Memorandum submitted by the Institute
of Ecology and Environmental Management
INTRODUCTION
The Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
(IEEM) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Education Outside
the Classroom inquiry.
IEEM is the professional Institute supporting
professionals in the fields of ecology and environmental management.
The Institute was established in 1991 and currently has around
1,600 members drawn from local authorities, government agencies,
industry, environmental consultancy, teaching/research, and voluntary
environmental organisations.
The objects of the Institute are:
— to advance the science, practice
and understanding of ecology and environmental management for
the public benefit in the United Kingdom and internationally;
— to further the conservation and enhancement
of biodiversity and maintenance of ecological processes and life
support systems essential to a fully functional biosphere;
— to further environmentally sustainable
management and development;
— to promote and encourage education,
training, study and research in the science and practice of ecology,
environmental management and sustainable development;
— to establish, uphold and advance
the standards of education, qualification, competence and conduct
of those who practise ecology and environmental management as
a profession and for the benefit of the public.
IEEM is a member of the European Federation
of Associations of Environmental Professionals, the Society for
the Environment and the IUCN.
IEEM INQUIRY RESPONSE
Education Outside the Classroom
The IEEM has been concerned for some time about
the lack of skills in graduates coming onto the employment market.
The IEEM has identified biological recording, survey and monitoring
as an area that has been neglected in mainstream education and
training and consequently the growing demand for these skills
is not being met.
Part of the reason for this "skills gap"
has been the reduction of fieldwork undertaken at schools, in
particular, due to there no longer being a requirement for fieldwork
in the National Curriculum at A Level. Fieldwork may be done at
primary schools, but is then dropped for other subjects. Children's
interest is kindled at young age, and needs to be maintained—the
best way to do this is with DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE NATURAL WORLD.
The IEEM feels that this lack of identification
skills is a serious one, which is only likely to get worse unless
the amount of fieldwork in schools is increased.
The IEEM apologises for the very short written
response to the inquiry but we were only informed about it a very
short time ago. The IEEM's Training, Education and Career Development
committee (TECDC) would be very happy to discuss this matter further.
October 2004
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