Education: Growing great minds

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Global citizenship. Sustainability. Social responsibility. What are they teaching pupils at school these days?

As today's school students face a world grappling with environmental challenges and a social inequality, the school curriculum is evolving to match the students' concerns and prepare them for the future.
Auckland Girls Grammar School's sustainability plan is the big goal this year, says year 13 student, Isabella McCarthy, head of the Global Citizenship committee. The sustainability plan addresses waste, energy usage, and rights respecting of the school, says McCarthy, who plans to study marine biology and philosophy at university.
Esther Crummer, a participant in the Auckland City Council youth forums on local government issues, as well as head of the school's Health Committee, explains her philosophy. "We are the people living in the next 20 or 30 years. Seeing how actions today affect tomorrow, means you are wise in the way you use resources."
Crummer is a student of the AGGS year 13 sustainability class taught by geography teacher, Jacinda Andrews and Margaret Arthur, the environmental coordinator. Sustainability is part of Education for Sustainability (EfS) and is now offered as an NCEA subject at both years 12 and 13. "Students can do anything after taking sustainability - there are jobs where it's important to know all about sustainability," says Andrews. It's relevant for anything to do with "future focus" which is one of the principles of the New Zealand curriculum, she says. Andrews stresses sustainability is supposed to be incorporated into all subject areas. "There are sustainable parts in geography, eco tourism, all our social studies students learn about how our resources are important and how that links to social and environmental sustainability."

Green Tips: things schools can do for sustainability

Grow food for the cafeteria
Recycle
Be a Fairtrade school
Grow native trees
Incorporate sustainability into the curriculum
Use the Sustainability Achievement Standards offered by NZQA
Buy local products
Increase the student voice
Use a compost or Bokashi bin for food scraps

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP: Libby Giles is AGGS' Global Citizenship facilitator. She also teaches philosophy, history and social studies. The school principal, Liz Thomson, introduced Global Citizenship into the school in 2010 to underpin the numerous initiatives, inside and outside the classroom, that are connected to social justice, human rights, and the environment. "It is in keeping with our own school values as well as the principles and values in theNew Zealandcurriculum," says Giles. Students are encouraged to participate in the community for the greater good and take up leadership roles. There are opportunities to take part in social action, attend seminars, and listen to guest speakers to broaden their global perspective.

ENVIROSCHOOLS: Enviroschools is a nationwide network of people working together to create sustainable communities. The Enviroschools Programme, now run by the Enviroschool Foundation, was initiated in partnership with local government in the 1990s. Overall, 26 percent of all NewZealandschools and kura are part of the enviroschool network. Auckland Girls Grammar is currently a silver enviroschool and has been involved in the programme for eight years. As an enviroschool, students are encouraged to take action for a more sustainable future. As part of this, the girls plant trees, growing them in the Bombay Hills for example.The school has recycling initiatives as part of the programme.In the past students have built a vegetable garden at the school with the aim of supplying the cafeteria. Now they are planting fruit trees. Source: www.enviroschools.org.nz?