The Eko Skola Programme The Malta experience ten

The Eko. Skola Programme The Malta experience … ten years on . . . an opportunity for school improvement

The sponsors 2003: MRRA sponsors Eko. Skola 2005: HSBC becomes a sponsor 2006: Wasteserv Malta Ltd becomes a sponsor 2007: MEE appoints Eko. Skola Teachers and becomes the main sponsor 2011: MGOZ and MTCE become sponsors Running Eko. Skola costs € 120, 000 annually Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs Ministry of Education and Employment Ministry for Gozo Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment

The beginning … launched during the scholastic year 2002 -2003 as a pilot project aimed to: – assess the resources needed to set up the organisational framework required to run the programme on a national basis, – assess the impact of the programme on the curriculum and identify specific curricular needs, and – promote the programme with other schools.

During the following years … efforts aimed to support the Eko. Skola process in schools by: — the production of support material for schools, — offer schools the support needed to initiate/maintain the Eko. Skola process — the organisation of in-school staff development programmes, and — the promotion of the programme with other schools.

The schools … 1

The schools … 2

The schools … 3

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Progress in Schools

Support given the National Eko. Skola Co-ordinator six regional Eko. Skola Teachers 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 and school-based in-service courses ‘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. ekoskola. org. mt international website: http: // www. eco-schools. org/

Main issues to deal with Centralized management structures are hard to overcome: üat all levels: • teacher – students; • headteacher – school; • educational authorities – schools üa general belief that children are too young to participate in decision-making fora ü‘adult’ imposition and token participation are still visible in certain schools

Main issues to deal with Eko. Skola is not ‘product’ based but ‘process’ based: ü Green Flag award is not dependent on how many environmental activities the school does but on whether ALL the 7 Steps of the Eko. Skola Process are followed ü trying to fit the Eko. Skola process onto old structures will not work

Main issues to deal with Networking between schools is still weak: ü certain schools still work in isolation ü there is still a tendency to view activities as opportunities to show off and ‘beat the others at it’

Main issues to deal with Eko. Skola teachers’ role is to support schools NOT to run the programme “Eko. Skola” is protected by copyright Main concern of school should be providing students with a learning experience NOT getting the Green Flag

The programme will surely change the way your school currently functions. . . but it will be worth it!