APPENDIX 7
Memorandum from the Centre for Sustainable
Energy (CSE)
Established in 1979, the Centre for Sustainable
Energy (CSE) is a registered charity (No. 298740) that aims to
promote energy efficiency, alleviate fuel poverty and develop
sustainable energy policy. CSE works locally, regionally and nationally
and is one of the UK's leading energy agencies. Our work involves
education, training, advice, community development, and research.
CSE works to inform decision-makers and policy-makers with the
practical experience gained whilst delivering local community
based projects. This blend of social, environmental and economic
policy, from a strong technical base, represents an essential
foundation for sustainable energy development.
CSE has four broad aims:
— to promote energy efficiency and
sustainable energy policy;
— to alleviate fuel poverty and promote
affordable warmth;
— to promote a better understanding
of sustainable development, from the community through to government;
— to deliver practical projects that
support sustainable energy development.
Education at CSE Aims to:
— raise awareness of energy and environmental
issues;
— promote a balanced and constructive
approach to energy education;
— develop role of students as decision-makers.
Our recent work includes
Energy in schools CSE has been at the
forefront of developing the whole school approach to energy issues,
encouraging young people to act as environmental decision-makers
and promoting the study of energy issues in the school, the home
and the wider community alongside each other. CSE was the author
(under contract to BRECSU) for EEB1, A Best Practice Guide to
a Whole School Approach.
Energy education CSE's portfolio of energy
education work seeks to encourage young people to motivate change
on all aspects of the sustainable energy agenda. CSE has produced
a range of sustainable energy educational resources closely linked
to the National Curriculum. A national delivery programme, including
the network of energy educators and implementation through local
authorities, has enabled CSE to practically deliver energy education
programmes in more than 1000 schools across the UK to date.
Energy auditing, management and monitoring.
CSE technical staff have extensive energy auditing, management
and monitoring expertise across the housing sector, in public
buildings (including individual schools audits) and for commercial
clients. CSE has produced several resources to enable better school
energy management including the Managing Energy booklet and the
Energy Matters School Audit Resource.
Education/Schools Related Policy work
CSE is an active member of the national Energy Education Forum
co-ordinated by CREATE. CSE's Education Unit Manager, Liz Green
represents CSE on the Environment, Education and Community sector
working group of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes and
is a co-opted member (and Trustee) of the Council for Environmental
Education. CSE is a group member of the Institute of Energy.
Energy Awareness Training. CSE has an
excellent track record for delivering energy efficiency training
targeted at the domestic sector. The majority of this work has
involved the NEA City & Guilds 6176 Energy Awareness course
and examination, and customised courses for individual clients.
We have answered the questions most relevant
to our experience
1. Is a lack of public engagement and understanding
a real obstacle to the Government's progress on its sustainable
development agenda? Have there been any studies to show this?
Please refer to practical examples where possible.
Learning should play a role in sustainable development.
In developed countries, promoting sustainable
development involves encouraging people to make choices and lifestyle
changes. This will not happen unless individuals, of all ages,
learn about the consequences of their current actions and ways
in which they can make changes which will contribute to sustainable
lifestyles which in turn contribute to sustainable development.
As an example, CSE has a long track record of
providing energy education material to schools and other agencies
involved with lifelong learning. From the evaluation of one of
our major programmes, Energy Matters, we have found that, where
there has been education work relating to energy, there has been
an impact on the students and on their environment, in reducing
energy use in their homes and schools. The energy education work
has enabled students to discuss the issues with their parents/carers
so that the understanding of the issues affects both parties.
However, many of those involved in the evaluation work have said
that they had no understanding of their energy use or the issues
involved prior to being involved with Energy Matters.
Education reforms should take more account of
sustainable development
Currently sustainable development is an overarching
theme in the National Curriculum and is explicitly mentioned in
the geography and science syllabuses. Much of the current debate
seems to centre around the most appropriate slot in the curriculum
for teaching sustainable development. However "ownership"
by one discipline allows other curriculum subjects to ignore sustainable
development. What is needed is that all subjects, together with
the school management processes (the whole school approach) take
into account sustainable development so that pupils and teachers
work together to provide a sustainable experience which will be
replicated throughout their lives.
There seems to be very little consideration
of the inclusion of sustainable development as a context for the
delivery of skills in citizenship or community / adult learning
or as a necessary component of skills training in further education.
2. Is there a need for a national strategy
for education for sustainable development? Would additional infrastructure
be required to deliver a coherent, national strategy?
The Government should publish and consult on the
draft national strategy for Education for Sustainable Development
(ESD) produced by the Sustainable Development Education Panel
There is a great deal of experience, schools,
other education providers and NGOs, in teaching sustainable development,
in developing resources and in providing suitable stimulus experiences
to raise the awareness of pupils and start a debate. While much
of this experience is known by the panel there is much that is
not. The only way that those outside the panel can contribute
to the debate is by publication and consultation on the draft
strategy.
Evidence that the Government is effectively using
formal and informal learning to support its sustainable development
strategy?
Much learning is going on. Some in an ad hoc
way, some more formally, some in a more appropriate way than others.
However, this is largely provided by keen teachers and tutors
and NGOs such as CSE who find a range of routes to engage with
the various statutory learning providers. While there is some
support from local staff, there is little evidence that central
Government promotes this learning, for example by providing support,
information or indeed grant funding. There is also little evidence
that the LSDA or the LSCs have any mechanism for including sustainable
development within their education provision.
As a result of policy changes at the DfES, there
is currently a major refurbishment of schools taking place but
there is little evidence that this is seen as a major opportunity
to include principles of sustainable development and to use best
practice to promote this as a learning opportunity within new
buildings.
In its work with schools, CSE has found very
few who have considered energy issues, and the possible educational
benefits from these, in their refurbishment work. Energy improvements
have often been made incidentally, as a result of technological
improvements which are happening anyway, rather than as a strategic
option. Taking this area as an example, at a time when there is
increased pressures on local authorities, which include LEAs,
to improve the energy efficiency of their stock, schools have
received no guidelines or advice with this funding to encourage
them along this route. This is a comparatively limited area in
which schools could have been advised on the learning possibilities
of their buildings. Additional aspects could have included sourcing
of building materials and ongoing management issues for the school
buildings.
Education for sustainable development and the
work of the DfES;
The DfES appears a very unapproachable government
body. From CSE's work with the Council for Environmental Education,
there seems to be little commitment to considering seriously ways
in which sustainable development education is delivered in schools.
There is also little commitment to prioritising the appropriateness
of pupils experiencing out of classroom learning to demonstrate
the need for and principles of sustainable development.
Although the profile of sustainable development
was raised within Curriculum 2000, the way in which it was included
has allowed many teachers to ignore, or even be unaware of, its
presence and to "let the geographers get on with it".
Sustainable development is not included in the
OFSTED inspection framework or in many of the exam syllabi.
From CSE's experience, the history of the SchoolEnergy
grants programme shows how little support there is from DfES for
initiatives which have an impact on the sustainability of school
buildings and the related educational opportunities. This programme
was led by DEFRA and, in spite of positive evaluation, when private
sponsorship was ended, there was no forthcoming support to maintain
some support from DfES. This at a time when there was increased
funding available for school refurbishment work. (See comments
above on lack of advice and guidance provided with additional
capital funding.)
Education for sustainable development within the
remits of DfES agencies,
The only evidence that I am aware of is QCA
developing a website to support the teaching / learning of sustainable
development.
DfES has funded CSE energy education projects
for Family Learning and volunteer learning programmes to raise
literacy and numeracy via the Adult and Community Learning Fund
administered by NIACE
The role of education in sustainable development
in other Government Departments and Agencies.
DEFRA fund sustainable development education
via the Environmental Action Fund, and the SchoolEnergy programme,
which is now greatly reduced, and the Energy Action programme,
an energy advice support service, via the Energy Savings Trust.
However, from our experience, very few schools
know about the latter, either when it was run as the Energy Efficiency
Best Practice Programme or the current format. Again, this shows
the lack of advice or support from DfES in ensuring that schools
are aware of aspects of sustainable development. (See comments
above on the SchoolEnergy programme.)
DfID has funded the Small Environmental Projects
scheme administered by the British Council.
4. Are there existing education programmes
relating to sustainable development which might be considered
good practice? These might include in-house training schemes for
ESD for employees and stakeholders within businesses, the civil
service, and other organisations. Are there elements of successful,
strategic communication programmes in other areas which could
be applied to ESD? For example, from other Government awareness
campaigns such as those for drink driving, AIDS and smoking.
CSE's Energy Matters programme provides a good
practice example of a delivery mechanism for ESD. The educational
materials are produced by CSE in consultation with a range of
education experts and teachers. The programme is delivered to
schools by local energy educators. The focus of the delivery is
to train and support teachers so that the programme itself becomes
sustainable within the education establishment. The local energy
educators are also able to increase the range of areas in which
they can provide services to their local communities.
February 2003
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