APPENDIX 51
Memorandum from the Field Studies Council
1. The FSC welcomes the opportunity to make a
written submission to the Environmental Audit Committee.
2. THE FSC AND
ESD
The FSC was formed over 60 years ago with a
mission of "Bringing Environmental Understanding to All".
The FSC's 17 Centres, 11 in England, provide courses for a range
of subject areas; biology, science, geography, history, outdoor
adventurous activities, art, and citizenship, all of which, in
different ways, contribute to ESD (Education for Sustainable Development).
The FSC's commitment is to first hand experience as an approach
to engaging not only the affective but the cognitive domain. (Nundy:
Raising Achievement through the Environment)
The FSC's aspiration is to create environmentally
literate autonomous citizens, by:
(a) Courses for the 90,000 young people who
attend both residential and day courses annually.
(b) The 100,000 or more FSC resources, especially
the "fold out keys" sold each year.
(c) The INSET courses for teachers and environmental
professionals, in 25 countries world wide, plus training workshops
for NGOs, Local Communities, Local Government, Ministerial Departments
and business/service providers.
(d) Web based resources which provide pre
course advice and post course extension information and advice.
Web based resources on out of classroom activity plus secondary
data sets from a range of habitats are open to all.
(e) Work with partners to progress a number
of initiatives eg ENCAMS—Eco-Centres; WWF/Shell/CEE/FSC—ESD
posters; Wildfowl and Wetland Trust—fold out keys, plus
a sustainability strategy for St Petersburg supported by ESD resources
for teachers.
(f) Member of the NCC Environmental Education
Working Group (1990-91), Member of the NCC Geography Working Group
(1990/91) Contributor to QCA's Environmental Education Best Practice
Guide; member of the writing group which produced the draft Formal
Education guidance 5-19, which was later taken on by the Government
Panel for ESD.
3. GOVERNMENT
STRATEGY ON
ESD
It is obvious that many Government Departments
and related Agencies are active in this area, with a key role
being played by DEFRA, and clear commitment from DfIDS and DfES
and related agencies such as the Countryside Commission, English
Nature, Environmental Agency, etc.
Also, the FSC recognises that through the Government's
"Green Ministers" initiative there is the potential
to raise the profile of sustainable development across all Ministries.
Whilst there is an obvious potential for co-ordination, from the
outside there is the appearance of selectiveness which can and
does result in duplication and resultant substantial gaps.
The FSC believes that:
(a) There is need for a overall strategy
which involves all stakeholders. The ESD strategy which has been
developed by the Government Panel needs to be in the public arena
and interested parties encouraged to respond to the document.
(b) There is a need for dedicated resources/budget
to ensure adequate funding for ESD.
(c) The active support offered by NGOs should
be recognised.
(d) The accountability for ESD should rest
with one Government Department to co-ordinate and measure progress
against measurable targets.
4. FORMAL EDUCATION
AND ESD
Formal Education and the Youth sector have a
critical role to play in promoting sustainable development.
The rationale of the 2000 National Curriculum
clearly outlines a values system which identifies an individual's
responsibility for the environment, as well as the importance
of developing pupils awareness, understanding and respect for
the environment, and at the same time recognising that the environment
is only an element within the sustainable development mix.
Whilst welcoming the Government's commitment
to ESD in the National Curriculum, the FSC urges the government
to:
— Include the reporting of ESD in every
OFSTED inspection.
— Require the TTA to address ESD in
the initial teacher training programme.
— Although many NGOs ands statutory
agencies are able to offer INSET provision for ESD, school management
do not see ESD as priority and there is a paucity of funding for
this area of work.
— Whilst the curriculum delivery is
important, it is critical that schools are encouraged to "live
the message" of ESD be reviewing their performance in such
areas as transport, purchasing policy, energy, recycling, etc.
5. FURTHER AND
HIGHER EDUCATION
The Toyne Report gave guidance for a framework
for Sustainable Development and CEE (Council for Environmental
Education) produced guidance on implementation of Sustainable
Development in a number of "broad" subject areas. The
Toyne Report indicated that the outcome was "stark"
and for many will be very disappointing, for it seems that, whilst
the original committee was right in assuming that being over prescriptive
would be counter productive, in the event, the lack of prescription
has meant that very little progress has been made in taking forward
the agenda.
"The time has come for serious, constituent,
concerted action". (Peter Toyne: Environmental Responsibility
1996)
If HE is problematic, then the FSC see the 16-19
sector as the forgotten sector, squeezed between the ESD agenda
of the National Curriculum and Higher Education. Further/Higher
Education should be the context in which future decision makers/active
citizens clarify and refine their attitudes and values; in the
twenty-first century FE and HE will have a minimal exposure to
ESD.
One aspect of ESD which impacts across all the
Education sectors, formal, FE, HE, is the place of out of classroom
activity/learning. As mentioned earlier, the FSC believes that
personal/ first hand experience inside and outside the classroom
is essential to stimulate development in the affective and cognitive
domains. Recent research included in the article by Locke and
Tilling (Ecology fieldwork in 16-19 biology—copy attached)
indicates that out of classroom experience pre-16 (KS 3 and 4)
in Science /Biology is nearly non-existent. At the same time,
the findings of the Select Committee on Science indicate that
many KS3 students find science "boring" and "irrelevant
to their daily lives".
Whilst the FSC appreciates the support given
by the Prime Minister and Stephen Twigg (Minister of State for
Education) to out of classroom activity (YHA House of Commons
launch of the YHA Outdoor Activity Campaign), there are significant
barriers to access to out of classroom activity.
— A perception by many schools that
the existing curriculum load precludes the opportunity for educational
visits.
— A genuine fear by many teachers,
headteachers, and governors that, given a small number of high
profile cases, litigation will follow any accident.
— The view that out of classroom is
time consuming and high in resource demand with minimal contribution
to improving educational standards
— A reluctance by teachers to ask for
financial contribution either from school budgets or parents/guardians.
The result is an inequality in the take up.
The previous list is producing a culture where
out of classroom activity is seen as the exception rather than
the rule. This is compounded as teacher experience and confidence
in leading out of classroom activity reduces.
Nb Discussions with PGCE Biology students
indicated that over 75% of the students had no more than one day
"out of classroom" experience for their five years on
FE/HE courses.
When the OfSTED reports on Geography state that
there is evidence of a fieldwork element in over 50% of the indicators
identifying successful schools, then there is a need for Ministers
and Agency Officers to actively promote the benefits of out of
classroom activity as a mechanism every school should embrace
in its delivery of the National Curriculum.
Whilst the FSC supports the DfES initiative
on school visit co-ordinators, there is a wider remit to up-skill
the teaching force, especially NQTs.
Nb One specific area of concern for the
FSC is the lack of ecological and taxonomic background of science
biology graduates. If the Government's commitment to Biodiversity
through its BAPS and LBAPS is to be meaningful, then there is
a need for school pupils and the community at large to be better
aware of their local flora and fauna.
The FSC believes that if the Government is to
deliver its aspiration of an active citizenship addressing its
environmental responsibility, then experience of out of classroom
experience is a fundamental requirement.
6. THE FUTURE
— The FSC has appreciated the opportunity
to respond to the Annual Reports of the Government Panel for ESD.
— The Panel's strategy for ESD should
be published and a consultation process undertaken.
— The FSC welcomes DfES funding for
the QCA hosted ESD website which provides some excellent exemplification
and hopes that funding will continue to maintain this provision.
— Although the DfES should be identified
as the lead Ministry to co-ordinate ESD, there must be a greater
recognition that support for one or two initiatives eg Growing
Schools, should not be seen as appropriate promotion of ESD across
the curriculum. Without the present commitment of DEFRA to ESD,
progress within this area would have been minimal!
— The FSC hope that the innovative
work of the Government Panel for ESD is integrated into a Government
strategy for ESD.
8. The FSC, in its sixtieth anniversary
year, is committed to Education for Sustainable Development. We
recognise the many positive steps a number of Government departments
and agencies have made in the promotion of ESD. The FSC is willing
and interested in working in partnership with Government and other
NGOs to successfully deliver ESD.
February 2003
|
