Towards a whole school environmental policy

Abstract

This dissertation is submitted as part assessment for the M.A. in Teaching and Training Studies at the University of Central Lancashire. Its purpose is to assess how environmental education is organised in a cross section of Lancashire schools and how it could be developed. The question of whether a school can claim to provide a good environmental education without attending to its environmental performance is examined.
Information was gathered by three means; unstructured in erviing, a questionnaire and by examining three schools in greater detail. The main instrument, the questionnaire, achieved an 83 % response rate.
The major findings of the survey were:-
11.6% of primary schools in the sample have a written environmental policy
50.0% of secondary schools in the sample have a written environmental policy
58.2% considered that environmental education is integrated into the curriculum in their school
50.9% of all schools in the sample do have a nominated coordinator for environmental education.
The most worthwhile actions that a school can undertake to enhance its environmental performance are:
Development of school sites
Recycling projects
Sharing examples of good practice
Appointing an environmental, coordinator
Conducting a curricular audit
Developing partnerships with the local authority
Involving pupils in energy efficiency projects.
The dissertation examines the process of policy formation and develops a matrix to assist teachers who wish to design and implement an environmental policy to establish the current environmental position of the school.