Mutual Out of the Box Environmental Education Programme launch,
Johannesburg
25 April 2007
Ladies and gentlemen
Far greater attention is being paid to sustainable development, nature
conservation and awareness of the dangers humanity poses to the
environment.
Environmental education is about the impact of the lifestyle choices we
make. It is about the decisions we take that affect the air we breathe and the
food we eat.
The fact that economic and social choices have a direct impact on our world
means that children must be provided with an education that allows them to make
choices that promote conservation and development.
The content of the curriculum must address the various dimensions that make
up our world, consumption, waste disposal, energy sources and business
interest.
Only last month Nick Stern came to South Africa to talk about his recent
report on climate change for the United Kingdom Treasury. He spoke to several
audiences particularly about the importance of addressing the problems of
global warming.
His message was simple: "The scientific evidence is overwhelming: climate
change is a serious global threat, and it demands an urgent global
response."
He was able to quantify the impact of doing nothing: ";Using the results
from formal economic models, the Review estimates that if we donât act, the
overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least
5% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year, now and forever. If a
wider range of risks and impacts is taken into account, the estimates of damage
could rise to 20% of GDP or more."
He continued: âIn contrast, the costs of action â reducing greenhouse gas
emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change â can be limited to
around 1% of global GDP each year.â
The message was clear. The costs of doing nothing now will mean that costs
in the future will be incalculable.
I have found that this issue, one that seems quite difficult to grasp, is
one that children understand keenly once it is explained to them.
Children also grasp the immediacy of debates about non-renewable energy
sources.
For example there is available evidence of potential disasters that are
associated with our search for energy sources. The Chernobyl disaster is one of
these. Our education programmes should use these as a means of providing full
insights into the likely impact of our search for innovation.
And of course nuclear power is closely associated with the enrichment of
uranium and the capacity to use that energy for the manufacture of weapons of
mass destruction.
That was second-generation nuclear power. Today we are pushing the
boundaries in developing the technology for fourth-generation nuclear power in
the form of pebble-bed reactors. South Africa is at the forefront in developing
and building pebble bed reactors. Their unique characteristics are, first, that
an uncontrolled chain reaction is impossible - a meltdown of the reactor core
is impossible - and, second, they do not produce uranium and cannot be used for
military purposes.
A second-generation power station generates 1 500 to 3 800 megawatts of
energy. In contrast a pebble-bed reactor generates 100 to 200 megawatts, enough
to power a small town.
Because government has chosen to develop pebble bed reactors, it does not
mean that the debate on nuclear power is closed. We encourage our children
through the curriculum to tackle these important issues.
Environmental education is not taught in one learning area. It is taught in
a cross-curricular fashion, because environmental issues are to be found in
every learning area.
For example, in Economic and Management Sciences teachers will aim to
demonstrate the relationship between a healthy environment, social justice, and
human rights.
The National Environmental Education Project, a professional development
project located in the Department of Education, was instrumental in putting
environmental issues into the curriculum. It was launched in 2000 and came to
an end in September 2006. It spread the word among teachers and among
officials.
The Environmental Project worked closely with the departments of Water
Affairs and Forestry, Health and Environmental Affairs and Tourism as well as
some parastatals to coordinate environmental education at school level.
Education can be improved significantly by promoting active learning in and
about the environment. Environmental education deepens the relevance of
classroom learning and strengthens school-community links.
The development of environmental literacy is a key concern in an emerging
democracy. It is only when we know about environmental issues that we can
consider appropriate development options and contribute to sustainable living
patterns in an informed way.
Being able to participate as a responsible citizen in the life of local,
national and global communities depends on an awareness of how environmental
issues affect communities.
Our curriculum also responds to Africa-wide commitments we have made in
regard to education about the environment. In Libreville in 2006 African
Ministers of Education agreed to respond to the call to support the United
Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), and to
support the development of strategies for the implementation.
We agreed to ensure that the principles of sustainable development are
included in educational development frameworks, programmes and activities at
all levels, as well as to ensure that African cultures, knowledge systems,
languages and ways of life are integrated into frameworks, programmes and
activities developed within the Decade.
Sustainable non-governmental organisation (NGO) or corporate initiatives
that assist in teaching environmental education in our schools are most
welcome. There are many, from "Kids in the Park" to marine life exhibitions and
study tours to pilot projects in the conservation of energy â energy-efficient
schools.
I look forward to more "out of the box" experiences once we see schools
working more extensively within this programme.
Thank you
Issued by: Department Education
25 April 2007
