmental education
- Trends: Promoting School Development through Environmental
Education
Support given 17.
- resource sheets offering support leading schools through the ES
process
- enviromental educationcurriculum packs
- networking services with local/foreign schools
- electronic local EkoSkola newsletter
- electronic international bimonthly newsletter:http://
www.eco-schools.org/new/newsletters.html
- local website:http://www.ekoskolamalta.com
- international website:http:// www.eco-schools.org/
Support given