ABOUT 40 Eco-Schools in the province were recognised for their achievement in working towards sustainability at Ushaka Marine Education Centre.
Bongani Zulu, who is a Programme Manager for Restoration Ecology Branch of the Environmental Planning and Climate Protection at eThekwini Municipality, shared serious climate change challenges faced by the city and explained how programmes such as the Eco Schools programme are well positioned to aid in spreading awareness of pressing environmental issues.
The Birches Pre-Primary school earned an International flag decade award for 15 years of sustained environmental action. The school has evolved into becoming a centre of environmental learning where learners from a very young age are taught to take care of the environment and be resourceful whilst minimizing waste. Shea O Connor Combined School, an Eco School for 13 years located in rural Nottingham earned a green flag decade award as well as an award for outstanding performance in waste management. They are first school in the country to completely ban single use plastic on their premises. They also have won numerous awards for their spectacular permaculture garden.
Danville Girls’ High School, which earned a gold decade award has been recycling and upcycling waste for years at their school and displayed their creative accessories made from waste which they generate income from during market day. The national programmes manager Cindy Lee Cloete presented two additional FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) programmes; Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) and Learning About Forests (LEAF) that can be implemented alongside the Eco Schools programme.
Schools could use all or any of these three programmes to add value to the learning journey for young people in their care. Being part of global environmental action benefits learners and their environment. The Eco-Schools programme is an international programme and currently involves 67 countries, 51 000 schools and over 19.5 million learners. The programme was launched in 2003 in South Africa and contributed to the improvement of over 1000 schools across South Africa. YRE involves 350 000 young people across 38 countries and LEAF involves 600 000 young people in 26 countries.
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