A two-part report exploring the state of environmental education in secondary schools in England has been published. The project was: Understanding Environmental Education in Secondary Schools. Where is it, what is it and what should the future be?
Report 1: Policy Perspectives
Summary: The provision of environmental education in formal schooling is weakly supported by national policies. There is currently a lack of intention or ideological vision for environmental education explicitly articulated in England’s education policy.
Report 2: The Practitioners’ Perspective
Summary: The provision of environmental education in England is complex, contested and circular. Viewed as a broad church, and a discipline which students find ‘interesting’, environmental education encompasses multiple topics and skills. Currently, however, environmental education has no defined home resulting in the subject ‘falling through the gaps’.
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Today is the start of Green GB Week which is designed by the government to highlight the opportunities clean growth offers the UK and to raise understanding of how business and the public can contribute to tackling climate change. The intention is to showcase the benefits clean growth will bring to all parts of society – from new jobs to cleaner air.
The programme for the week will include a focus on:
- UK leadership on climate change
- the latest climate science
- the clean technologies of future
- financing the low carbon economy
- clean growth as a business opportunity
- climate action in communities
There’s a toolkit (published 3 weeks ago) designed to help us get involved in the week with ideas to host events or activities, including social media, branding and accessibility tips. The toolkit is for use by universities, businesses, schools, colleges, community groups, and individuals and families.
The Permaculture Association is running an Autumn Gathering at Bleakhouse community garden. It will have all the usual permaculture and Nettle info plus any produce/harvest we have, and the community seedbank, willow weaving and making blackberry oxymel.
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Londoners are invited to join the Plogolution which has been set up to “help support fit and happy communities that are dedicated to protecting the environment so we can be proud to hand our planet down to future generations”. Plogolution arranges regular ‘plogs’ which are run/walk and rubbish pick ups around London: keeping rubbish from entering rivers and raising endorphin levels at the same time. You can find out more here and there are a number of blogposts (should that be plogbosts?) here.
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There will also be a Green Teach Meet session for everyone to share their news, views, needs, wants and offers. We already have a great range of practitioners booked in – Eco Schools, RSPB, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Cafod, Hulme Community Garden Centre amongst others, have already agreed to join us – and we welcome other organisations who want to share their offer to schools. However, we would also love to hear about projects happening in school and, if you know someone who has delivered something exciting, then please put them in touch with us. Please contact coordinator@meen.org.uk if you would like to be there.
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LEEF is planning an Environmental Storytelling training day at the Geffrye Museum on Monday 12th November 2018, 10am-4pm. If you’re interested in how to better engage audiences through performance, voice, posture, storytelling, etc then this is the training for you!
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LEAF Education has produced a new publication setting out a wide variety of activities for the autumn. It includes activities for English, geography, cookery and more. Ideas can be carried out at school or out in the countryside or on a farm visit.
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The ASE Futures Conference is being held in partnership with the Sheffield Institute of Education on 4 & 5 July 2019 at Sheffield Hallam University. The Conference is for everyone leading professional development in science education – across all settings. ASE welcomes session proposals from members and non-members bringing experience from schools, colleges, universities, MATs, local authorities and consultancy. This event offers a supportive environment in which to share your ideas with about 100 participants.
The deadline for proposals is 2 November 2018. Please use the online form:
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Finally, NAEE’s AGM is being held on November 3rd at Birmingham Botanic Gardens (a 1030 start). All members welcome.