The Eko Skola Programme Fulfilling the 7 Steps

The Eko. Skola Programme Fulfilling the 7 Steps

Developing a School Development Plan Aims Where do we want to go? Audit Where are we now? Evaluation How are we doing? Priorities Implementation What do we want to look at first? What plans are we putting into practice? Action plans How do we get there? Source: School Development Planning Guidelines Committee, Malta, 1999

The Seven Steps of the Eko. Skola process

Environmental Review Eco Code Informing & Involving Curriculum Work Eco Schools Committee Action Plan Monitoring & Evaluation

Main issues Reluctance to give students an opportunity to participate in decisionmaking fora Power structures are reproduced Obsession with the ‘product’ not the ‘process’ Prefer to work in isolation - limited networking

Environmental Review Eco Code Informing & Involving Curriculum Work Awards Eco Schools Committee Action Plan Monitoring & Evaluation Support

Eko. Skola Committee • 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

Environmental Review • 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: are not shared by everyone issues

Action Plan • Achievements cannot be monitored because proposed 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

Monitoring & Evaluation • Not given priority: Eko. Skola 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 are focused on controlling symptoms not eliminating causes

Curriculum Work • 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 • Eko. Skola is presented as an additional chore: becomes an added burden an opportunity for growth not

Informing & Involving • Missed opportunities for communication: – no (or static) notice board – assemblies not used for addressing whole school – Eko. Skola not featured in school’s main calendar events (e. g. prize day, parents’ day) – no involvement of local council – no involvement of local businesses – no networking with other schools

Eco-Code • Scope of Eco-Code is not understood: presents clichés 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

The Awards • 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 • 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: Eko. Skola is totally voluntary and criterion referenced

Support given the National Eko. Skola Co-ordinator regional Eko. Skola Officers offering: o support re the 7 -steps process o professional development seminars promoting a whole school approach o SDP planning sessions to introduce ES and/or integrate the Action Plan nationally based in-service course: “The Eko. Skola Programme: a whole school approach to environmental education” ‘Trends’: “Promoting School Development through Environmental Education”

Support given resource sheets offering support leading schools through the ES process enviromental education curriculum packs networking services with local/foreign schools electronic local Eko. Skola newsletter electronic international bimonthly newsletter: http: // www. eco-schools. org/newsletters. html local website: http: //www. ekoskolamalta. com international website: http: // www. eco-schools. org/