“OUR status as a Green Flag Eco-School reflects our hard work and it will be recognised by other Eco-Schools around the world. We not only teach, but also inspire learners to see the beauty of sustainable living for everyone’s benefit.”
This is according to Eileen Watson, an educator and member of the Eco Club at St Colmcille Secondary School in Kirkwood, which is one of 693 schools nationwide registered to participate in the international Eco-School programme through the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA).
“Every school participating in the programme works towards this Green Flag award. We were awarded the Green Flag for our 2020 fulltime recycle project and part time project on climate change and global citizenship,” said Eileen.
Any school can register and participate in any of the WESSA Eco-Schools’ 11 themes to qualify for an award. At St Colmcille the different environmental projects are coordinated and led by Carine Lombard and Colleen Jacobs. St Colmcille with the 2018 theme of School Ground received a bronze award and in 2019 they did the Biodiversity theme and received a silver award.
“Currently we have a recycle station at our school where community members are welcome to recycle their waste. We as a school also recycle our waste. This program is led by our Eco Club coordinators, but the Eco-club learners do all the sorting and collection of the waste.
“The Waste Trade Company supports us in this project by collecting our waste. The teachers in the club also help motivate learners to participate in environmental competitions and to see the programs not just integrated into their curriculum but also why conservation on any level is so important,” said Eileen.
The Eco-Schools programme is an international programme of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that was developed to support environmental learning in the classroom. The programme is active in 68 countries and 59 000 schools around the world and has been implemented in South Africa since 2003 by WESSA.
In 2011 St Colmcille started a club called the Green Ambassadors which was driven by one of the teachers, Emelda Nel. In 2018 they joined the Eco Schools community and expanded their Green Ambassadors Club by taking on more environmental responsibilities. They are mentored by Nomfundo Ndlovu from WESSA.
“The programme is aimed at creating awareness and action around environmental sustainability in schools and their surrounding communities as well as supporting Education for Sustainable Development in the national curriculum,” said Eileen.
For more information about St Colmcille Secondary School Eco-Club contact them on 042 230 1682.
